 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ::The questions below are common ones we get from patients. Whether they've never heard of bifocal contacts before or have been wearing them for years!. ::
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Who can wear multifocal or bifocal contact lenses? |
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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 bifocal contact lenses successfully. |
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I need reading glasses, but see far away. Am I a candidate? |
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Yes, you can get bifocal contact lenses that have just a reading segment. Many people find this more convenient and attractive than wearing reading glasses. |
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Am I too old or too young to wear them? |
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Usually, presbyopia begins at around age 40. If you are presbyopic, you are a potential candidate for bifocal contact lenses, no matter what your age. |
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Is it difficult to get used to bifocal contact lenses? |
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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 eyecare practitioner will make sure you understand how to use it. |
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Do they provide vision that's as good as my bifocal eyeglasses? |
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Yes. GP bifocal contacts provide especially crisp vision, as compared with soft contact lenses, because they are made of a rigid material that tends to hold a more definite shape on the wearer's eye, even after a blink. |
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Are bifocal contact lenses expensive? |
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The price varies from one lens design to another, but in general they are less expensive than eyeglasses with progressive lenses. GP bifocal contact lenses, especially, are a good value because they last longer than most soft bifocal contacts. |
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How often will I need to replace them? |
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That depends on whether you choose soft bifocals or GP bifocals. In general, soft contact lenses become cloudy with protein deposits over time; they are also easy to tear. GP contact lenses are made of a more durable plastic that stays clear over time. With GP bifocals, you may need new ones only when your presbyopia progresses so that you need a stronger near vision prescription. |
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Do they require any special care? |
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Bifocal contact lenses require no more care than regular contacts, and they are just as easy to insert and remove from the eye. Most wearers go all day without needing to think about their contacts. 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. |
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What is the difference between bifocals and multifocals? |
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Bifocals and multifocals are both used to correct distance, near, and intermediate ranges. However, a bifocal typically uses the top half of the lens for distance and the bottom half for near vision (similar to bifocal glasses). A multifocal lens typically uses the center of the lens for distance and the edge for near. The MVP is actually a multifocal contact lens, but often gets called a bifocal as do many other multifocal contact lenses. Bifocal is just a better known term and since the objective is (for the most part) the same, even we manufacturers sometimes use the term interchangeably. |
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I have an astigmatism. Can I still Wear Bifocals? |
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Yes! Recent technoligies in contact lens manufacturing enable your eye doctor to custom fit a contact lens to your irregular corena. Because of this abilty to custom fit contact lenses, even bifocals can be worn by astigmatic patients. See what Julie Smith has to say about her bitoric multifocals. |
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How do I find an eyecare practitioner who fits them? |
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Fitting bifocal contact lenses requires special knowledge and experience, so not every eyecare practitioner fits them. Most fitters of bifocal contact lenses are optometrists, but many ophthalmologists fit them, too. |
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