Was there ever a time when you looked at your grandparents and wondered why they needed two eyeglasses to see? Where you ever one of those kids that had to help their parents look for their reading glasses because they often got misplaced? It’s inevitable that once you reach your 40’s, you’ll be experiencing some difficulty with focusing on objects that are less than an arm’s length away from you. This condition is called presbyopia and can be corrected with wearing bifocal glasses.
Bifocal glasses are basically two lenses for each eye. One, the upper half of the lens, works to focus on distance objects and the lower half works for close-up focus. The most common type of bifocals are the type you associate with your grandparents – the one that’s segmented in half, with a clear dividing line between the two lenses. You need to move your head up if you want to look at distant objects, which can also include correction for nearsightedness, farsightedness and even astigmatism. When you’re looking at closer objects, say while reading a newspaper or a book, your tendency is to look down which is why the correction for closer objects is on the bottom half of the lens.
Newer bifocals have erased this dividing line even the lenses still incorporate the correction for presbyopia. These types of bifocals are called progressives because they allow the eyes to automatically adjust its focus from both distance and nearby objects.
You are also not limited to the kind of frame that will fit your bifocals. You can be as stylish as you want and choose any frame that you want. You can even include tints that are dependent on your work environment. Some can even change color in the sunlight so there’s no need for a different pair of sunglasses.
The ultimate fit for you will be determined by your eye doctor although it will take some getting used to.