Presbyopia, also known as eyestrain, is a natural consequence of aging eyes. It begins to appear, commonly, after the age of 40.
Symptoms of eyestrain usually include difficulty reading up close, needing to move screens and books away to distinguish text and images, needing more lighting, and eye strain.
As we have already mentioned, presbyopia is not a disease, but simply the lens that becomes less flexible due to the natural passage of time. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything to fix it or to keep enjoying those activities you love. It is enough to get glasses that compensate for presbyopia.
But what are the best presbyopia glasses for you? Today we are going to explain what options you have and which ones you should choose according to your case.
Types of glasses for presbyopia or eyestrain
Unfortunately, there are still no glasses that automatically adjust the focus to what we need. Instead, we have several options to choose from when choosing the best glasses.
- Close-up monofocal glasses: This type of glasses are characterized because we can only see clear at a distance, usually, between 35-40 cm, which usually corresponds to the reading distance. The whole lens has the same graduation so it is a comfortable option if we only need it to read, since they provide us with a complete field of view, not being the most appropriate option if we need to look at another distance farther away. We can choose the glasses that most favor us and we will ask for the lenses, both with the necessary graduation for each eye and with the necessary parameters to obtain the best visual quality. Among the drawbacks of this type of glasses we find that, if your prescription increases, we will have to replace them with new ones. If you look over them, the change in distance and focus is likely to make you dizzy. They are certainly very practical for when you are starting to notice the first symptoms and if you are not going to perform tasks that require constant changes of focus.
- Pharmacy glasses: They are very economical monofocal glasses that you can find in pharmacies. The manufacturing processes are different without taking into account any user parameters. They are lower quality glasses and the prescription is identical in both eyes. We can use them in an emergency, but their continued use is not recommended.
- Progressive or multifocal glasses: These glasses allow you to see closely, far and mid-distance, with a single glasses. With them you can focus at different distances and it is the ideal solution if you also need graduation from afar. Aesthetically there is no difference, since the lenses do not carry any markings that make them different from a monofocal lens. They are lenses manufactured according to the prescription that the patient needs at each distance, and there are lenses that can be customized according to the needs of our patient and the chosen frame. It is necessary to get used to moving your head to adapt the focus and usually needs a period of adaptation, since the first days you can have a different feeling, especially if we look from the sides or in the changes of focus.
- Occupational glasses: These glasses are similar to the previous ones, but exclude long-distance focusing. They are highly recommended for working with computers because they cover the intermediate distance and close. If you do not need graduation for far and also work with screens, these glasses will give us greater comfort and versatility to be able to focus at both distances, both the distances of the screens and distances closer to those that we can have the mobile or the Tablet. However, the drawback with this type of glasses is that we can not drive or focus at distant distances.
As you can see, choosing the best presbyopia glasses depends on your situation and your preferences. In Optics & University Audiology you have the option of coming to visit us at one of our physical stores so that we can make a personalized recommendation. Our team of professionals will help you find the best option for you.
