Multifocal Contact Lenses Pros and Cons

Presbyopia is a condition which affects majority of the populace in their forties. This condition is characterized by an inability to focus properly on near objects. The reason is lack of elasticity in the crystal lens of the eye. Naturally, these people find it difficult to read fine print. This condition can be corrected by wearing reading glasses of corresponding prescription.

Contact lenses is also one of the solutions to overcome this problem. However, many people suffering from presbyopia also face other vision problems, such as myopia and astigmatism. In such cases, wearing bifocal reading glasses is one option. But, as you might already know, many people are not very comfortable with the use of bifocal lenses. In such circumstances, multifocal contact lenses can prove to be a very good solution.

➜ In simple words, these are a type of contact lenses, which provide correction for a number of vision problems. These lenses can be bifocal, which means that they can correct nearsightedness as well as farsightedness.

➜ There are basically three types of designs in these lenses, namely: alternate, simultaneous, and concentric. The alternate design supports nearsightedness as well as farsightedness. The center of the lens is hard and provides correction for nearsightedness. The edge of the lens is soft and is used to focus on distant objects.

➜ A simultaneous design is one in which lens powers of different strength are blended together. This sort of a design can be used to correct multiple vision problems. As the lens power is distributed uniformly, a person can get adjusted to the lenses quickly.

➜ The last type of design is termed as concentric in which the different powers of lens are arranged in concentric rings. As multifocal lenses support prescriptions of various strengths together, they help in alleviating multiple vision correction problems quite easily.

► The biggest advantage of multifocal lenses is that they can offer vision correction for a number of vision problems at once. Thus, the person's reliance on reading glasses is reduced to a great level.

► They also improve the cosmetic appearance of a person, as he/she no longer needs to wear thick, unsightly glasses. Another advantage is that they are beneficial for people who have undergone refractive surgery.

► Besides, people with cone-shaped cornea can also benefit from this type of contact lenses. Activities such as sewing, reading, etc., that require one to focus on nearby objects, become easier with their usage.

► On the flip side, there are also some undesirable effects of wearing this type of contact lenses. A person takes quite some time to get used to these lenses.

► Besides, the fitting sessions may be long, and your optician may not get everything right in the first instance itself, as the lenses need to be custom-made by combining lenses of different prescription strengths.

► Activities that require you to alternate your focus between near and far objects, such as working on a computer, become a lot tedious after wearing multifocal lenses. Not only does your vision becomes blur, but you may also experience severe headache due to alternating your gaze from the computer screen to keyboard.

► Although this problem can be minimized by repositioning the screen, you can still experience some amount of discomfort. Besides, the person may also experience other problems, such as dry eyes, stress, etc.

► One of the most dangerous side effects of wearing these lenses is displacement of objects. Objects may appear nearer or farther than their original position or their size may appear different. This may lead to a number of minor accidents due to misjudgment. Also, people may find it difficult to spot objects when they are placed against the same background color.

► Some of these problems can be alleviated by using advanced multifocal lenses. To know which are the best ones, you can go through some multifocal contact lenses review.

Soflens Multifocal, Proclear Multifocal, Frequency 55 Multifocal, and Proclear Multifocal Toric are some of the well-known brands of these lenses. Multifocal lenses are slightly more expensive than the usual prescription contact lenses. If you opt for an advanced version, then the charges incurred are even higher.

Disclaimer: This Story is for informative purposes only and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.