You Need Bifocal Contact Lenses for These Reasons

Do You Need Bifocal Contact Lenses?

There are two main reasons why you might need a pair of bifocal contact lenses. First, these lenses can help people with refractive errors see better. Second, bifocal contact lenses are effective tools to help you deal with naturally deteriorating eyesight caused by aging.

Nearsightedness and farsightedness are some of the most common vision problems that people have. In fact, a study from the Iranian Society of Ophthalmology notes that astigmatism is the most common refractive error worldwide.

As a result, contact lenses are designed to offer a clear vision for people who suffer from these eye problems.

Correct Your Vision with Contact Lenses

There are lots of reasons why someone would require contact lenses. To keep things simple, check out this list of refractive errors that you can correct with contact lenses:

Hyperopia – Also known as farsightedness, this vision problem causes your eyesight to lose focus on near objects. This means that you can see things clearly only when they are far from you.
Myopia – Or nearsightedness is a vision condition that makes distant objects look very blurry. As a result, people who suffer from myopia can only see things clearly when they are very near to them.
Astigmatism – Is a condition that occurs when a person’s cornea has an irregular shape. If you have astigmatism, your eyes cannot refract light properly which causes blurry vision.
Presbyopia – Is a natural eye problem that occurs as you grow older. As you age, your eyes progressively lose the ability to focus on near objects. When this happens, you’ll need a different lens prescription that can accommodate your nearsighted vision.

What are Bifocal Contact Lenses?

Today, you can now find different types of contact lenses that each have their own special features. For example, bifocal contact lenses have two distinct types of optical powers in one lens. The lens is separated into two vision powers that can accommodate your near and far vision.

Multifocal or Bifocal Contact Lenses: Which Should You Get?

Aside from cosmetic lenses, which are mainly used as fashion accessories, multifocal and bifocal contact lenses have the same function. Designed for a wide vision range, these lenses can help your eyes adjust better to both near and far objects.

In other words, multifocal and bifocal lenses are for people who require lens power for their near and far vision. The main difference between them is that bifocal lenses have two lens power in one contact lens. On the other hand, multifocal contacts have a range of lens power for your eyes.

How Multifocal Lenses Correct Your Vision

There are various multifocal and bifocal contact lenses for people to use. Each of them has its own specific design that can cater to specific visual requirements. To keep things simple, these lenses have two main categories.

Simultaneous Vision. This is a type of multifocal contact lens that is designed with different layers of lens power. The layers offer different lens powers that can correct both your near and far vision. By focusing your vision on a particular layer, you can see a clearer image for a specific distance.
Segmented. This type of bifocal contact lens is very similar to that of reading glasses. With reading glasses, the lens is separated into two segments that have varying lens powers. Normally, the topmost lens offers a clear vision for distant objects while the lower lens is suited for reading.

Are Bifocal Contact Lenses for You?

Refractive errors are very common vision problems that affect a lot of people. In fact, a study from the Iranian Society of Ophthalmology notes that astigmatism is the most common refractive error worldwide. As a result, manufacturers have developed various types of lenses to help patients in the past decade

Bifocal contact lenses are one of the unique contact lenses that can help with problems near and far vision. For example, you might consider getting bifocal contact lenses if you find yourself switching between your regular and reading glasses regularly. This type of issue is also a deal-breaker for contact lens users who have a hard time reading due to their strong lens power.

If you want to avoid the hassle of switching between different lenses, then bifocal contact lenses could be your solution. Try checking out different contact lens brands that offer bifocal contact lenses to get a clearer idea about this product. Additionally, talking to your eye doctor is also an effective way to gather the right information for the best lenses.

Choose the Best Bifocal Contact Lens for Your Eyes

First of all, you need to talk with your eye doctor and ask for recommendations for Bifocal lenses. Your doctor will need to review the details of your contact lens prescription, particularly your nearsighted requirements. This will help in determining which type of Bifocal contact lens suits your optical needs.

Whether you’ll need monovision lenses or aspheric multifocal lenses is entirely up to you and your doctor. However, you should take note that the process for these lenses takes more time than your regular contact lenses. In other words, you should expect your examination and lens fitting to take longer, as well as cost more than usual.

Other Types of Contact Lenses

If you don’t think that bifocal contact lenses are for you, don’t worry because there are more options available. There are millions of people who use contact lenses and manufacturers are developing the best lenses for your specific needs. They’re far from perfect, but one of the different types of contact lenses available may suit your optical needs.

1. Hydrogel Lenses

Hydrogel contact lenses are soft lenses that are made out of a gel-like material. These lenses have water stored inside hydrogel plastics making them very soft and comfortable to wear.

Hydrogel lenses are also very slim and flexible which helps them bend perfectly to the shape of your eyes. Despite their comfort and popularity, these lenses do not offer the clearest vision possible.

These lenses were very popular during the late 1990s and are still considered to be very easy to wear. However, a newer version of these lenses is being manufactured today.

2. Silicone Hydrogel Lenses

Silicone hydrogel contacts are the newer version of the famous hydrogel lenses. The main difference between the two is the breathability that you have with the newer version.

Silicone hydrogel lenses are made with more pores on the lens which makes them very breathable for your eyes. A study by CooperVision Inc. even concludes that silicone hydrogel lenses are safe for the longevity of a patient’s eye health.

With this in mind, these lenses are perfect if you’re new to using contact lenses. After all, they’re very commonly used, comfortable to wear, and perfectly safe for your eyes. Just don’t forget to follow the right contact lens habits when you use them.

3. Gas Permeable Lenses

Gas permeable lenses or GP lenses, are comparatively much rigid than the previously mentioned hydrogel lenses. GP lenses are made with a more durable material which gives it two distinct advantages over soft lenses.

First, GP lenses offer more clarity and sharpness when it comes to vision correction. In other words, you can expect to get clearer images when you use them. Secondly, GP lenses are more durable than your regular lenses and can last longer.

Gas permeable lenses are ideal for people who have astigmatism as they require more visual clarity in different distances. The downside to using GP lenses is the lower comfort level that they offer. The rigidity of these lenses make them a little less comfortable to wear especially when you’ve already used soft lenses.

4. Hybrid Contact Lenses

As the name suggestions, hybrid contact lenses offer the benefits of both soft and hard lenses. For a quick recap, soft lenses give your more comfort while hard lenses offer a better vision quality.

Hybrid contact lenses mix the clear optics of hard lenses with the easy-to-wear features of hydrogel lenses. As a result, using hybrid lenses can give you a clearer vision without the expense of your eye comfort.

Hybrid lenses are designed with soft outer layers that make it flexible and easy to wear. The central part of the lens is made of a rigid material that offers a clearer and sharper visual experience.

Despite its seemingly attractive features, hybrid contact lenses aren’t very popular amongst contact lens users. This could be due to the fact that hybrid lenses are slightly pricier compared to your regular soft lenses

Final Thoughts

When it comes to contact lenses, you should never settle for the cheapest ones available. Nor should you jeopardize your eye health by buying lenses without a prescription. In other words, you need to make sure that you follow the right procedures for getting a pair of contacts.

For example, you should always consult an eye doctor before making any eye-related decisions. In fact, asking your doctor’s opinion is particularly important when you’re considering bifocal contact lenses.

With that said, following the right steps can help you make clearer and better decisions when it comes to your vision. So never forget to get your eyes checked and keep your eyes safe by following good lens-care habits.