Progressive lenses offer smooth vision without lines or clearly defined areas, making them a popular choice for correcting presbyopia. Adjusting to them can take time, and fit is key. They are also available in contact form and alternatives include multiple pairs of single lenses or traditional bifocal/trifocal lenses.
Progressive lenses are lenses used to correct vision that offer through-the-lens gradation that provides different degrees of magnification. These lenses are classically prescribed to older adults who have presbyopia. Historically, older adults required bifocals or even trifocals for vision correction. These lenses could be uncomfortable to wear, not least because the sharply different magnification zones caused image jumps. With progressive lenses, there are no lines and no clearly defined areas, which makes vision much smoother.
Progressive lenses are available in both eyeglass and contact form. In both cases, the area of lightest magnification is at the top of the lens, with the magnification becoming strongest at the bottom of the lens. The only downside is that the sides of the lenses tend to be somewhat distorted, which can be disconcerting when looking out of the corner of your eye.
Adjusting to progressive lenses can take some time, whether you’re switching from single lenses to a pair of bifocals. Some people feel dizzy, nauseous, or disoriented for the first few days as they settle down. Some optometrists recommend wearing new lenses for only a few hours at a time at first, allowing patients to gradually get used to the feel of the new lenses. Progressive lens wearers must also learn to take advantage of their lenses, finding the sweet spots in various areas of the lens that provide the sharpest vision for different tasks.
Fit is key with progressive lenses. While regular lenses can feel slightly disorienting or annoying if they don’t fit well or are the wrong size, progressive lenses can be largely useless if they aren’t well-fitted. When a new pair of progressive lenses arrives, the optician should take the time to confirm that they fit properly and that the wearer feels comfortable. It is also important to take the fit measurements before ordering lenses and, in the case of eyeglasses, to select appropriate frames that fit well on the face and accommodate lenses of an appropriate size.
These lenses are also known as prescription lenses, PALs, no-line bifocals, or varifocals. There are some alternatives to progressive lenses for people who prefer not to wear them. One option is to use multiple pairs of single lenses, with a basic pair of day-to-day glasses and one pair of reading glasses that can be switched out as needed. Another option is to use traditional bifocal or trifocal lenses.
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