If you're close to the age of 40 and starting to notice difficulty reading fine print, you might have developed presbyopia, a common age-related condition that prevents you from clearly seeing near objects. It's comforting to know that developing presbyopia when you already need glasses for near sightedness doesn't mean you need to start switching between two pairs of specs. This is because of multifocal lenses, which correct both problems, making sure you always see clearly.
Multifocals are far superior to bifocals. Bifocals corrected poor near and far vision, but usually things in between were blurry. In an effort to create a better product, progressive lenses were made. These give you and intermediate or transition part of the lens allowing you focus on the area between near and far distances. Progressive or no-line lenses are a type of multifocal lens featuring a gradual curvature across the lens surface rather than a sharp line distinguishing the two areas of the lens. This creates not just clearer vision at all distances, but also good transitions in between.
These lenses, although better, can require some time to get used to. While the subtle lens curve results in a product that is elegant, the lens's areas of focus are relatively small, so that there's also room for transitional areas.
Bifocals still have their uses though; they are used to treat children and teenagers who have a hard time focusing when reading.
Even though it may appear to be an easy solution, it's best to steer clear of pharmacy bifocals. A lot of these types of glasses have the same prescription in both lenses, which will not help a lot of people.
Glasses that aren't properly customized to you can lead to eye strain, discomfort and headaches. Unfortunately, presbyopia is a reality of aging. But keep in mind that multifocal lenses can make all the difference.
