Have you experienced difficulty when reading fine print? If you're close to middle-age, you might have presbyopia. But having presbyopia when you already need glasses for near sightedness doesn't mean you now need two pairs of specs. Multifocal lenses help you have good vision all the time, tending to your presbyopia and myopia with just one pair of glasses.
Before mulifocals, bifocals were the popular fix, but they were far from all that great; while they correct problems with both near and distant objects, middle distance is blurred. To rectify this issue, progressive lenses were invented, which give you and intermediate or transition region allowing your eyes to focus on everything between near and far distances. How does this work? Well, progressive lenses feature a subtle curvature, unlike a bifocal lens, which is harshly divided. Because of this, progressive lenses are also known as no-line lenses. This makes for not only better vision at all distances, but also good transitions between the two.
These lenses, although better, may take a small period of time to get used to. While the subtle transition of progressive lenses results in a product that is aesthetically pleasing, the focal areas are quite small because the transitional areas also take up room.
Bifocals are still used though; they are helpful for kids and teens who have a hard time focusing when reading.
It's also crucial to get professionally fitted, and avoid store-bought bifocals. Many of these ''ready-made'' glasses have the same prescription in both lenses, which will not help a lot of people.
A badly fitted pair of glasses can lead to eye strain, discomfort and headaches. Unfortunately, presbyopia is just a part of aging. But keep in mind that multifocal lenses can make all the difference.