Presbyopia is a common condition that occurs as we age. The onset of presbyopia tends to occur around age 40 and gets progressively worse until approximately age 65. This condition is a gradual loss of the ability to focus on close objects. Presbyopia is the reason that many people need to get eyeglasses when they hit middle age. Although many people associate presbyopia with reading glasses, there are actually many corrective lens options available that you can discuss with your optometrist to figure out what works best for you and your lifestyle.
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Presbyopia Options From An Optometrist
Eyeglasses
Eyeglasses are the most common form of treatment for presbyopia, but there are a variety of eyeglasses available. Since presbyopia only affects your ability to see objects up close, it’s common for people to only wear their glasses for certain tasks or to have different areas of vision in their eyeglass lenses for different uses.
Reading Glasses
These glasses have a prescription lens that allows the wearer to see close-up objects. When the wearer doesn’t need to see close up, they can simply take their reading glasses off. Many people like the option of reading glasses if they are not accustomed to the feeling of wearing glasses or they don’t care for the way they look in glasses all the time. Some people also like reading glasses for safety and convenience, as these glasses are taken off for long-distance vision-based activities such as driving.
Bifocals
These eyeglasses allow the wearer to see both near and far without the need to put their glasses on or take them off. Optometrists may recommend bifocals for people who need to frequently shift their vision from near and far, such as someone who needs to focus back and forth from a notepad. Bifocals tend to have the upper portion of the lens for distance vision and the lower section in a prescription that lets you see close objects.
Multifocals
Whereas bifocals have two sections of the lens, multifocals have three (or more). The added portion of this lens is a transition between far distance and close distance. This middle distance is often handy for objects that are within reading distance but not close to the face, such as computer screens. Discuss your work and lifestyle with your optometrist to determine if trifocals or bifocals are better for you. Because there are several areas of vision, multifocal lenses may take some time to adjust to.
Progressives
Progressive lenses are a form of bifocals or multifocals. These lenses offer a gradient between the prescriptions so that there is not a definitive line between near and far vision. Many people prefer progressive lenses so that outside viewers cannot see that they wear progressive lenses, as there is no distinctive visible location of a second or third prescription. Other people prefer progressive lenses because they find it easier to switch focus from near to far. Other people don’t like the small blur in the section where the lens switches. If you are concerned about this, speak with your optometrist about progressive options and how much of an overlap of prescription there may be. Adjusting to progressive lenses and even to bifocals can take some time.
Contact Lenses
Contact lenses for presbyopia take some more adjusting to than eyeglasses, but some people prefer them for convenience and so that they don’t have to wear eyeglasses which can make people feel as though they look older. Because they take some adjustment, it is not recommended that you drive with your contacts in until after you are used to them.
Bifocal And Multifocal Contact Lenses
Bifocal contact lenses work the same way that bifocal eyeglasses do: there are two different sections to look through depending on the distance you need to see. Whereas bifocal eyeglasses are split horizontally so you look through the top for one prescription and the bottom for another, bifocal contacts have the different prescriptions in rings, so that the very centre is one prescription and then the outer portion is another. Multifocal contact lenses are designed the same but with 3 different prescriptions instead of 2.
Monovision Contact Lenses
Monovision contact lenses involve wearing a bifocal or multifocal contact lens in one eye and a contact lens for distance in the other eye. When you want to use your distance vision you can use both eyes but then you switch focus and only use one eye for reading or other close vision tasks.
Refractive Surgery
If you don’t want to wear eyeglasses or contact lenses, refractive surgery is also possible. Presbyopia surgery will improve the close up vision in your non-dominant eye, similar to how monovision contact lenses work. Because the effect will be similar, your optometrist may recommend you use monovision contact lenses before receiving the surgery, to ensure you are comfortable with this type of vision. While some forms of presbyopia refractive surgery may use LASIK, lens implants and corneal inlays are also options.
Presbyopia Options In Calgary
At Blink Eyewear, we know that the development of presbyopia can be an unpleasant part of aging, but we offer a wide selection of lenses and stylish frames to help you see clearly and look great. Our Calgary optometrists will discuss your lifestyle as well as your vision goals so we can help you find the right lenses for your presbyopia. With three convenient locations in Crowfoot in NW Calgary, West Springs in SW Calgary, and Creekside in NW Calgary, Blink Eyewear can offer you great optometry services throughout the city. To book an appointment with Blink Eyewear, call 1-403-516-2292 or fill out the online contact form.