Final answer:
Persons over 55 often require reading glasses due to presbyopia, a condition where the lens stiffens and cannot focus properly on close objects. Even after LASIK surgery for distance vision, reading glasses are still needed due to the inability of the eye to accommodate for near vision.
Step-by-step explanation:
People over 55 often need reading glasses because the lens of their eye can no longer focus correctly, a condition known as presbyopia. This age-related change is due to the stiffening of the lens, making it difficult to accommodate for close vision while preserving the ability to see distant objects. Presbyopia necessitates the use of a converging, positive power lens, such as those found in reading glasses, with common diopter powers ranging from 1.0 to 3.5 D.
Similarly, if a person with presbyopia has their distant vision corrected with LASIK surgery, they will still need reading glasses because LASIK does not address the loss of accommodation, which is the ability of the eye to adjust its power to focus on nearby objects. Even after LASIK, the need for additional correction for close vision remains due to the stiffness in the lens. Hence, reading glasses or multifocal contact lenses may still be necessary.