Symptoms of presbyopia include:

• Blurred vision at a normal reading distance
• The need to hold reading material at arm's length
• Headaches from doing close work
• Eye strain

An eye doctor can diagnose presbyopia by a thorough eye exam.

Presbyopia cannot be cured. Instead, prescription glasses, contact lens, reading glasses, progressive addition lenses, or bifocals can help correct the effects of presbyopia.

Bifocals are often prescribed for presbyopia. Bifocals are eyeglasses that have two different prescriptions in one spectacle lens. The main part of the lens contains a prescription for nearsightedness or farsightedness, while the lower portion of the lens holds a stronger prescription to help a person see objects up close.

Progressive addition lenses are similar to bifocals, but have a more gradual shift between the two prescriptions. 

Contact lenses that are used to treat presbyopia include multifocal lenses, which come in soft or gas permeable versions, and monovision l​ens, in which one eye wears a lens that aids in seeing objects at a distance, while the other has a lens that aids in near vision.

For patients who are having cataract surgery, there are new lens implants that offer partial correction for presbyopia as well as correcting for distance vision.