Bifocals, trifocals and progressive lenses
Many people use monofocal lenses, which means having only one focal power, to correct for nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. Other people need multifocal lenses, which combine two or more focal powers in one lens. Chances are that by the time you're in your 40s, you'll need one of the multifocal styles, either bifocal, trifocal or progressive lenses.
It may take practice to adjust to multifocal lenses. But the first step is to make sure the frames are properly adjusted to fit your head. Tilt your head up and down. Your line of vision should move smoothly from one focal power to the other in both eyes at precisely the same time. Some eye doctors may suggest that you start with progressive lenses, which saves you having to make abrupt adjustments to the different focal powers.
Nonprescription reading glasses
As you enter your 40s, you may find that you need glasses for reading only. You might be able to save money by getting them at a pharmacy or a discount store. Nonprescription reading glasses with lenses of various strengths are often on display alongside the sunglasses. Surprisingly, these reading glasses can also function when worn over contact lenses that correct distance vision.
If your eye doctor has told you the correction for your reading vision, look for lenses of that power. Otherwise use trial and error. The weakest corrective lenses are labeled +1.00, and the strongest are +3.00. Test a few different powers by holding printed material about 14 to 16 inches from your eyes. When you find a pair that allows you to read comfortably, that's probably the power you need. To help you find lenses with the right strength, here's a general guide that shows which power is commonly associated with each of several age ranges:
Ages Power Ages Power
40 to 45 +1.25 55 to 60 +2.00
45 to 50 +1.50 60 to 65 +2.25
55 to 60 +1.75 Over 65 +2.50
You'll need prescription glasses if each of your eyes requires a different lens strength. If you do a lot of reading, you may prefer prescription glasses, which can be more accurate and made of higher.quality material. But the inexpensive glasses made of lowerquality materials won't hurt your eyes. Whether you decide on prescription or nonprescription reading glasses, it's a good idea to see your eye doctor whenever you notice vision changes.
How to tell if your contact lens Is inside out
Soft lenses sometimes turn inside out. Putting them in and wearing them this way may not affect the sharpness of your vision, but it can irritate your eyes. In fact if your eyes hurt as soon as you insert your contacts, the likelihood is that the contacts are inside out.
There are two ways to check whether a contact is inside out before putting it in your eye. The first way is to hold the lens on the tip of your finger and look closely at the rim. If it's pointing straight up like the edges of a bowl, it's OK. If the edges are flared out, like there's a gnat-sized walking path along the edge, the lens is inside out.
The second way is to put the lens on the crease line in the palm of your hand and gently start to cup your hand. If the edges roll nearly toward each other, like they're forming a tiny taco shell, the lens is right side out. If they start to fold backward, away from the center, the lens is inside out.
Cleaning your contact lenses
Most eye doctors will give you a starter cleaning kit with your contact lenses. For soft lenses this usually includes a bottle of multipurpose rinsing, cleaning and soaking solution that kills and removes bacterial buildup on your lenses. For rigid gas-permeable lenses, a separate cleaning solution and rinsing-soaking solution is usually needed.
The cleaning kits usually contain instructions on how to use them. Here are some tips that may be useful:
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| Do Glasses Correct Vision |
- Before handling your contacts, wash your hands with a mild soap. Avoid creamy soaps that leave a film on your hands, which can transfer to your lenses. Rinse and dry your hands with a lint-free towel.
- Don't use water or saliva to clean your lenses. They contain microorganisms that can cause infection. One particular organism, called Acanthamoeba can cause an incurable infection. Use the sterile cleaning solution your eye doctor recommends.
- For daily wear and rigid gas-permeable lenses, an additional protein-removing enzyme cleaner is recommended.
- With soft contacts some bacteria can penetrate the lenses. So after rubbing each lens in the palm of your hand for a few seconds, soak it in a cleaning solution for at least 4 hours before wearing it again. This kills most of the remaining bacteria.
- Clean your lens case daily with the sterile rinsing solution and let it air dry. Replace the case every 3 months.