{"id":5469,"date":"2020-06-01T09:35:06","date_gmt":"2020-06-01T09:35:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wordpress\/?page_id=5469"},"modified":"2021-08-02T08:44:16","modified_gmt":"2021-08-02T08:44:16","slug":"guide-to-bifocals-and-multifocals","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/optical\/guide-to-optical-lenses\/guide-to-bifocals-and-multifocals\/","title":{"rendered":"Guide to Bifocals and Multifocals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you noticed the need to hold your phone, books or restaurant menus farther from your eyes to improve their clarity?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Presbyopia<\/a> is the most common reason most adults begin to wear eyeglasses. The condition generally develops overtime, beginning at around age 40, and is considered a normal part of the aging process.<\/p>\n

Presbyopia causes an ability to focus on near objects, such as words on a page, numbers on a phone, or text on a computer. In a young eye, the flexible lens inside your eye, is able to shift focus between close objects and objects at a distance. However, as you age, this lens thickens and begins to harden\u2014 losing its flexibility and affecting your near vision.<\/p>\n

If you already wear prescription eyeglasses for distance vision, you will likely be prescribed a pair of bifocals or multifocals to continue to see clearly at all distances.<\/p>\n

Bifocals and multifocals for eye focusing problems<\/b><\/h3>\n

Though bifocal and multifocal lenses are typically prescribed for adults with presbyopia, in some cases these lenses may be prescribed for eye teaming or focusing problems that may cause eye strain when reading.<\/p>\n

In these cases, the bottom segment of the lens serves to reduce the stress on the eyes by supporting the focusing skills necessary for reading.<\/p>\n

Additionally, research shows that wearing bifocals or multifocals may help control myopia <\/a>progression by reducing the stress on the focusing muscles.<\/p>\n

What are bifocal lenses?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Bifocal lenses contain two optical powers to accommodate clear vision for both near and far. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The lens is divided into two segments, the top of the lens contains the distance vision prescription, while the bottom of the lens contains the near vision prescription. Some bifocals contain a bisecting horizontal line between the two lens powers.<\/p>\n

Types of bifocal lenses<\/b><\/h3>\n

All bifocals lenses function in the same way. However, the lenses differ in appearance, based on the design of the segment that contains your near vision prescription.<\/p>\n