Multifocal Contact Lenses Cape Coral
At Elmquist Eye Group, we are your ally. We want to help you make the best eye care decisions to suit your vision and your lifestyle. Maybe you have worn contact lenses for some time, or maybe you are considering them for the first time. Either way, if you are over 40, you may have noticed more difficulty lately with up-close reading. If this sounds familiar, multifocal contact lenses from our Cape Coral office may be a great option for you.
I’m over 40. Why is my vision changing?
If you are over 40, you may have been holding things farther away to read them. As we age, the eye lens becomes less flexible, making it more difficult to focus light on near objects. This age-related condition is called presbyopia and is quite common. It is also known as age-related farsightedness. Presbyopia is very common in middle age and older adults.
Many patients over 40 also have other types of refractive error, such as farsightedness or nearsightedness. Many people have more than one type of refractive error. For example, many people often have both myopia and astigmatism. When presbyopia is present along with other refractive errors, multifocal contact lenses are a great option. Many of our patients wear regular contacts already, then end up having to use reading glasses as well. Having a multifocal lens fixes all your vision problems and best of all, you can ditch your glasses for good.
Why multifocal lenses are a good option
Multifocal contact lenses are a particularly good option because several prescriptions are built into the lens, allowing you to see far, medium and near distances. Our patients particularly like these lenses while driving. They can read the GPS on their phones and road signs while they drive. It’s great!
Furthermore, these contact lenses are available in both soft lenses as well as hard gas permeable lenses. We overwhelmingly recommend the soft lenses because they allow more oxygen flow to the cornea but we do recommend the hard lenses when certain eye conditions are present. Most people can wear contact lenses, but people with chronic or severe dry eye may find them uncomfortable. Dry eye does get worse in middle age, and if you have it, multifocal or bifocal glasses may be a better option.
At your initial appointment we will talk to you about your expectations for multifocal lenses as well as your lifestyle and daily habits.
As with anything, multifocal lenses have pros and cons. Our patients enjoy wearing the lenses because they can avoid wearing weighty glasses. You will be a better candidate for the multifocal lenses if your distance vision correction is less than 1 diopter for astigmatism, in general.
The biggest downside is that patients with dry eye can find wearing multifocal lenses, or any lens for that matter, uncomfortable. While it does take some time to adjust and get used to your vision with multifocal contact lenses, most patients transition quickly within one or two weeks. It takes a while to retrain your brain to smoothly switch between the powers. Expectations are also important. While you won’t have 20/20 vision, you will have improved vision at different distances without having to wear multiple corrective lenses.
If these lenses sound convenient and helpful, come see us at Elmquist Eye Group in Cape Coral for multifocal contact lenses. You will get to see one of our great eye doctors, who will advise you on whether these lenses are your best option. What are you waiting for? Give our staff a call or schedule your initial appointment online today.