Bifocal Contact Lenses – Are They Right for You?
Why would you need bifocal contact lenses? A lot of individuals must live with a problem called presbyopia. Presbyopia means that a person has trouble focusing on objects that are up close. This is caused by our eye’s lenses losing more and more of their flexibility as we age. The worst part about it is that many people will need to get a form of corrective lenses, like glasses or contacts, or maybe bifocals contact lenses as the flexibility of the lens in our eyes worsens as we get older.
In the past, people who needed bifocals didn’t have very many choices when it came to corrective lenses. The only way that they could have bifocal lenses was to get ones in glasses. Then, lenses with no lines were made, and the glasses didn’t look so bad. This was a wonderful time to wear corrective lenses like bifocals, because they looked so much better than before- they no longer looked horrible and were bulky like they used to be in the past. Now there is another option. There are now many kinds of bifocal contact lenses that are available. They are quickly becoming popular, because they give bifocal wearers another, more attractive option to chose from, so that they don’t have to wear ugly glasses. They don’t cost a lot either- so they are used by many people who need corrective lenses.
What a lot of people aren’t aware of is that bifocal contact lenses work a lot like glass lenses do. Each lens in glasses allows for a wide range of adjustments for focus, one lens for distance, and one lens for seeing close up. Using bifocal contact lenses, both of the focus adjustments are a part of it. There are several different manufacturers that create bifocal contact lenses, so it might require a lot of research and experimentation before you can find a lens that works right for your eyes.
Types of Bifocal Lenses
There are lenses that are created using a special design that is called concentric. Just like circles that are concentric, there are a couple of adjustments- one adjustment on the outside and one adjustment in the middle. The adjustments for bifocal contact lenses are rather distinct, and have a line between them that is sharp. It might sound like they would be difficult to use, but a lot of individuals find that after some practice, it is easy to use them.
One kind of bifocal contact lens is called an aspheric lens, which adjusts the focus of the lens gradually. Both of the adjustments are in the middle, and like the lens that is concentric, your eyes will adjust to the aspheric lens and will determine with focus they should use.
Another kind of lens, and probably the best one, is called the translating lens. Similar to glasses, the up close adjustment is located at the bottom of the contact lens, and the adjustment for distance is located at the top of the lens. These kinds of lenses are made so they can’t shift around when they are in your eyes, so you won’t have to worry about them moving. These are perfect for the elderly, because they don’t shift when they are in your eyes, no matter what activity you are taking part in.
When you are thinking about bifocal contact lenses, you need to talk to your optician to see what lenses are best for you. If your doctor decides that you meet the criteria, he will give you a prescription for bifocal contact lenses. If you normally wear glasses that are bifocals, you will love having contacts as an option. Bifocal contact lenses are available in lenses that can be disposed of daily, worn for an extended period of time, or lenses that are conventional- so you will have a lot of choices. There are so many choices and so much that you can get from bifocal contact lenses, that anyone who needs bifocals will love them.