The lens behind the iris becomes increasingly rigid and inflexible as you age. It can no longer change shape as easily to allow you to focus on objects, whether they are close or far away. This is called presbyopia.
Many people experience the effects of presbyopia around the time they reach their 40s when they are forced to hold the material they are reading at arm's length to focus clearly.
Monovision is a common way to correct presbyopia. Since the eyes have difficulty adjusting quickly to seeing different distances, one lens is prescribed for near vision and another for distance vision.
Monovision aims to correct one eye for far vision and leave the other eye slightly myopic to provide more functional vision at close range. This method offers an alternative to reduce your dependence on reading glasses. It requires adaptability, as it requires compromises in the quality of vision:
- Each eye can only see clearly at one distance (one eye at a distance and the other, close up). Vision may not be perfect in all circumstances;
- Depth perception may be reduced by the difference in images between the two eyes;
- The blurring of one eye may cause halos around lights at night.
In successful applications, the brain learns to adapt to both extremes, minimizing any overwhelming sensation of vertigo after a period of adaptation. Monovision provides effective correction of presbyopia in up to 75% of cases. In successful cases, the adaptation period is approximately one to three weeks.
Ask your IRIS professional to try monovision contact lenses. They will be able to suggest the best alternatives suited to your condition and lifestyle to live well with presbyopia.
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