Bifocal and Multifocal Contact Lenses
Most people don’t know that contact lenses can be bifocal, trifocal, or even progressive. All of these designs can be referred to as multifocal lenses.
But it’s true: New multifocal contacts are being designed each year for people with presbyopia, a natural condition brought on by age, where the eye’s natural lens stiffens and loses the ability to focus on close objects.
If you’re presbyopic, you’re not alone. Eventually, almost everyone is, usually after age 40.
Where people do differ is how they deal with it. Some use reading glasses or bifocal glasses. Others choose progressive eyeglass lenses, which correct near, intermediate, and far vision but without lines on the lenses seen with traditional bifocals. Still others opt for multifocal contact lenses.
If you are presbyopic, consider this:
Reading glasses are inconvenient.
One of the most common complaints among presbyopes is having to put on and take off their reading glasses all day long. Switching between regular glasses and reading glasses (“readers”) is even more annoying.
Reading glasses must be carried everywhere. And they are often misplaced or forgotten, forcing some people to buy several pairs for different areas of their home and workplace.
Readers and bifocals may not reflect your best self.
They hide the eyes from the world and emphasize age. Even people who are used to wearing eyeglasses don’t like the obvious lines and segments of bifocal glasses.
While no-line progressive addition eyeglass lenses look better, they are still eyeglasses. And many people object to the distorted vision they provide to the left and right — unfortunately, this distortion is unavoidable in current progressive eyeglass lens designs.
Finally, having to purchase one or more pairs of bifocal or progressive sunglasses makes the eyeglass option quite expensive.
Your answer may be multifocal contact lenses.
There are several contact lens designs that help you see both close up and far away, as well as correct astigmatism.
One type has a distance viewing area in most of the lens and a near viewing segment in the middle lower portion. Another has a series of concentric rings, where the visual system constantly adjusts focus for distance and near.
To get started with multifocals, your eye care practitioner will choose a design that works best with your prescription, pupil size, cornea size and shape, tear film, blink pattern and lifestyle. As with any new multifocal eyewear, you’ll also receive brief training on the best way to use the lenses, as well as a follow-up appointment to be sure you’ve adapted to them.
With so many great contact lens options, why wear bifocal glasses or readers?
Another option could be monovision.
This consists of wearing a contact lens on one eye for distance, and on the other for near. Either soft contacts or GP contacts can be used for monovision.
Although monovision is an option, it can compromise depth perception, make night driving difficult and may not work well for tasks at arm’s length, such as computer work.
Which is better for multifocal contacts: soft or rigid materials?
Multifocal contacts exist in both soft and firm materials, but many eye care professionals agree that firm lenses (GP contacts) provide better vision because they have crisper optics and keep their shape well when you blink. This reduces annoying, eye-straining refocusing; it also makes it easier to adapt to viewing in the near and far zones without a “swimming” feeling.
Another advantage to over-40 people, who are more susceptible than younger people to dry eyes , is that GP contact lenses don’t absorb moisture away from your eyes the way soft lenses will.
GPs also resist collecting bits of protein and other debris from your tears much better than soft lenses. It’s these deposits that can make soft lenses uncomfortable and scratchy, especially for dry-eye sufferers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Multifocal Contact Lenses
We’ve compiled some of the most frequently asked questions about multifocal and bifocal contact lenses. Click a question for the answer.
Q. What’s the difference between multifocal and bifocal contact lenses?
A. Multifocal lenses focus at a variety of distances. Bifocal lenses are a type of multifocal lens, but focus at only two distances, usually far and near.
Q. Who can wear multifocal or bifocal contact lenses?
A. You’re an especially good candidate if you are already used to wearing contact lenses or if you have already adapted to bifocal, trifocal, or progressive eyeglass lenses.
But really, most people with presbyopia – even those with no contact lens experience – can wear multifocal contact lenses successfully.
Q. Am I too old or too young to wear them?
A. Usually, presbyopia begins at around age 40. If you are presbyopic and a good candidate for contact lenses, you are a potential multifocal contact lens wearer, no matter what your age.
Q. I need reading glasses, but I don’t need eyewear to see far away. Am I a candidate?
A. Yes, you can get bifocal contact lenses that have just a reading zone. Many people find this more convenient and attractive than wearing reading glasses.
Q. How do I find an eye care practitioner who fits them? Should I choose an optometrist or an ophthalmologist?
A. Call your regular eye care practitioner and ask if he or she fits multifocal contact lenses. If not, use our GP Eye Care Professional Locator. This useful resource also lists each practitioner’s specialty areas, including bifocal and multifocal GPs.
Even when using this locator, confirm before making an appointment that the eye care practitioner fits GP bifocals. Fitting these lenses requires special knowledge and experience, so not every practitioner does it.
Q. Is it difficult to get used to multifocal contact lenses?
A. No. If you have adapted to bifocal, trifocal, or progressive eyeglass lenses, you will already understand the basics of using translating bifocal contact lenses, in which the distance zone is straight ahead and above center, while the reading zone is lower. With simultaneous designs, your eyes will learn to focus near or far as needed.
Whatever your particular lens design, your eye care practitioner will make sure you understand how to use it. Because all types of multifocal GP lenses, when fitted properly, move little on the eye when you blink, clinical research shows they are initially more comfortable than regular GP lenses.
Q. Do they provide vision that’s as good as my bifocal eyeglasses?
A. Yes. Though there may be a slight compromise with some designs as compared with glasses, GP bifocal contacts provide especially crisp vision, as compared with soft contact lenses. The rigid material of GP lenses tends to hold a more definite shape on the wearer’s eye, even after a blink.
Q. Are multifocal contact lenses expensive?
A. The cost of contact lenses varies from one lens design to another, but in general they are less expensive than eyeglasses with progressive lenses. GP multifocal contact lenses, especially, are a good value because they last longer than most soft multifocal contacts.
Q. How often will I need to replace them?
A. That depends on whether you choose soft or GP multifocals.
In general, soft contact lenses become cloudy with protein deposits over time and are easy to tear; those disadvantages are somewhat remedied by disposable or planned replacement soft multifocals.
GP contact lenses are made of a more durable plastic that stays clear over time. With GP multifocals, you may need new ones only when your presbyopia progresses so that you need a stronger near vision prescription. Read a comparison of soft contacts vs. GP contact lenses.
Q. Do they require any special care?
A. Multifocal contact lenses require no more care than regular contact lenses, and they are just as easy to apply and remove from the eye. Most wearers go all day without needing to think about their contact lenses.
Wearers of bifocal or progressive eyeglasses, however, constantly feel the weight of their glasses on their nose, must remove them for periodic cleaning, and have to put up with fogging on cold days. Reading glasses, too, are often removed and replaced several times a day, and it’s easy to misplace or scratch them.
Q. What if I have astigmatism?
A. Not to worry. Multifocal contact lenses come in many designs and can be prescribed for people with astigmatism. The best choice is usually GP lenses, because they hold their shape to correct astigmatism better.