Understanding Presbyopia & Multifical Contact Lenses
If you like wearing contact lenses because they are far less visible than glasses, then you may need to occasionally switch the types of contacts you choose to wear. While extended wear contacts may be convenient and hydrogel varieties may be comfortable, you may not see as well as you used to. If this is the case, then you may need to start wearing multifocal contact lenses. These lenses are needed if you have developed a visual condition called presbyopia. If you are unfamiliar with this term, keep reading to understand it better.
What Is Presbyopia?
Presbyopia is a visual acuity problem that develops as you age. Middle aged individuals are likely to experience it and the problem is likely to worsen as you get older. In general, you will notice blurred vision while trying to do things like reading or working on the computer. Basically, any task that requires you to concentrate on an object close to the face can cause some blurred vision. If you find yourself moving a food menu away from your face so you can read it better, then you likely have developed presbyopia.
Presbyopia is very different than visual acuity problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. These issues are experienced when the eyeball becomes elongated or compressed in a way that images focus improperly on the retina. Presbyopia occurs as the lens within the eye changes. As you age, the lenses in your eye start to lose their elasticity and the lens thickens as well. This makes it difficult to focus on objects near the face.
How Can Multifocal Lenses Help?
You may understand that many people will start wearing glasses with bifocals when they can no longer see objects clearly that sit in front of the face. This is acceptable for some individuals, because presbyopia cannot be treated. It is a normal consequence of the aging process, so bifocals are worn to manage the conditions.
However, if you have never worn glasses, then this may not be ideal. In this case, you can ask your eye doctor to prescribe multifocal contact lenses instead. These lenses have multiple prescriptions in the lens to make it easier for you to see objects clearly at all distances. While bifocal contacts are optional as well, the multifocal varieties contain a more gradual shift in the prescription. This means that you will not see a distinctive line or notice a difference in the way your vision shifts from looking at close and far away objects.