What condition is characterized by the inability to focus on nearby objects due to age-related changes in the lens?

The condition characterized by the inability to focus on nearby objects due to age-related changes in the lens is presbyopia. This occurs as part of the natural aging process, where the lens of the eye loses its flexibility and becomes less able to change shape to focus on close objects. As a result, individuals with presbyopia often find that they need reading glasses or other corrective lenses for activities like reading or knitting.

In contrast, myopia refers to nearsightedness, where distant objects appear blurry while close objects can be seen clearly. Hyperopia, or farsightedness, is the opposite, where close objects are blurry and distant ones are clearer, often due to a shorter than normal eyeball or an underpowered lens. Amblyopia, sometimes called lazy eye, is a developmental problem in the eye where one eye does not see clearly as the other eye does, leading to poor vision in the affected eye. These conditions are distinct from presbyopia and do not specifically relate to the age-related changes in lens flexibility.