Presbyopia and contact lenses

Abstract

Presbyopia as a result of a gradual decrement in visual function at near is one of most prevalent conditions causing patient concern and complaints in the 40 years and older age group. Many presbyopic patients believe the loss of accommodation represents a considerable decrease in their quality of life. Optical solutions to improve near vision in presbyopic patients can be classified as non-surgical or surgical. Among the non-surgical methods, several contact lens options for the presbyope include 1) single vision contact lens wear and reading glasses, 2) monovision in which one eye is optimally corrected for distance and the other eye is optimally corrected for near vision, and 3) bifocal/multifocal contact lenses. Most presbyopic patients who use computers should be considered for multifocal lenses because of their need for intermediate vision. Without severe dry eye and over 0.75 diopters astigmatism, most presbyopic patients prefer soft multifocal contact lenses to gas-permeable multifocal contact lenses. We suggest that multifocal contact lenses are effective for presbyopia because they provide good visual acuity at distance, intermediate, and near vision. © Korean Medical Association.