Multi-focal Contact Lenses
If you are over 40 presbyopia makes it difficult to focus on near objects.
Are you over 40? If so, you're probably much more active than your parents were at your age. Biking, jogging, exercising and playing sports are just a few of the activities that today's Baby Boomers routinely enjoy.
So it's no surprise that many 40-somethings and older Baby Boomers prefer contact lenses over glasses for their active lifestyles.
But once we reach our mid-40s, presbyopia makes it difficult to focus on near objects. Until recently, reading glasses were the only option available to contact lens wearers who wanted to read a menu or do other everyday tasks that require good near vision.
But today, a number of multifocal contact lens options are available for you to consider. Multifocal contact lenses offer the best of both worlds: no glasses, along with good near and distance vision.
Some multifocal contact lenses have a bifocal design with two distinct lens powers - one for your distance vision and one for near. Others have a multifocal design somewhat like progressive eyeglass lenses, with a gradual change in lens power for a natural visual transition from distance to closeup.
Multifocal contacts are available in both soft and rigid gas permeable (RGP or GP) lens materials and are designed for daily wear or extended (overnight) wear. Soft multifocal lenses can be comfortably worn on a part-time basis, so they're great for weekends and other occasions if you prefer not to wear them on an all-day, every day schedule.
For the ultimate in convenience, one-day disposable soft multifocal lenses allow you to discard the lenses at the end of a single day of wear, so there's no hassle with lens care.
In some cases, GP multifocal contact lenses provide sharper vision than soft multifocals. But because of their rigid nature, GP multifocal contacts require some adaptation and are more comfortable if you condition your eyes by wearing the lenses every day.
Hybrid multifocal contacts are an exciting new alternative. These lenses have a GP center and a soft periphery, making it easier to adapt.