Presbyopia is a common vision issue that is a natural process which occurs with age. While eyeglasses can correct this issue, contact lenses may be preferred by those who live a more active lifestyle.
Presbyopia is an issue that usually presents with age, that causes blurred near vision. It typically starts to affect people at around age 40, even those who have never had vision problems before.
When the condition first manifests, a person will feel a need to squint or hold reading materials further than usual from them in order to properly focus. Other common symptoms include headaches, eye strain, and fatigue.
Most experts believe presbyopia is caused by changes to the eye’s lens. As someone ages, the lens gets harder and less flexible, leading to an increased difficulty focusing on nearby objects.
For many people who realize they are in the early stages of presbyopia, contact lenses will be a better option as they allow for a more active lifestyle than glasses. Also, contacts make it less obvious that someone requires vision correction.
The most common type of lenses used to correct presbyopia are bifocal lenses. Bifocal contact lenses are available in both soft and gas permeable designs. Some have a bifocal design with two distinct lens powers — one for your distance vision and one for near.
Others, multifocal lenses have a design similar to progressive eyeglass lenses, with a gradual change in lens power for a natural visual transition from distance to close-up. Depending on what your eyes need, our optometrist will determine just what type of bifocal lens is best for you. Depending on your vision needs, the precise layout of the powers of the lenses may vary. For example, the near power of the lens can be in the center, with the far vision portions on the outside, while in other lenses, the division can be evenly split between top and bottom.
Multifocal lenses are available in both soft and rigid gas permeable materials and can be either daily disposable lenses or ones you can wear overnight.
Rigid lenses can be more effective in some respects, but may be more difficult to get used to and more of a challenge to maintain.
Hybrid lenses, which combine the clarity of a gas permeable lens and the comfort of soft lenses, are also available.
For those who need intermediate vision correction as well, multifocal contact lenses are an effective option.
Monovision lenses are another correction option for presbyopia. With monovision, one eye wears a lens for near vision, while the other wears one for distance. The eyes then automatically adjust depending on the situation.
An additional option, one that used to be far more common, is for people suffering from presbyopia to wear distance lenses in both eyes, and when they need to read or do other close-up work, they can wear reading glasses.
If you have other questions regarding your personal situation, or more questions in general about the contact lens options for correcting your presbyopia, you should consult your eye care professionals.
Don’t let your presbyopia and need for corrective lenses hold you back from an active lifestyle. There are several options available regarding contact lenses to correct your vision. If you have any questions or wish to schedule an appointment, you can reach out to your nearest Amplify EyeCare practice either via a call or in-person visit. Our team of eye care professionals is ready and equipped to provide you with the care you need.