There are 3 main ways to correct presbyopia. Each treatment aims to enable the eyes to see near objects clearer with reduced eye strain.

1)      Eyeglasses

Eyeglasses are the most common and least invasive treatment for presbyopia. There are different types of eyeglasses designed to correct presbyopia. The table below compares 3 types of eyeglasses more commonly used by people with presbyopia.

Reading GlassesBifocal LensesProgressive Lenses
What is it?Single vision glasses which only corrects near vision.Lens is separated into two sections by a visible line. Top section of the lens is used to correct far vision while the bottom section is used to correct near distance.Enables you to see clearly at all distances more seamlessly as correction power varies smoothly over the lenses.
AdvantagesTend to be less expensiveAble to wear it all day.Able to wear it all day across various daily activities. Tend to provide more visual comfort than bifocal lenses.
LimitationsReading glasses only help you to see up close. Only worn when seeing near objects. Unable to wear it all day.Provides more limited range of vision as compared to progressive lenses.Tend to be more expensive.

Varilux® Progressive Lenses

Varilux progressive lenses provide sharp vision and smooth transitions at any distance, even in dimly lit conditions — eliminating the blurriness and low-light issues of ordinary progressive lenses, and helping you to achieve the most natural vision possible. It also eliminates off-balance, so that you can continue to live, play and work normally.

Key market leading innovations of Varilux® progressive lenses 

  • SynchronEyes™ – clearer vision from left to right and top to bottom.
  • Wavefront Advanced Vision Enhancement™ – sharp vision at any distance, even in low light.
  • 4D Technology™ – instant focus as your eyes move around.
  • Nanoptix™ – no ‘swim’ effect (where peripheral vision can be slightly altered by the changes that occur at the edge of progressive lenses

Image depicting difference in vision between standard bifocal lenses and Varilux® progressive lenses. Source: Essilor

Do not like the feeling of wearing glasses? Planning to swim or engage in more rigorous exercises? Fret not, contact lenses could also correct presbyopia.

2)      Contact Lenses

Another advantage of contact lenses as compared to eye-glasses is that contact lenses are worn closer to the eye, this increases our field of vision. There are several different types of contact lenses that could correct near vision. Multi-focal contact lenses are most commonly used and they are similar to progressive lenses where it corrects both near and far vision.

3)      Surgery

For those who do not like wearing glasses or contact lenses, surgical procedures could also treat presbyopia. One possible surgical procedure that has been growing in popularity is corneal inlay which lasts for 10 to 15 minutes. Tiny lenses or other optical devices are inserted into the non-dominant eye’s cornea. This implant corrects near vision through increasing the depth of focus at the center of the cornea.

However, surgery may not be a suitable solution for everyone. Thus, you are recommended to undergo a comprehensive eye examination and consult an ophthalmologist who specializes in the surgical correction of presbyopia to determine whether surgery is a viable solution for you.