Multifocal contact lenses are one of the most exciting developments in eye care to significantly reduce the symptoms of presbyopia. Around age 40, everyone starts to experience presbyopia, which is a condition caused by the crystalline lens inside the eye becoming less flexible, and results in increasing difficulty changing your focus from distance to near.

How can presbyopia be treated

There are several ways of treating presbyopia. Many people are familiar with reading glasses, progressive glasses, and bifocal glasses. However, another excellent option is contact lenses. Multifocal contact lenses provide a similar benefit to progressive or bifocal glasses, where the contact lenses focus light on the retina from multiple distances. This allows the person wearing the contacts to ideally have a clear range of vision - being able to simultaneously see a street sign, a computer monitor, and a book, all without having to put on additional glasses!

How do the lenses work?

Multifocal contact lenses are different than glasses due to the way they fit on the surface of the eye. With glasses, you change your focus by looking through different vertical zones in the lenses. Multifocal contacts move with your eye, so you do not need to change the angle of your gaze to see something, you just look at it. The optics are a concentric design, with distance, intermediate and near focus all coming though the lens simultaneously. In many ways, this makes multifocal contact lenses a very natural and comfortable way of correcting your vision at all distances.

But wait, I've never worn contacts...

No problem! Many people who wear multifocal contact lenses have never worn contact lenses prior. Contact lenses can be extremely comfortable, easy to take care of, and can generally be worn as much or as little as you would like. A common concern people have before trying contact lenses are that they are unpleasant or difficult to deal with. Our team will guide you through a contact lens fitting process where we will ensure an appropriate and comfortable fit of the contact lenses and patiently teach you how to be a successful contact lenses wearer. Although not everyone can wear contact lenses, we encourage you to give it a try and see if contact lenses are the right choice for you to enhance your vision and comfort!

Sounds cool, what's next?

Talk to us! Dr. Orr and Dr. Yu love fitting these lenses, and they will happily discuss options with you. You can email the office at [email protected], or call or text us at (925) 283-8502. Even if you do not immediately start with a contact lens fitting, this information can make you aware of treatment options you may not currently be aware of!