Near Vision Test
Read paragraphs in shrinking print at 40 cm to check your close-up vision and screen for presbyopia.
Near vision is your ability to see clearly at reading distance: a book, a phone, a menu or a medicine label. From about the age of 40, almost everyone notices that the eye's natural lens becomes less flexible and finds it harder to focus up close. This normal change is called presbyopia. Typical signs are holding text further away, needing brighter light to read and tired eyes after close work. People with uncorrected hyperopia (farsightedness) may notice these problems earlier.
This test shows short paragraphs printed in progressively smaller sizes, similar to the near reading cards used in eye clinics. After calibrating your screen, you hold it at 40 cm and find the smallest paragraph you can read comfortably and fluently, not just letter by letter. The tool reports an approximate near acuity, which helps you judge whether your near vision is still adequate or whether reading glasses or an updated prescription might help.
The result is approximate. Viewing distance, lighting and calibration influence it strongly. A home test also cannot tell you the strength of glasses you need or detect diseases that affect near vision, such as macular degeneration or diabetic eye disease.
How to use
- Calibrate the screen with a bank card so the text is shown at its true size.
- Hold the phone or sit so that your eyes are 40 cm from the screen; measure it once with a tape measure.
- Use good, even light from behind or beside you, without glare on the screen.
- Wear your usual reading or near glasses if you have them; you can repeat the test without them for comparison.
- Test each eye separately by covering the other, then both eyes together.
- Start with the largest paragraph and move down until reading becomes slow or uncomfortable; note the smallest comfortable size.
Reading your result
Being able to read the smallest or second-smallest paragraph comfortably at 40 cm usually means your near vision is adequate for normal print. If you can only read the larger paragraphs, or you have to push the screen further away to read, presbyopia or uncorrected farsightedness is likely.
Ready-made reading glasses can be a reasonable stopgap for adults with similar vision in both eyes, but an eye examination is recommended to get the right strength and to check eye health, which becomes more important after 40. See an eye doctor promptly if near vision differs clearly between your eyes, if straight lines in text look wavy, or if reading vision has dropped suddenly.
Caution: Screening only, not a diagnosis or prescription. Sudden blurring of near vision, distorted text or a dark spot in the centre of vision needs prompt medical attention.
Frequently asked questions
Can exercises prevent presbyopia?
No. Presbyopia is caused by the natural lens stiffening with age, and no exercise has been shown to stop or reverse it. Exercises may make close work feel more comfortable, but not sharper.
Why 40 cm?
40 cm is a standard reading distance used in eye clinics and is close to where most people hold a book or phone.
Are ready-made reading glasses safe?
They do not harm the eyes, but they cannot correct astigmatism or differences between the eyes. Have a full eye examination to confirm what you need.