Allergan News

Allergan News

Americans are Frustrated by Unexpected Blurry Near Vision Issues, a New Survey Reveals

- 65% of respondents said they were not prepared to have their eyesight worsen as they got older.

- Allergan launches BlurryNearVision.com to educate people about a type of near vision issue called presbyopia, an age-related condition that reduces the eye's ability to focus on things up close.

From texting mishaps to lost reading glasses, the impact of age-related blurry near vision, or difficulty seeing things up close, on daily life can be pervasive. People who struggle with this may have presbyopia, which affects most adults over 40. It's a common and progressive eye condition that reduces the eye's ability to focus on things up close and can create a lot of frustration for those experiencing it.  

Despite the high prevalence of near vision issues like presbyopia, these challenges can still come as a surprise to people with difficulty seeing up close. In fact, according to a recent survey commissioned by Allergan, an AbbVie company, of 1,000 adults ages 40 – 55 who reported having near vision issues, 65% of survey respondents said that they were not prepared to have their eyesight worsen as they got older, and a quarter admitted they were in denial that their near vision was getting worse.

"While most people have not heard of the medical term for age-related blurry near vision, presbyopia is a natural part of aging and affects approximately 128 million adults in the U.S.," said optometrist Dr. Selina McGee, Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. "The survey results reinforce what I hear from patients with near vision issues in my practice every day – that these challenges are increasingly frustrating, and impact their daily lives, especially when they are looking at their cell phones, reading or trying to see a menu in a dimly lit restaurant."

In a year filled with Zoom calls and virtual gatherings, 84% of survey respondents reported that it was more frustrating to have blurry near vision when trying to read than having a video call freeze. There are options available to manage near vision issues, but they can come with challenges of their own. Over half of those surveyed with reading glasses (51%) admitted they lose or misplace them at least once a week; and over a quarter (26%) said they lose them daily. Additionally, for many adults, blurry near vision may impact the activities they enjoy most. In fact, half of survey respondents admitted they decreased or gave up on a hobby because they could no longer see well up close.

People experiencing age-related blurry near vision should talk to an eye care professional (ECP) to learn more about presbyopia, which can be diagnosed through a basic eye exam. Additionally, individuals are invited to visit BlurryNearVision.com, a website from Allergan, offering information on presbyopia. The site features an interactive component that shows how people see text up close when they have presbyopia and a quiz to uncover how the condition could be affecting their daily lives. Visitors can use these tools as a starting point when talking to their ECPs about their symptoms.

About the Survey
The online Blurry Near Vision survey, commissioned by Allergan and conducted by Wakefield Research, was fielded from August 2 – August 9, 2021, to 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 40 – 55 who reported having near vision issues. It was not confirmed whether the respondents were diagnosed with presbyopia.