Can You Get Contacts If You Wear Bifocals?
If you wear bifocals, you might be wondering what your other options are. Glasses can get uncomfortable. They aren’t always convenient when it comes to fitness and other physical activities. Sometimes, you might just want to change things up.
All of this leads to the question of whether or not you can get contacts if you wear bifocals. Let’s take a look!
Why Do You Have to Wear Bifocals?
When someone reaches the age of 40, they are almost guaranteed to need bifocals. What is the real reason that people need bifocals though?
People have to wear bifocals most commonly because of a condition called presbyopia. This condition occurs naturally. It causes difficulties in the eye’s focusing abilities. Bifocals work to help the eyes focus more clearly, which is why people have to get them. Bifocals can make a noticeable difference in someone’s vision.
Why Might Someone Not Want to Wear Bifocals?
According to Just Bifocals, where glasses wearers can buy bifocals lenses and frames in NY, a frequent complaint of bifocal reading glasses wearers is that they don’t like taking their glasses off and putting them back on throughout the day. Another difficulty with reading glasses is that they have to be taken on the go. This means that they can be forgotten or broken along the way.
Bifocals are known to have a horizontal line across the center of the lens. This is often bothersome to wearers, since it’s obvious that the glasses are bifocals.
What Options Does Someone Have If They Don’t Want to Wear Bifocals?
Progressive glasses are another option. They don’t have a visible line like bifocals do. Some people still don’t want to wear glasses at all, so this may not be the answer for everyone. Additionally, glasses with progressive lenses can be on the more expensive side.
Luckily, there is an alternative to bifocal glasses. Bifocal and multifocal contact lenses are available. These can be worn like regular contact lenses are.
What Are Bifocal Contact Lenses?
Bifocal contact lenses work in the same way that bifocal glasses lenses do. They simply come in contact lens form, which is more convenient for some wearers. They have two different prescriptions in one lens, just like your bifocal glasses do. Each prescription has its own unique purpose—near vision or distance vision.
According to VSP Direct, “there is a line of separation in the lens and what you are looking at will determine which part of the lens you use.” These are called alternating vision lenses. You will have to get used to moving your pupil to a different zone in the lens.
Another kind of bifocal lenses are simultaneous vision lenses. Your eyes will be using two powers or prescriptions at the same time. Over time, your eyes will learn how to adjust to this type of lens.
Benefits of Bifocal Contact Lenses
One of the greatest benefits of bifocal contact lenses is that you get to leave the inconvenience of glasses behind. Contacts are easier to wear than glasses when it comes to certain activities. Plus, you won’t have to bring a pair of glasses along with you everywhere you go.
These lenses still have acuity for your vision, regardless of whether you are nearsighted or farsighted. They also work very similarly to bifocal glasses, so they should be a fairly simple adjustment.
Challenges of Contact Lenses
If you have never worn contact lenses before, you might have a more difficult time adjusting to them. These problems might arise, regardless of whether you are using regular lenses or bifocal lenses:
- Inserting the contacts: Not everyone is comfortable with touching their eyes. It can also be tricky to figure out if you’re putting your contacts in properly.
- Keeping things clean: You will have to wash your hands before and after putting your contacts in. You also have to replace your contact solution each day and the contact case every few months.
- Eye strain: All contacts have the potential of causing eye strain. This can occur more often in bifocal lenses, according to Cooper Vision.
After some practice, you will no longer have to worry about these challenging aspects of contacts. You will get the hang of wearing them and taking care of them after a couple of weeks!
In short, you can get contact lenses if you currently wear bifocals. Bifocal contact lenses can be an easy way to get rid of the inconvenience of glasses. Keep in mind that they may not work for everyone. There is a little bit of a learning curve for new contact wearers. There can also be some trial and error while you find which brand or type of contacts works best for you and your eyes.
