Advantages and types of progressive lenses

As a common vision defect bothering a majority of women in their middle ages, presbyopia could be traditionally corrected by reading eyeglasses. This type of eyewear can provide perfect vision aid during book or material reading. Currently, some new devices have been available for presbyopic patients, who can receive more advanced help.

A comparison between progressive lenses and bifocals or trifocals

Progressive lenses for presbyopia correction have some advantages over traditional bifocal lenses and trifocals. All of these three types belong to multifocal lenses and they are to some extent superior to traditional single-vision reading glasses. In particular, there are no visible lines on progressive lenses, which attract certain groups of people in their 40s who care deeply about their facial appearance. Furthermore, progressive lenses provide clear and comfortable vision perception at all distances including intermediate zone that is beyond bifocal lenses.

Bifocal lenses have limitations in term of vision range

As the name reflects, a bifocal lens has only two focal points: one for close reading and the other for distance vision. Bifocal lenses provide very little help in dealing with computer work, which requires special intermediate vision. Some bifocal wearers try to see objects in intermediate range by bobbing their heads up and down. In this way, long period of computer use is much more likely to cause computer vision syndrome. Bifocals force computer users to maintain an unnatural posture, resulting in muscle strain, neck pain and so on.

Progressive lenses can definitely cover all vision distances

Progressive lenses provide a smooth, seamless progression of many lens powers, bringing comfortable vision at truly multiple distances. Presbyopic patients just need to look straight ahead to see in the distance, move eyes slightly downward to get intermediate vision and lower their gaze a bit further to manage near vision tasks. They never need to bob head up and down or keep uncomfortable postures.

Progressive lenses avoid image jump and offer comfortable vision aid

“Image jump” is a bothersome vision problem commonly aroused by bifocal or trifocal lenses because of their separate, sudden power changes. Moving focus across these visible lines of bifocals or trifocals, a wearer is probably to experience an image jump. In addition, trifocal and bifocal lenses only provide clear images within a specific range of distances. Beyond that, burry vision may occur. Progressive lenses avoid all these problems by providing a comfortable prescription transition. Discomfort of progressive lenses can be burry peripheral vision in some first-time wearers.

Further advancement in the progressive lens industry

The wide spread of progressive lenses in the United States has promoted the advancement of lens technologies. Today, progressive lenses with wider intermediate or reading parts are available. And special occupational designs especially for computer work have also become a reality. Modern progressive lenses bring fewer peripheral visual aberrations by applying wavefront technology. New progressive lenses are also compatible with smaller lens frames, which was unfeasible in the past. These small lens designs offer more fashionable options.

Applicable materials, lens coatings and other technologies

Materials such as high-index plastic and impact-resistant polycarbonate have been used to produce progressive lenses now. Anti-reflective coatings on progressive lenses can reduce distracting lens reflections and provide more attractive appearance. Progressive lenses are also available in photochromic and polarized types. All these technologies involve different visual features and user experience. With such a wide range of options, it is usually necessary to ask a professional optician for advice.