Are you a candidate for contact lens wear? How often has that question crossed your mind? If so, it is important that you understand the various contact lens options.
Let’s first begin with the benefits of contact lenses.
- More comfortable than wearing glasses.
- Can be utilized when playing contact sports or participating in other physical activities.
- Allows for a greater field of view due to vision not being limited by the frame of the glasses.
- Provides a cosmetic break for those who have been wearing glasses all their lives.
Now let’s look at the design of contact lenses. Soft contact lenses are available for as spherical, toric, or multifocal. If you have astigmatism, you will benefit from toric contact lenses. Multifocal contact lenses are appropriate for those who normally wear bifocals and need a little help with their near vision.
Contact lenses are also available as daily, 2-week, or monthly replacement.
Daily replacement
- Comfortable due to new lens every day.
- Don’t have to be cleaned.
- Great for patients who suffer from allergies.
2 week replacement
- Very comfortable.
- Easy to care for.
- Many contact lens options available.
Monthly replacement
- Good for patients with dry eyes.
Being presbyopic does not mean you will are limited to wearing glasses to achieve visual clarity. Presbyopic options included distance contact lenses with reading glasses for near work, monovision, or multifocal contact lenses.
Distance contact lenses with reading glasses for near work:
Advantages
- Provides the best vision at distance and near.
- There is no loss of depth perception.
Disadvantages
- Wearing reading glasses just for near work can be inconvenient.
- Does not completely free the patient from wearing glasses at all times.
The ideal patient for this
- wants the best possible vision at distance and near.
- is not concerned with the cosmetic appearance of having to wear reading glasses.
- is not in the habit of misplacing or losing things, such as their reading glasses.
Monovision
The Dominant Eye will be fitted with a distance contact lens prescription.
The Non-Dominant Eye will be fitted with a near contact lens prescription.
Advantages
- Uses available, standard contact lenses (including spherical and toric contact lenses).
- Provides better distance and near vision than most multifocal contact lenses.
Disadvantages
- Decreases depth perception.
The ideal patient for this
- has equal demands for distance and near vision.
- is willing to be patient and willing to adapt.
- reads in positions other than downgaze.
If the question of whether or not contact lens is for you is still lingering, call us today and schedule a contact lens fitting. We would like to work with you to find out which contact lens best suits your needs.
–Hong G. Luu, O.D.
