{"id":17049,"date":"2021-09-12T07:36:58","date_gmt":"2021-09-12T07:36:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=17049"},"modified":"2021-09-12T07:36:58","modified_gmt":"2021-09-12T07:36:58","slug":"contact-lenses-for-reading","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/optical\/guide-to-contact-lenses\/contact-lenses-for-reading\/","title":{"rendered":"Contact Lenses for Reading"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tired of wearing reading glasses? You may want to consider wearing contact lenses.<\/b><\/h2>\n

As we grow older, our vision begins to change. Almost everyone develops an eye condition, known as presbyopia (age-related farsightedness)<\/a> between the ages of 40 and 50, which causes nearby vision to appear blurred – resulting in needing to use reading or computer glasses.<\/p>\n

What is Presbyopia?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Presbyopia<\/a> is just a latin word meaning your close vision is blurry.<\/b><\/p>\n

Presbyopia affects almost every person and impacts your ability to read, clarity of the computer screen, even doing your favorite hobbies and crafts.<\/p>\n

Reading glasses were once the only option for contact lens wearers with presbyopia who wished to read a menu or a book or do other tasks that require clear near vision.<\/p>\n

That’s no longer the case.<\/p>\n

There are a wide variety of contact lenses<\/a> that provide people with presbyopia with clear near vision<\/a>, without the need for reading glasses.<\/b><\/p>\n

Contact lenses for presbyopia<\/b><\/h2>\n

There are a variety of contact lens alternatives<\/a> available to help patients enjoy clear near vision.<\/p>\n

Monovision and multifocal contact lenses are two of these choices.<\/p>\n

1. Monovision<\/b><\/h3>\n

Monovision is a vision correction method in which one eye’s contact lens\u00a0 corrects for distance vision while the other eye’s contact lens corrects for near vision.<\/p>\n

Each lens in monovision has its own optical power, one for close vision and the other for distance vision.<\/p>\n

Monovision might sound weird, but the brain quickly adapts and most people find this to be comfortable and provide clear vision at all distances.<\/b><\/p>\n

Any type of contact lens can be used for monovision. Monovision is usually very comfortable for most patients since the brain can choose the appropriate eye for the task automatically – allowing both far and close vision to be clear<\/p>\n

The only possible downside is that monovision lenses may reduce depth perception, which can affect driving, especially at night, as well as the enjoyment of sports or hobbies that need accurate depth perception.<\/p>\n

2. Multi-focal<\/b><\/h3>\n

Multifocal contact lenses allow patients to view all distances without sacrificing depth perception.<\/p>\n

Multifocal contact lenses<\/a> are similar to multifocal optical lenses, they allow clear vision at all distances.<\/b><\/p>\n

Anyone who engages in outdoor activities or needs prescription for far vision at the same time as using a computer or reading can benefit with multifocal contact lenses<\/p>\n

Anyone who needs clear distance sight but dislikes using reading glasses to read off of their smartphone, tablet, or a newspaper may want to consider multifocal contact lenses.<\/p>\n

However, multifocal lenses can take slightly longer to adapt to and the lens needs to fit perfectly to ensure clear vision at all distances.<\/p>\n

SEE RELATED: Multifocal Contact Lenses<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

If you have presbyopia, contact an eye doctor near you to discuss contact lens options.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\t

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