Most presbyopes don’t understand what the word “presbyopia” means, according to an Alcon survey.  

Eye care professionals (ECPs) responding to the survey said 92% of their patients didn’t understand what the term meant. Thirty nine percent admitted avoiding using the word altogether while 59% said they used it along with descriptive words when explaining the condition to patients.

Its survey showed the common condition had a name people often did not recognise, symptoms they didn’t understand and there was a lack of knowledge of vision correction options other than reading glasses, which many saw as “inconvenient”, Alcon said.

It added ECPs said 5% of patients were disappointed to consider wearing reading glasses but once they became aware of them, just over half (59%) of presbyopes surveyed said they were extremely likely or very likely to make an appointment to discuss multifocal contact lenses with their practitioner.

In response to its findings, Alcon said it had launched Project Presbyopia to educate consumers about signs of vision changes that occur after 40, uncover more intuitive language for the condition  and motivate existing and emerging presbyopes to visit an eye care professional to explore solutions including multifocal contact lenses.

“Patients often end up in my office, panicked, because they’ve experienced sudden vision changes or are frustrated with their newfound dependence on reading glasses after age 40,” said New York-based optometrist Susan Resnick. “While they don’t often know the name of what’s happening, they are relieved to learn they’re not alone.”

Every consumer surveyed owned at least one pair of reading glasses, Alcon added, with those who own the most pairs (11+ pairs) misplacing or losing them 45% of the time.