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A 56-year-old patient has come to the clinic for his routine eye examination and is told he needs bifocals. The patient asks the nurse what change in his eyes has caused his need for bifocals. How should the nurse respond?

  • A. You know, you are getting older now and we change as we get older.
  • B. The parts of our eyes age, just like the rest of us, and this is nothing to cause you to worry.
  • C. There is a gradual thickening of the lens of the eye and it can limit the eyes ability for accommodation.
  • D. The eye gets shorter, back to front, as we age and it changes how we see things.
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C because it accurately explains the physiological change in the eye that leads to the need for bifocals. As individuals age, there is a gradual thickening of the lens of the eye, which affects the eye's ability to accommodate for near vision. This thickening makes it harder for the eye to focus on close objects, necessitating the use of bifocals to correct this near vision issue.

Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because they do not provide a scientifically accurate explanation for the need for bifocals in older individuals. Option A is dismissive and does not address the specific change in the eye that leads to the need for bifocals. Option B implies aging as a general concept without specifying the relevant change in the eye. Option D incorrectly states that the eye gets shorter as we age, which is not the reason for needing bifocals.