Bifocal Glasses

Bifocal lenses are a special type of corrective lenses that are designed to help people who have trouble focusing on objects in the distance and on objects that are close up. Bifocals are usually identified by the visible horizontal line running through the lens of the glasses. However, many people who get bifocals choose to wear progressive lenses. Progressives are lenses that gradually shift from one correctional power to another, without a visible line running across the lens.

If you've been wearing glasses to see long distances and have suddenly discovered that you now have a hard time seeing objects up close, you likely need bifocals. Bifocal glasses are common for older adults because vision changes as people age. However, sometimes children are born with complex eye problems and need bifocals to help them see properly.

Most bifocals start with the primary lens prescription, the one you need for general distance viewing. Another lens with a different prescription is then applied to the bottom of each original lens, resulting in a surface with two different prescriptions. The prescription glasses generally have a line showing the break where one prescription ends and the other begins. It may seem annoying at first, but it’s relatively simple to get used to the break, and will likely not be a factor in a very short period.

Adjusting to bifocal glasses can be a challenge for some people. Adjusting usually involves changing the way you think about vision and the way you look at the world. Below are some suggestions that can help.

Ignore What Looks Blurry

Looking at the wrong thing through the wrong part of the lenses may make things look blurry. For example, looking at the floor through the bottom of the lens may make the floor appear out of focus. This is because the bottom part of your lenses is designed only to help you see objects up close, and the floor is far from your face.

You'll have to train your eyes (and brain) to ignore those things that look blurry at the bottom of the lenses. Force yourself to stop thinking about the floor and focus on what's right ahead of you.

Move Your Head, Not Your Eyes

Once you're wearing bifocals, you won't be able to move your eyes to scan a room anymore. To look at an object, point your head in the direction of that object, and look through the portion of the lenses that will put that object into the proper focus. It takes time at first, but after a while, this habit will become second nature.

Give Yourself Time

For a while, after you get bifocals, you'll do everything slower than you used to. Walking upstairs, across rough terrain, or into a dim, messy room can be challenging. Giving yourself time to walk from here to there can help you avoid situations that might lead to rushing and potential slips and falls.

Stop Driving For a While

Driving, in particular, can be dangerous when you're not used to wearing your bifocals. Find alternative forms of transportation while you're adjusting to your new lenses. Wait until you're fully adjusted to your bifocals to begin driving again.

Keep Your Eye Doctor Informed

Talk to your eye doctor if you're having a hard time adjusting to your glasses. Your eye doctor can let you know whether or not what you're experiencing is normal. If there's something wrong with the lenses themselves, your eye doctor can fix the problem.