What is a Multifocal Contact Lens?

The multifocal contact lens goes by several names such as progressive lens, progressive addition lenses (PAL), progressive power lenses, graduated prescription lenses, and varifocal lenses. All of these lenses are corrective lenses used in eyeglasses and contacts to correct presbyopia and other disorders of accommodation.

Why is a Multifocal Contact Lens Necessary?

Eyes change throughout our lives, gradually losing the ability to focus on close objects. During our mid-forties, the lenses in our eyes become stiffer, and the muscles that control them change – which eventually causes blurred vision. This is called Presbyopia, and it happens to all of us. You’ll probably find yourself holding books, newspapers or product labels further away, or needing more light in order to read clearly. Multifocal contact lenses offer you an eyeglasses-free solution that will give you both good near and distance vision.

How the Multifocal Contact Lens Works

How your lens works depends on what your focal needs are. Some multifocal contact lenses are designed with bifocal elements– two distinct lens powers that accommodate for distance vision and near. Others have a multifocal design similar to progressive eyeglass lenses, that have a gradual lens power change to support a more natural visual transition from distance to close-up.

The multifocal contact lens is characterized by a gradient of increasing lens power, added to the wearer’s correction for the other refractive errors. The gradient starts at the wearer’s distance prescription, at the top of the lens and reaches a maximum addition power, or the full reading addition, at the bottom of the lens. The length of the progressive power gradient on the lens surface depends on the refractive index of the lens, with a final addition power between 0.75 to 3.50 dioptres for most wearers. The addition value prescribed depends on the level of presbyopia of the patient and is closely related to age and to a lesser extent, existing prescription.

Optical Masters Adaptive Warranty

Don’t worry if you’ve never tried progressive lenses before. Our trained Opticians are at hand to give you expert advice on which lenses to choose and how to get the most from them. As a final reassurance, if at any time within 30 days you are not comfortable with your new multifocal contact lens, we will exchange them to the same value for more suitable lenses.

Even the multifocal contact lens cannot offer 100% clear vision – there will be areas of the lenses through which you will see a softer focus. The lenses you choose can determine the amount of soft-focus area you experience. A tailor-made lens will enable you to minimize this effect. Varilux Progressive Lenses by Essilor is the most advanced lenses available in the market.

Call for a Consultation

If you are interested in a multifocal contact lens to correct vision errors but don’t know where to start, visiting one of our Denver locations is your first step. Our experienced and friendly staff can help you narrow down your options and find the product that will help you achieve the optimum vision and optimum comfort. Located at two convenient Denver locations–King Soopers Shopping Center off of South Monaco Parkway in Denver and at the Brentwood Shopping Center on Federal Boulevard – Optical Masters can offer you top-rate eye care services and help you with your eye health goals.