Age brings many wonderful experiences and milestones, but it also brings changes to our body. If you’re like me, you woke up one day and your knees hurt, your back hurts, and you grunt standing up from the couch. Carrying 100+ lbs on my back through the mountains of Afghanistan probably didn’t do me any favors either. Everything starts to change, and your eyesight is no different.

As we went over in part 1, if you're over 40 and experiencing difficulty with up-close vision, you may be encountering a common condition called presbyopia, where the focusing system gets weaker as you get older and your near clarity gets harder and harder. The good news is that age should never limit your options for clear vision! In this blog post, we will explore the various contact lens options available for individuals over 40. Don’t sweat! Hope is not lost for contact lenses!

Exploring Contact Lens Options

Just as we have 3 main options for glasses to see far and near (two separate glasses for distance and near, the dreaded bifocal, and a progressive addition lens), there are 3 main options for contacts as well.

Distance Contact Lenses with OTC Readers: This option is likely the easiest to do, but also probably the most annoying. Here, each eye will be prescribed a contact lens with the distance prescription only. You will be able to see clearly in the distance, but to read you will have to put on OTC reading glasses over the contacts. Many people feel this defeats the purpose of contacts, since you will have to put on glasses throughout the day anyways.
Monovision Contact Lenses: Monovision involves using a contact lens prescription for distance vision in one eye and modifying the prescription to allow for near vision in the other eye. This technique allows the brain to adapt and rely on the appropriate eye for the desired distance while suppressing the other eye. While some individuals find monovision comfortable and convenient, it may take time to adjust to this method. The benefit of monovision is that it is not a special contact lens (as opposed to the next option), it is just a special technique.
Multifocal Contact Lenses: Multifocal contact lenses are designed with different zones that correct both near and distance vision simultaneously. These lenses provide a transition between the prescription strengths, allowing for clear vision at varying distances. These sound great! The solution to all our needs, why would anyone choose one of the other options? Well, the catch is you give up some clarity in the distance for your near vision, and some near clarity for your distance vision. It is a compromise, and your vision will not be crystal clear.