FAQs

Multifocal Contact Lenses & Monovision

New innovations in lens designs and materials have allowed more presbyopes to continue to enjoy the benefits of contact lens wear.
Multifocal Lenses
If you are over 40
your eyesight is probably changing. You may have difficulty reading or doing simple tasks up close. As we mature
the eye becomes less capable of focusing from far to close objects. This is a common condition called presbyopia
and it affects nearly everyone by the age of 50. The crystalline lens of the eye thickens throughout life
making it harder and less flexible over time. The progressive loss in elasticity of the lens results in difficulty with tasks like reading small print and computer work. Distance vision
however
is usually unaffected.

If you thought presbyopia and the loss of your reading vision meant the end of contact lenses
think again. New innovations in lens designs and materials have allowed more presbyopes to continue to enjoy the benefits of contact lens wear. Multifocal contact lenses are rapidly increasing in popularity as an exciting new alternative for people with presbyopia. They are now available as hard
rigid gas permeable lenses and soft lenses
including daily disposables.

To get started with multifocals
your eyecare practitioner will determine your near vision acuity and then choose a design that works best with your cornea size and shape
tear film
blink pattern
and lifestyle. There are several contact lens designs that help you see both up close and far away. One type
known as simultaneous vision
enables the eye to focus on near and distant objects at the same time by dividing the lens into two or more prescriptions
either gradually
as a series of concentric circles
or divided horizontally (as with traditional bifocals). It s then up to the eye to ‘learn which part of the lens to use at which distance
which it does remarkably quickly. Another popular design uses aspheric contact lenses
whereby the lens power changes gradually from the center to the edge of the lens.

Multifocal contact lenses can provide clear and comfortable vision at all distances without the hassles
vision jumps and distortions typical of bifocals or reading glasses. Your eye care professional may ask a number of questions to help determine the best type of multi-focal material and design. You may be asked to describe your usual lifestyle or daily activities
and from this your practitioner will be able to recommend a solution most suited to your needs. After you ve been fitted with multifocal contact lenses
your eyes will probably need some time to adjust; how much time the adaptation takes varies from person to person. Some people adjust immediately
while others may take several days to adapt or need their prescription adjusted slightly.

Monovision
Besides multifocal lenses
there is another choice for presbyopes – monovision. This contact lens fitting technique results in the dominant eye (the eye you would use to focus a camera) being focused for distance vision
while the non-dominant eye is focused for near to intermediate vision. Monovision has an extremely high success rate
especially for people who have never worn reading glasses or bifocals. Either soft contacts or rigid gas permeable lenses can be used. Although monovision is a popular option
a major disadvantage is that for some people
it compromises depth perception. In addition
since each eye is more or less independent
your head position may have to be continually adjusted.

Monovision usually requires a longer period of adaptation than multifocal lenses. Because depth perception is altered with monovision
additional correction may be needed for driving and operating heavy equipment. Under these circumstances
driving glasses to correct the reading eye for distance and improve binocular vision are recommended. Similarly
some wearers may require an additional near vision correction in the distance eye to allow prolonged or concentrated reading. A variant of monovision
called modified monovision
puts a bifocal contact lens in one eye and a single-vision contact lens in the other eye. This can give better depth perception for driving
while still permitting near vision for reading.

Monovision certainly isn’t appropriate for everyone. However
when paired with the right person
it can be a great fit. Monovision is ideal for people with an active lifestyle. However
since it is a compromise
most people’s vision isn’t perfectly crisp up close or far away. Instead
it offers the best of both worlds. If you’re considering refractive surgery as a permanent form of monovision
it might be best to consider a trial period with contact lenses before making a decision. When helping you to decide whether monovision or multifocal lenses are right for you
your optometrist may ask a number of questions. You may be asked to describe your usual lifestyle or daily activities and from this your practitioner will be able to recommend a solution most suited to your needs.