Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologist (COMT) Practice Exam

A receding near point is typically associated with which condition?

1. Myopia

2. Hyperopia

3. Presbyopia

4. Astigmatism

The correct answer is: Presbyopia

A receding near point is primarily associated with presbyopia, a condition that arises as a natural part of aging. With presbyopia, the lens of the eye becomes less flexible, making it difficult for individuals to focus on close objects. This reduced ability to accommodate results in a near point that moves farther away from the eye; hence, the term "receding near point." In various situations where the focus on close objects is challenged—like when reading or doing intricate work—individuals may notice difficulty, which indicates that their near point has shifted outward. This is a common experience for adults over the age of 40, who often require reading glasses or other corrective lenses to assist with near vision tasks. Other conditions like myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism do affect vision quality but in different contexts—myopia leads to difficulty seeing distant objects clearly, hyperopia involves trouble with near vision that can sometimes be compensated for by the eye's accommodation, and astigmatism typically causes blurred vision due to uneven curvature of the cornea or lens, rather than a receding near point. Thus, presbyopia is specifically characterized by the phenomenon of a receding near point due to the aging process affecting the eye