As we age, our eyes have trouble focusing on things up close. You can tell you’re struggling with this if you have trouble viewing your smartphone, unless it’s positioned at arm’s length or further. It happens with increased age, usually starting around 40, and is called presbyopia.
Bifocal and Trifocal Lenses
For many, the easiest way to correct for presbyopia is to purchase a pair of reading glasses. They provide the needed correction to aid your up close vision for reading. If you’re wearing contacts or have normal vision, just carrying a pair of reading glasses can be a good solution. On the other hand, if you’re already wearing corrective glasses, swapping eyeglasses for each task can quickly become a pain.
Bifocal lenses merge the reading lens directly into the bottom of your primary lens. In this way, you can look down through the bi-focal lens for reading and look normally through your primary lens for far distances.
When you start having mid-range vision problems, reading a computer screen is a good example, you’ll need yet a third lens positioned above the reading lens. These are called trifocal lenses, with three lenses to correct each aspect of your vision.
Progressive or Multifocal Lenses
Progressive lenses merge several vision corrections into a single seamless lens. As a result, there are no visible lines that show the lens changes. Instead, it’s a smooth transition from each focal length vision correction. In this way, it provides excellent vision correction, without jumps between each lens. It also improves the appearance of your eyeglasses without the lines caused by bifocals or trifocals.
Progressive lenses are available in a wide variety of materials including plastic, glass, polycarbonate, high-index, and polychromic. They can also be made to fit all types of eyeglass frames. The progressive aspect of the lens can also be crafted to fit your vision requirements as the length and the width of the lens’ progressive corridor can be adjusted in the manufacturing process.
Adapting to Progressive Lenses
There is a period of adaptation when first wearing progressive glasses. For some, it can be as quick as a few hours. For others it may take a few days or perhaps a week. One trick is to move your head slightly when moving from long distance vision to reading.
You will find that you’ll get used to them quickly and be delighted with the change from either stretching your arms or swapping reading glasses.
We Can Help
If it’s time to update your prescription to compensate for reduced near field vision, Vision Source Plano is the best place for your eye exam, prescription, lens specification, and frame selection.
We’ve got you covered for perfect vision.
Use our contact form or call us at 972-612-2099.
Disclaimer: The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
