When you struggle reading with your glasses on or get cranky because of putting your glasses over your contact lenses, think of Bifocal Glasses. Bifocal glasses are meant for people who require eye-sight correction for both long-sightedness and short-sightedness. Some of us already know the purpose of bifocal glasses, while many are unaware of the concept. If you are new to bifocal glasses, this article is for you, as we have tried to cover the significant doubts you get when you are new to bifocal glasses. 

 

Why Do We Get This Condition?

 

When you were younger, you could read books without much strain and enjoy twinkling stars at night without lenses! Now that aging has reduced the flexibility of your eye lens, preventing you from enjoying your reading time. You could focus on the nearer objects at your younger age because the lenses of your eyes had flexibility and thus changed their shape based on the proximity of the object you are focusing at. The medical term refers to this condition as refractive errors, where the shape of your eye lens is not so flexible and prevents light from focusing on the back of the eye, and thus you get blurred vision. 

 

What Are Bifocal Lenses?

 

To treat the condition of having both short-sightedness and long-sightedness, your optometrist might suggest you shift to bifocal lenses. As the name suggests, your glasses will have two types of lenses, and you can see a distinctive transition between the two lenses. The bifocal lens gives you clearer vision as there are different lenses for objects at different distances. 

Some might have heard about progressive lenses, similar to bifocal lenses, where you gradually transition from one vision strength to another. You wouldn’t find a distinctive line that separates the vision strengths. However, they both function for the same purpose: to offer more precise, distant, and closer vision. 

 

Key Benefits of Bifocal Lenses:

 

Convenience: 

 

When you want to view closer objects, you would have to switch to reading glasses for a better view. It creates discomfort if you have to keep switching between glasses. When you use bifocal glasses, you don’t have to switch between lenses with varied strengths. 

 

Safety:

 

When driving or operating machinery, you want to change your view between closer and farther objects quickly. Also, when you choose to wear the glasses prescribed for longsightedness, you get blurred vision when you look at objects closer. Therefore, bifocal glasses are recommended for people involved in such intricate functions. 

 

Improved And Comfortable Vision:

 

You feel more strain and fatigue when dealing with blurred vision or improper lens prescription. You might also feel irritated, less productive, and get headaches when you continue to wear glasses with long-sightedness. However, wearing bifocal glasses allows you to view objects comfortably. 

 

Aesthetics:

 

Aesthetics is a prime factor to consider when you have to think of prescribed glasses. Progressive lenses are available in the market without a distinctive line for separating the two lenses. The seamless transition between the two prescribed lenses makes it look good on you and meets the purpose. 

 

How To Choose Between Bifocal Lenses and Progressive Lenses?

 

As discussed earlier, bifocal and progressive lenses are for the same purpose. They both are used by people who have trouble focusing objects at closer and longer distances. Some people don’t like the visible diving line and thus opt for progressive lenses. On the other hand, some of us find it harder to get used to the progressive lenses, and they get the bifocals at a cheaper rate. 

Like any lens, you’d take time to adjust with your bifocals, and it also depends on why you are using it for. Although you can always wear bifocals, you should learn to change how you look at things. For that, you can start wearing your bifocals at the earliest of each day; this helps your eyes get used to the lenses quicker. 

Also, if you sit before the computer for long hours, you should adjust your glasses so that the lens for the reading segment doesn’t interfere with your peripheral view. Yes, you may have to constantly move your head to view through the right part of the lens, and especially when you are moving around or taking stairs, you need more attention as the objects immediately below your eye line will be out of focus. 

 

Should You Purchase Bifocal Sunglasses for Driving?

 

The glare of sunlight from the headlights of other vehicles can be dangerous when it blocks your vision while driving. Bifocal sunglasses are better for driving as they protect you from hazardous glare. The best part is that adding your prescribed lenses to your sunglasses helps you see closer things on and off the road. Although people keep using sun visors and glare shields to block intense glare from the sun and other bright lights, wearing polarised glasses that also have your bifocal glasses keeps you comfortable while driving. 

 

Why Does Going to An Eye Specialist Matter?

 

You might be tempted to get a pair of reading glasses from over the counter. They are cheap, and you get them quicker. However, you risk putting more strain on your eyes. Although you give accurate information during eye examinations, the result might be slightly lesser than the optimal prescription. Visiting some of the best eye specialists in your location is the best approach to eliminate possible errors. 

The professional would measure the interpupillary distance for the placement of lenses in your eyeglasses. There are chances that the measurement might go incorrect. There are also possibilities of other manual errors while measuring the space between your pupils. Therefore visiting an eye specialist who has excelled in their field is a must.

Furthermore, the eyeglass prescription must be precise; it should neither be strong nor too weak. Otherwise, your eyes will get strained and cause headaches. 

 

What If You Are Not Comfortable With Your Bifocal Eyeglasses?

 

You got a pair of new eyeglasses, and you were so excited about it till you wore them for a couple of days. You can’t wear them often as you feel uncomfortable and get headaches. You are too tempted to go back to your old eyeglasses. If you are tempted to return to your old glasses, never give in to the temptation, as it will worsen your condition. Please understand that it takes time to adjust to your newly prescribed glasses. Wearing the new lenses helps to get used to them earlier. Give frequent rest to your eyes and, if needed, rest throughout the day. 

Like our body muscles, eye muscles also need rest. Moving them gently across all directions and sitting idle in a dark room with your eyes opened or closed for 15 minutes helps. These exercises efficiently reduce eye strain, stress, and headaches acquired by using a new pair of eyeglasses. 

Headaches and other discomfort are going to get dissipated over time. However, if you feel the same after a few days, you should contact your eyes tested to determine if the prescribed ones are at fault. 

 

Conclusion:

 

Aging can be annoying, but you have solutions in hand to overcome some of its unpleasant factors. There are options to fuse your bifocal lenses with driving sunglasses; hence you don’t have to worry much about switching between prescribed glasses and sunglasses. Seeking the help of the best eye specialist in your location can help you deal with presbyopia.