What is the difference between bifocals and reading glasses

These are the reading glasses that are specially designed for short-term wear. Over-the-counter reading glasses should better be opted by the people who have reasonable distance vision i. If a person is suffering from eye strain or double vision, they should go for Prescription reading glasses. They are most often donned by people with serious eye illnesses e. Before donning any reading glasses, one should consult with the eye care specialists even if it is over-the-counter reading glasses.

Some of the eye professionals advise going for eye check-ups to identify if there are any problems like macular degeneration, glaucoma, or cataracts. If they have computer works. The power of the lens required increases with age. After selecting the right power of eyes, the next step is selecting a high-quality lens and a sturdy frame. Reading glasses that are made from low-quality lens material are lesser in cost but can be very deteriorating, causing vision distortion, color blindness, or glare.

This causes difficulty in reading. But instead, people should spend a little extra to get a better quality of vision. There are certain myths about wearing reading glasses i. That is just a rumor. Another myth is you can ditch your reading glasses and adopt cataract surgery. This is not true, as well. The dividing line between the two prescriptions is usually at the same level as your bottom eyelid.

When you wear bifocals, you shift your gaze to the second lens to look down at a nearby object. When you want to look at something farther away, you gaze up through the top half of the glass. The shift between the two prescriptions and planes of vision feels jarring for many first-time glasses wearers, and it can take time to adjust to the divided sightline. An object suddenly appears much bigger, which is startling until you get used to it.

Your depth perception might feel off for a bit. In contrast, progressive lenses eliminate the distinct divisions between different prescriptions. Unlike bifocals, progressives have a middle or intermediate area. Most people have a much easier time adjusting to progressive lenses than they do to bifocal or trifocal lenses. However, bifocal lenses can be a good depending on your individual situation. Additionally, progressives can cost a little more than standard bifocals.

If you have presbyopia, you might not need to start wearing progressive or bifocal lenses immediately. If you only have a hard time seeing things up close, you might just need reading glasses, which you use whenever you read or use the computer.

You can also try contact lenses that have different prescriptions for each lens. The top part of the lens helps you see things in the distance, while an area in the bottom half of the lens is designed for reading. This lower portion of the bifocal lens reduces the effort it will take for your eyes to focus on receipts, smartphone screens, menus and other nearby objects. These types of lenses are typically prescribed for adults age 40 and older to correct presbyopia, which is the inability of the eyes to focus on close-up items.

Presbyopia is different from farsightedness. This condition is a normal part of aging — even healthy adults with perfect vision experience this vision loss as they grow older. Presbyopia is treatable with glasses. If you also need correction for distance vision, bifocal readers can offer the correction you need.

The bifocal prescription combines your single-vision correction with a new correction for reading. In some cases, doctors prescribe bifocals to children who have trouble focusing and suffer eye strain when reading. Children and young adults who need prescription glasses typically are recommended single-vision lenses.

Bifocal reading glasses require the wearer to look up through the distance portion of the lens when focusing on a faraway object. When reading or focusing on something within 18 inches of your eyes, you look down and through the bifocal segment of the lens.

One warning: Bifocals require a period of adjustment. However, most people eventually grow accustomed to wearing bifocals all the time. Bifocal lenses generally are designed the same way. A small area in the lower part of the lens corrects your near vision. The rest of the lens enhances your distance vision. Bifocal lenses are sold in an array of shapes and sizes. Smaller, narrower lenses can function well with weaker prescriptions.

For stronger prescriptions, you may need larger lenses as it takes more space to accommodate the entire prescription. In bifocal readers, the segment of the lens devoted to correcting near vision takes one of several shapes:. You will notice that the lenses on bifocals have visible lines where the two types of vision correction meet.

The line in a round-segment bifocal is usually less pronounced than the line in flat-top and Executive styles. You can choose from a large range of frames for your bifocals. The choice depends, in part, on how you expect to use your glasses.

Plastic frames come in a wide variety of colors, styles and prices.