Presbyopia, or far-sightedness, is a common condition that often starts to affect people who are 40 or older. If you already struggle with distance vision, and are later on diagnosed with presbyopia, you won't need to carry a separate pair of reading glasses. This is all thanks to multifocal lenses, which help you with both problems, making sure you always see clearly.
In the past, bifocals were widely prescribed, but they were far from all that great; even though they help you to focus on both near and distant objects, middle distance is blurred. To rectify this problem, progressive lenses were invented. These offer a transition part of the lens which lets you focus on the area between things like the books you read and far objects like road signs. But what creates this effect? Progressive lenses are specially curved, unlike a bifocal lens, which is sharply divided. Because of this, progressive lenses are also called no-line lenses.
However, you might require some time to adjust to these lenses. While the subtle transition of progressive lenses is more aesthetically pleasing, the focal areas are relatively small because more lens space is used for the transitional areas.
Bifocals aren't entirely dated though; they are helpful for children and teens who have a hard time focusing when reading.
It's also crucial that you get fitted properly, and not resort to drugstore bifocals. Many of these types of glasses are one-size-fits-all, which means that the both lenses contain the same prescription and are not customized for the wearer.
Wearing a wrong prescription can make you susceptible to headaches, eye strain or even nausea. Unfortunately, presbyopia is a reality of getting older. But don't forget; multifocal lenses can make all the difference.