BCLA webinar to explore the clinical impact of early-onset presbyopia in the digital age

BCLA webinar to explore the clinical impact of early-onset presbyopia in the digital age

Eye care professionals will be invited to take a closer look at the emerging issue of early-onset presbyopia and the impact of increasingly demanding digital lifestyles in a sponsor-led BCLA webinar next month.

‘Early onset presbyopes: functional impact and the need for clinical recognition’ will take place on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, from 7pm to 8pm, via Zoom.

The EssilorLuxottica sponsor-led webinar will bring together three experts – Olga Prenat, Meena Puar and Professor Mark Rosenfield – to explore how changes in accommodation can affect patients earlier in the presbyopic journey and what clinicians can do to recognise and address these changes.

Presbyopia is traditionally regarded as an inevitable age-related condition beginning in the early-to-mid 40s. However, the visual demands of modern life, including prolonged use of smartphones, tablets, laptops and multiple digital screens, are creating increasingly intensive near-vision demands.

The session will begin by examining the physiology and optics of accommodation, before exploring the concept of early-onset presbyopia and how functional limitations may become apparent before significant near blur develops.

Attendees will learn how to recognise early symptoms, identify compensatory behaviours that may mask the condition and adopt a more functional, patient-centred approach to assessment and management.

BCLA Chief Executive Brad Parkes said: “Presbyopia is something every eye care professional encounters, but the way patients experience it is changing as our visual demands continue to evolve.

“This webinar offers an opportunity to look beyond the traditional understanding of presbyopia and consider what early functional changes can mean for patients in their everyday lives. The combination of clinical, research and industry expertise among the speakers should provide valuable insights that practitioners can take directly into their clinical practice.”

Olga Prenat is Global Head of Medical and Professional Affairs at EssilorLuxottica and a board member of the Global Myopia Awareness Coalition. She is a founding member and Fellow of the European Academy of Optometry and Optics and has almost three decades of experience in vision care and ophthalmic education.

Meena Puar is an optometrist and dispensing optician with more than 20 years’ experience across clinical and commercial settings. As Global Medical Advisor at EssilorLuxottica, she leads initiatives focused on improving understanding of presbyopia among healthcare professionals and patients. She is also a Fellow of the BCLA and has authored numerous articles on presbyopia, dry eye disease and contact lens technology.

Professor Mark Rosenfield is Editor-in-Chief of Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics and Professor at the SUNY College of Optometry in New York City. A graduate of Aston University, where he gained both his optometry degree and PhD, he has published extensively on digital eye strain, refractive error and binocular vision.

The webinar will provide attendees with practical insights to support earlier recognition of presbyopic symptoms, improve patient communication and help optimise visual outcomes for an increasingly digitally connected population.

The session is open to all eye care professionals and is free to attend, with one CPD point available.

Registration is now open at www.bcla.org.uk.