Contact Lenses for Presbyopia

by Mar 4, 2020

Presbyopia is the natural development of farsightedness that begins to occur in your mid to late 40’s.  As we grow older, the focusing system of our eye becomes weaker and less flexible, and close objects will appear blurry without the help of a reading prescription.  Presbyopia can be frustrating, but there are many corrective options that can be used to provide clear vision both for distance and near objects. Glasses options, such as bifocals or reading glasses, have long been a popular option for those affected by presbyopia.  Luckily, there are even options for contact lens wearers who want to remain free of glasses and still have clear vision both while looking at the distance and up close. If you are approaching presbyopia and are interested in your contact lens options, continue reading.  

 

Contact Lenses for presbyopia

Monovision Contact Lenses for Presbyopia

The first method of using contact lenses to correct for presbyopia was referred to as a “monovision” contact lens fit.  In this approach, the dominant eye is corrected to see at far distances, while the non-dominant eye is corrected for up-close work such as reading or looking at the phone.  While this approach may require an adaptation period, the brain will eventually learn when to use each eye. Your dominant eye can be identified by your eye doctor using a few simple tests.  If you do not normally wear contact lenses to correct for your distance vision, and only need a reading prescription to see up-close, a reading-powered contact lens can be used over your non-dominant eye to provide clear vision without relying on reading glasses. 

Monovision contact lens fits are effective, but have a few drawbacks.  For starters, some people struggle to adapt to the difference between the two eyes.  Additionally, a monovision approach will affect depth perception. Some people may struggle with their distance vision, especially while driving at night.  While there are some potential obstacles to consider, many people happily and successfully wear monovision contact lenses for presbyopia. 

 

Multifocal Contact Lenses for Presbyopia

The newer contact lens option for presbyopia is multifocal contact lenses.  Multifocal lenses contain a special lens design with different power zones that allows for both contact lenses to contain a distance prescription and reading prescription.  Depending on what area of the contact lens the wearer is looking through, the appropriate prescription will be used. Unlike monovision contact lenses, multifocal lenses do not alter depth perception and do not create a large difference between the two eyes.  Typically night driving is less of an issue with multifocal lenses than with the monovision option. However, multifocal lenses are not perfect – they still require a short adaption period. But this option has provided many people with clear and comfortable vision in presbyopia. 

Both monovision and multifocal contact lenses come in a wide range of options in terms of lens design and replacement schedule.  Both can use toric lenses to help correct for an astigmatism, and both fitting approaches can use daily, bi-weekly, or monthly contact lenses.  If you are entering presbyopia, you can nearly guarantee that there is a contact lens option that fits your lifestyle and your vision needs.

 

THE NEXT TIME YOU’RE LOOKING FOR AN EYE EXAM NEAR ME OR EYE DOCTOR IN WILMINGTON, DE THAT HAS ADVANCED KNOWLEDGE OF THE CONTACT LENSES FOR PRESBYOPIA, BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE GREAT EYE DOCTORS AND OPTOMETRISTS AT WILMINGTON FAMILY EYE CARE!  YOU CAN SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT ONLINE OR CALL (302) 999-1286. WE PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE EYE EXAMS TO WILMINGTON, NEWARK, NEW CASTLE, CLAYMONT AND OTHER NEARBY DELAWARE AREAS!

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