The condition of presbyopia may sound pretty dreadful, but all you really need is a set of bifocal contact lenses to enhance your vision. If you've been diagnosed with presbyopia, the ability of your eyes to effectively focus begins to dwindle as you age. Many scientists believe that this occurrence develops because your crystalline lens has lost its elasticity. In order to eliminate the issues you face when reading things like a restaurant menu or the daily newspaper – consider the improvement that bifocal contact lenses can deliver. No more holding text further from your eyes just to receive a clear view!
As you scan the selection for bifocal contact lenses, both soft and rigid gas permeable options are available. Some people have even faired well with disposable lenses of this type, which creates the convenience of enjoying a fresh pair of contacts on a daily basis. Other disposable lenses allow users to change their contacts at specified intervals.
Different Types of Bifocal Contact Lenses
You may face a couple of bifocal contact types when learning about presbyopia, such as translating and concentric ring designs. Translating bifocal lenses are quite similar to the bifocal eyeglasses associated with Benjamin Franklin. They consist of two power segments (an upper and lower portion) that the pupil adjusts to depending on if you are looking near or far. With contact lenses, most are gas permeable, which means they are smaller in diameter than soft contacts. The lenses settle on your eye – just above the lower eyelid. When you look down, the lens remains in place and utilizes the lower (near-correction) portion of the lens.
With concentric ring designs, a prescription is placed in the center. One or more rings of power are found around the center. When multiple rings exist, there are alternatives regarding the distance and near prescription. Usually, you will encounter at least two rings within the region of your pupil (eyeball), which will vary as your pupil expands and contracts due to changes in light. Concentric ring bifocal contacts are constructed of either soft or rigid materials. The positions of the power will also differ. For example, soft bifocal contact lenses usually showcase the near power at the center (also referred to as center-near).
Finding the Best Fit
The notion of bifocal contact lenses has been in existence for many years, but has only recently gained attention and popularity. This type of lens needed a revamping of designs, as consumers weren’t too fond of the previous styles. Since advancements in technology have allowed a host of more effective and promising designs to emerge, an increasing amount of users are using bifocal contacts.
However, it still isn’t unheard of to find bifocal contact lenses a hit or miss with consumers, but when one design doesn’t work in your favor – there is always another choice waiting in the wings. Your eye doctor may use various techniques to come to a selection that is accommodating. Some physicians will use monovision, which relies on single-vision lenses placed in your near prescription on one eye, while your distance prescription is saved for the other. With modified monovision, a doctor will use a single-vision lens on one eye and a multi-focal lens on the remaining eye.
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