Hitting midlife can feel momentous. This new phase ushers in plenty of changes — to your appearance (Hi there, gray hair), to your downtime (Sure, we could go out ... or binge watch episodes of our favorite show

Yes, the latter half of your 40s is the stage of life that brings many people in to the eye doctor for help seeing small print, says Griffin Durias, O.D., an optometrist at America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses in Machesney Park, Illinois.

“It doesn’t matter who you are or what your vision has been like up until now,” Dr. Durias says. “When you’re around age 45, your focusing system isn’t as flexible as it once was.”

This condition is called presbyopia, and it’s a completely normal — and unavoidable — part of aging.

(Presbyopia isn’t the only issue that might send you to your optometrist in your 40s. There are other age-related eye changes you can expect, including an increased risk for dry eye and  digital eye strain.)

Did you know that contact lens prescriptions need to be renewed every year? Find an exam time that fits your schedule!

Presbyopia First Appears

Whether you’ve always had 20/20 vision or you’ve been wearing glasses since you were a kid, your mid-40s are when you’ll likely find yourself doing the “the trombone movement.”

That’s what Dr. Durias calls it when you pull a book or menu closer to your eyes, then further away, trying to find that sweet spot where your eyes can see clearly.

The National Eye Institute (NEI) defines presbyopia as a refractive error that makes it hard for middle-aged or older adults to see things up close. The lens — an inner part of the eye that helps you focus — stops focusing light correctly on the retina. The retina is the thin layer of tissue in the back of your eye.

Everyone will develop presbyopia, according to the NEI. In addition to “playing the trombone” with what you’re reading, telltale signs of presbyopia include:

• Needing more light to see well for up-close tasks, like cooking
• Eye strain due to the new difficulty focusing
• Headaches, also due to the new difficulty focusing

At the first signs of vision changes, Dr. Durias says your best move is to schedule an eye exam. Your eye doctor can check the overall health of your eyes and explain exactly what’s happening — and what to expect.

Why OTC Reading Glasses Are a Stop-Gap Solution

Presbyopia plays out similarly for most people: The common initial reaction is to head to the local drugstore to pick up a pair of over-the-counter (OTC) reading glasses. (Commonly known as readers, these glasses don’t require a prescription. Instead, you pick one of a handful of magnifying powers.)

For some people, those drugstore reading glasses do the trick. But, often they offer just a so-so fix. What gives?

“Over-the-counter reading glasses only work if your prescription is the same for each eye,” Dr. Durias says. If your prescription is different between the two eyes, which is common, or if you have astigmatism, OTC reading glasses won’t give you a comfortable, clear reading vision.

Luckily, you have other options, including contact lenses. Let’s take a look:

Contact Lens Options for Nearsightedness and Presbyopia

Maybe you already wear contact lenses or eyeglasses for nearsightedness (myopia) when you need help seeing objects that are far away. But now you’re in your late 40s and your vision is changing again.

If this sounds like you, one option is to continue to wear contact lenses for your distance vision and carry OTC or prescription reading glasses with you for up-close tasks.

But this means bringing glasses with you wherever you go, says Dr. Durias. Imagine being in a grocery store and having to keep pulling your reading glasses on and off to read food labels and see where you’re pushing the shopping cart.

There are simpler solutions. Your two other choices are monovision and multifocal contact lenses. Both are available in daily, biweekly, or monthly prescriptions, but they function in different ways.

With monovision contacts, one lens is for seeing far away and the other lens is for seeing up close. This only sounds confusing, assures Dr. Durias. Your brain and eyes have a way of figuring it out and making it work.

 “The brain suppresses one eye or the other depending on what you’re looking at,” Dr. Durias explains.

Monovision contacts are usually the first option that existing contact lens wearers try, he adds.

Multifocal contacts, on the other hand, are more like bifocal eyeglasses in contact lens form. Instead of a line running across the middle of the lens, multifocal contacts have concentric circles with gradual changes in the prescription, he explains.

Your readers are in one circle, while your regular prescription is in the other. With these, you do compromise and give up some clarity in both near and far vision, Dr. Durias says. But not to the degree that it causes most people to stop using them.

Your eye doctor will work with you to make sure the transition to either option is smooth.

Contact Lens Options for People Dealing Only with Presbyopia

If you’ve gone your whole life without needing corrective lenses, it can be frustrating to find you’re struggling to see well in your late 40s. If you’ve tried OTC reading glasses and found that they aren’t cutting it anymore, it’s time for a trip to the eye doctor, says Dr. Durias.

“Some people don’t want to get glasses because they’ve gone their whole life up to that point not wearing anything on their face,” Dr. Durias says. “They’ll decide to try out contact lenses so they don’t have to wear glasses.”

Like those who are nearsighted and develop presbyopia, you’ll have the choice between monovision and multifocal contact lenses. As noted above, each lens in monovision contacts has a different job — one lens handles distance viewing, and the other handles up-close tasks. Multifocal lenses, on the other hand, bundle both tasks in each lens.

“Others will decide quickly that contacts are not for them,” adds Dr. Durias. “They may know right away that they don’t want to touch their eyes and put a contact lens in. Or they may try contact lenses and decide they’re not right for them.”

If you fall into that group, rest assured there are multifocal glasses options available, including bifocals and progressive lenses. (For help figuring it out, read How to Decide if Your Next Eyeglasses Should Be Multifocal.)

Not sure which option may be the best choice for you? Schedule an eye exam. “An eye exam is another critical part of health care in your 40s,” says Dr. Durias. Plus, the optometrist can answer all your questions about these new vision changes and help you find the best corrective lenses for your lifestyle and your needs.