Seeing Well As You Grow Older: Presbyopia When you are young, the lens in your eye is soft and flexible. It changes shape easily, allowing you to focus on objects both close and far away. As you grow older, your lens becomes rigid. By age 40, the lens can't change shape as easily as it once did and it is more difficult to read at close range. This perfectly normal condition is called presbyopia. No exercise or medication can reverse presbyopia. You will need reading glasses or bifocals to help your eyes focus. The lens continues to harden, so you will need to change prescriptions as you grow older.