Most people will eventually develop presbyopia once they get into their 40’s, regardless of how great their vision was in their younger years. Presbyopia is a very common condition where your near vision becomes weaker, making it difficult to read or to focus on close objects. If you find yourself holding your smartphone or reading materials at arm’s length just to be able to read them, you could have presbyopia. You might also experience more eye strain and headaches because of this condition. Instead of opting for bifocals or multiple pairs of glasses, bifocal contacts could be an option for you, especially if you are already a contact lens wearer.
What Are Bifocal Contact Lenses?
Bifocal contact lenses are contacts that have two prescriptions/powers in the same lens. The prescriptions used are for correcting near vision and distance vision. Bifocal lenses can also be considered multifocal lenses, which are contacts that have two or more prescriptions/powers.
There are two options for bifocal/multifocal contacts: alternating vision lenses and simultaneous vision lenses. Alternating vision lenses are similar to bifocals in that you would need to switch back and forth between the two powers by moving your pupil up and down. Simultaneous vision lenses require you to look through both the near and distance powers at the same time to train your eyes and your brain to adjust what you see.
Benefits of Bifocal Contacts
There are several benefits to using bifocal contacts with the main benefit being you won’t have to wear bifocal glasses but might need reading glasses occasionally. Other benefits include:
- Improved depth perception
- Sharp, clear vision both near and far
- Easy to adapt to
- Not needing to have multiple pairs of glasses
If you have presbyopia, maybe it’s time to talk to your eye doctor about bifocal contacts. Call 602-955-2700 to schedule an appointment at Valley Eyecare Center.
