Described herein are methods of inhibiting or reversing the progression of cataract formation or presbyopia in an eye by administering a βL-crystallin electrostatic interaction inhibitor. Both presbyopia and cataracts are caused by aggregation of the soluble crystalline lens proteins called the crystallins, particularly βL-crystallin. It has been found that the aggregation of βL-crystallin is an electrostatic phenomenon and that electrostatic interaction inhibitors can be employed to prevent the formation of βL-crystallin aggregates as well as to deaggregate already formed aggregates.