Even if you’ve never worn spectacles or contact lenses, chances are you know about shortsightedness (myopia), longsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism. You may have even developed one of these vision correction conditions. But there’s one other condition that commonly develops in people around the age of 40 you may not have heard of:presbyopia.
What is Presbyopia?
It’s not a disease or an illness. Presbyopia is a normal, natural part of our eyes’ aging process, and it happens to just about everyone; even if you’ve had laser eye surgery.
Presbyopia is simply the result of your lens becoming less flexible. As you age, the lens in each of your eyes begins to lose its ability to change shape easily – which allows your eyes to focus quickly on a single object or a page of text. The less elastic your lenses become, the harder it is to focus. That’s when eyeglasses or contact lenses come into play.
While presbyopia can’t be corrected with laser eye surgery or vision shaping therapy, you still have several options that will help keep your vision at 20/20 – both near and far.
What are Multifocal Contact Lenses?
Multifocal contact lenses – including PureVision and Soflens Multi-Focal Contact Lenses – can correct presbyopia so you can see comfortably up close and at a distance while enjoying the benefits and freedom of wearing contact lenses instead of reading glasses or bifocals.
Spectacles
Spectacles such as bifocals or multifocals are also an option for vison correction.