Presbyopia is one of the most common eye complaints from the age of 45.
Although we have a safe and effective technique for correcting presbyopia using a laser at Visióndiez, glasses are still the most common method for seeing up close.
Advances in optics have made different types of glasses for presbyopia, so that each person, always under the supervision of an eye care professional, can choose the glasses for presbyopia that best suit their needs.
Types of glasses for presbyopia:
- Single vision glasses for presbyopia: recommended when you have good vision at all distances apart from close up. These glasses can be purchased from opticians but is better to get a prescription and diagnosis by the ophthalmologist beforehand. One of its main drawbacks is that it can only be used for near distance, as they distort the vision at long and middle distance. Furthermore they force the user presbyopic to always carry them, even when they aren’t using them, especially if they see close up frequently.
- Bifocal glasses for presbyopia: as its name suggests, these glasses have two types of lens in one. This means they can see long distances through the top of the glasses and close up through the bottom. These glasses are recommended for people who, in addition to presbyopia, have other eye problems that hinder your long-distance vision (such as myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism). These glasses allow you to see well at short and long distances, but not solve the problems of vision at intermediate distances.
- Progressive glasses for presbyopia: These glasses offer continuous vision at all distances. Unlike bifocals, they have a section for intermediate vision, connecting the near and far distance areas and there are no lines between the different zones. The main drawback of these glasses is that they require more time to adapt, to learn to look for the right area in the lenses. Sometimes they aren’t very comfortable and may not be well tolerated.
Recommendations for glasses for presbyopia:
Self-diagnosing upon the appearance of the first symptoms of presbyopia and going to the nearest pharmacy to buy a pair of presbyopia glasses is very common; but only an ophthalmologist can properly diagnose eye problems and prescribe the most appropriate treatment.
Glasses for presbyopia sold in chemist’s and in non-specialist shops should be used only temporarily. They are a temporary solution. As they are not made to measure for the wearer (in terms of the height and spacing of the optical centres, individualised powers required for each eye, etc.), they may cause more discomfort and inconvenience than personalised glasses for presbyopia. Continued use of «generalised» glasses for presbyopia may occasionally lead to a mismatch between the eyes.
Usually for glasses for presbyopia, some time to adapt is needed, especially for bifocal and progressive lenses. It is sometimes hard to adapt and there may be slight discomfort.
Alternative to glasses for presbyopia
The big recent breakthrough in ophthalmology are new definitive methods to correct hyperopia. The laser presbyopia operation is one of the fastest and most effective way to forget about glasses. Moreover, the same operation can eliminate myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism.
Visiondiez specialises in the laser presbyopia operation. We have spent the last several years carrying out this operation with great success and we have the most advanced laser equipment.
Ask for an appointment online or by calling 91 559 59 59. The first consultation is free.
Other methods to combat presbyopia: