# Can nearsightedness correct itself as you get older and start to become more farsighted? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 2, 2017, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-nearsightedness-correct-itself-as-you-get-older-and-start-to-become-more-farsighted/790395 "2017-07-02T21:51:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-nearsightedness-correct-itself-as-you-get-older-and-start-to-become-more-farsighted/790395/1 "2017-07-02T21:51:06Z")
I have been very slightly nearsighted my entire adult life. It is just enough to be annoying but not enough to do much about. I had to get a weak prescription for eyeglasses so that I could pass my driver’s license renewal in my early 30’s. It was time to get another license renewal with a vision test a few weeks ago. I have noticed my nearsightedness getting noticeably better over the last couple of years so I asked to try to take the vision test with no glasses. I passed it with no problem at 44 years old and had the vision restriction removed from my license. What I am really asking is if mild to moderate nearsightedness can start to be cancelled out on its own as you get older and the eyes start trending towards farsightedness? ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-nearsightedness-correct-itself-as-you-get-older-and-start-to-become-more-farsighted/790395/2 "2017-07-02T21:57:27Z")
Mine has. At 63 YO, I can read a newspaper without glasses whereas 20 years ago I could not. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2017, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-nearsightedness-correct-itself-as-you-get-older-and-start-to-become-more-farsighted/790395/3 "2017-07-02T21:57:41Z")
Yes…according to my eye doctor. My vision is actually reversing, becoming (very, very slightly!) more acute, requiring a diminution in the necessary correction of my eyeglasses. No idea how common this is. ---
**Author:** ![Kiwi\_Fruit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiwi_fruit/32/12_2.png) [@Kiwi\_Fruit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiwi_Fruit)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-nearsightedness-correct-itself-as-you-get-older-and-start-to-become-more-farsighted/790395/4 "2017-07-03T02:50:15Z")
> [@JerrySTL](#): > > Mine has. At 63 YO, I can read a newspaper without glasses whereas 20 years ago I could not. This seems back to front. I now need glasses to read newspapers, etc because the reduced elasticity of the lenses make me unable to focus as close, so I have far-sightedness. I also need glasses for driving because my eye shapes means I can’t focus at a distance, so I have near-sightedness. Between half a metre and 4-5 metres, I can see fine without correction. I’ll have my 62nd birthday next month. ---
**Author:** ![Razncain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@Razncain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Razncain)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-nearsightedness-correct-itself-as-you-get-older-and-start-to-become-more-farsighted/790395/5 "2017-07-03T03:42:49Z")
I’m 59 now, still don’t need reading glasses. But yes, I used to have 2.25 (forgot exactly what that number means) on both eyes, now it’s 1.75 or 1.50, I forget. I can pass the test without my glasses now, and have been able to do that for the last ten years or so. Also helpful to squint. If you still can’t pass the test, it’s easy to cheat. Just memorize the lines, most important one is line 7 to get you through: F E L O P Z D The eye test is standard. Line 8 is D E F P O T E C I still use prescription glasses though when I fly, but legally, I don’t have too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-nearsightedness-correct-itself-as-you-get-older-and-start-to-become-more-farsighted/790395/6 "2017-07-03T07:55:37Z")
People don’t get more farsighted with age. They get presbyopia, which has similar symptoms but involves the lens becoming less flexible and unable to change shape to focus on close objects. Farsightedness (hyperopia) is instead typically related to either the shape of the eyeball (particularly cornea, the front part) or weak muscles. > [@razncain](#): > > I’m 59 now, still don’t need reading glasses. But yes, I used to have 2.25 (forgot exactly what that number means) on both eyes, now it’s 1.75 or 1.50, I forget. I can pass the test without my glasses now, and have been able to do that for the last ten years or so. Also helpful to squint. There are at least 3 numbers (and the nearsighted numbers are all negative). Unless the other two are both 0 or “DS” for both eyes, you cannot directly compare the first numbers. -1.75 could be better than -2.25 or worse, depending. ---
**Author:** ![Mikeisskeptical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@Mikeisskeptical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikeisskeptical)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-nearsightedness-correct-itself-as-you-get-older-and-start-to-become-more-farsighted/790395/7 "2017-07-03T11:01:50Z")
Yes, vision often changes over time, not always for the worse. However, as other people have pointed out, the ability of the lens to change shape, known as accommodation, decreases with as you age. You are less able to pull a blurry image into focus. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-nearsightedness-correct-itself-as-you-get-older-and-start-to-become-more-farsighted/790395/8 "2017-07-03T14:14:38Z")
Happened to me too. My near-sightedness improved slightly in my 40s. On the other hand, very small print has become more and more of a challenge. ---
**Author:** ![moes\_lotion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@moes\_lotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moes_lotion)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-nearsightedness-correct-itself-as-you-get-older-and-start-to-become-more-farsighted/790395/9 "2017-07-03T15:01:16Z")
My nearsightedness was diagnosed when I was 10, now in my 60’s. What has happened in my case is that my “infinity” focal point, the greatest distance at which I can see clearly, has gradually increased from about 2 feet to about 4 feet. Unfortunately the depth of field has not increased much at all. I have to take my glasses off to read a book, and put them back on to see across the room. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-nearsightedness-correct-itself-as-you-get-older-and-start-to-become-more-farsighted/790395/10 "2017-07-03T15:01:53Z")
Its not actually common for myopic people to see their myopia reduce. It is known to happen, but not commonly. Whether or not that they get presbyopia(inelastic lens) is unrelated -but most people do and so its expected that most people who do see myopia reduce also get presbyopia ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-nearsightedness-correct-itself-as-you-get-older-and-start-to-become-more-farsighted/790395/11 "2017-07-03T15:06:47Z")
It happened to my cousin at menarche (I realize that was 40 years earlier than what you’re asking about). My eyesight had been normal and I became myopic; she’d been farsighted and was able to get rid of the glasses. Both of us got longer-sighted, but in her case it was a correction. I know old people (my mother is one) who need to remove their myopia glasses to read, but their myopia hasn’t gotten better. ---
**Author:** ![race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c4cdca/32.png) [@race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/race_to_the_bottom)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-nearsightedness-correct-itself-as-you-get-older-and-start-to-become-more-farsighted/790395/12 "2017-07-04T00:42:23Z")
In the past, I was nearsighted and required glasses to view objects in the distance. Now, I need reading glasses, but can see objects in the distance almost perfectly. This seems to be common. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2017, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-nearsightedness-correct-itself-as-you-get-older-and-start-to-become-more-farsighted/790395/13 "2017-07-05T19:22:00Z")
Not I. I’m simultaneously myopic (and getting worse) and presbyopic (and getting worse). ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-nearsightedness-correct-itself-as-you-get-older-and-start-to-become-more-farsighted/790395/14 "2017-07-05T20:55:10Z")
I’ve always been nearsighted. But starting in my mid forties, my prescription has been getting weaker and weaker. My optometrist said that as the lens loses elasticity, it changes shape, and the usual shape change is one which reduces nearsightedness. Not always, but not infrequently. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2017, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-nearsightedness-correct-itself-as-you-get-older-and-start-to-become-more-farsighted/790395/15 "2017-07-05T21:01:24Z")
I’ve gone from being farsighted to nearsighted only recently and can now read restaurant menus and other things up close without glasses for the first time in 30 years or so. My eye doc says this is due to cataracts I’ve developed but have been totally unaware of. I’ll need surgery in the next few years but for now I’d have no idea I have them if not for my last eye exam.