This time, we would like to provide advice on how to select eyeglass lenses for elderly people.
Many elderly people first ask when they should start to use eyeglasses for elderly people. I am going to tell you when and why I felt eyeglass lenses for elderly people necessary for me. When I stared at my hands, I did not clearly see many wrinkles or fingerprints, and I was happy with the smooth, fine-textured skin of my hands. However, my child said that my hands were getting more wrinkles, and I hastily lifted my eyeglasses and looked at my hands. It was in my mid-forties.
At that time, I used eyeglasses for relatively high myopia and astigmatism, and I was just shocked with what my child mentioned. One day, I took him to an optometrist to make eyeglasses for him. When I read a magazine while I was waiting, a clerk brought a lens close to the eyeglasses I wore, saying, “Do you feel easier to read the magazine with this lens?” I was surprised. The characters of the magazine looked far clearer and shaper than what I had read. What is more, I felt easy somehow to read characters. That was the moment I decided to use eyeglasses with progressive lenses.
To begin with, we explain types of eyeglass lenses for elderly people. In general, they include a type called progressive addition lens, a intermidiate-near vision type exclusively for indoor use, a near-near vision type exclusively for office that ensures a wide field of view at the distance of hands, a near-vision single focal type only for reading eyeglasses, and a type for far-near vision (bifocal) with a line and a small window. For images of views looked through these types of lenses, please see “Views through Eyeglass Lenses for Elderly People.”
Each type of lens has advantages and disadvantages.
Progressive lens
As you know, a progressive lens is a convenient lens with which the user can clearly view near to far objects. Provided with focal points in series, this single lens is designed to enable the user to adjust the focus of his/her eyes to any distance, from far to near. Since the power of the lens changes from the top downward, the way the user uses the line of vision is different from conventional lenses, and the field of view also changes. Thus, it takes some time for the user to smoothly adapt himself/herself to the lenses. In addition, please note that there is an area of distortion on the lower, right, and left sides of the lens that is unavoidable because of the design. “Custom-made type” progressive lenses are increasing in popularity for the reason that they can reflect each customer’s way of viewing things and positions of the movement of the line of vision in an extremely fine manner in order to reduce such a feeling of discomfort.
Intermediate-near vision lens
This lens is also called a “lens for indoor use.” The far vision area is provided on the upper side of the lens and narrow, so that the change in the power is more gradual than progressive lenses and the field of view in the middle vision and near vision areas can therefore be used fairly widely. You can use this lens with comfort at home and in the office where the middle vision areas is frequently used. On the other hand, you cannot see distant objects, drive a car, and perform work outdoors with this lens. You may think, “What! It must be inconvenient …” But imagine. Do you think you look far less frequently during office work or homework? Rather, do you desire to “view more widely around the desk than progressive lenses” or “also watch television easily” with middle-near vision lenses? Interdiate-near vision lenses are a solution to it. You can spend a comfortable time if you use intermediate-near vision lenses and progressive lenses in accordance with the situation.
Near-near vision lens
Also called a “near-near vision type,” this lens is exclusively for paperwork. You can adjust the focus of your eyes on a newspaper spread over the desk. With near wide vision lenses, you can view widely from documents at hand to the screen of the personal computer with a slight move of your face and, at the same time, with no eyestrain. Compared to progressive type lenses and near-near vision type lenses, near-near vision lenses ensure a wide field of view at near distances and can be comfortably used in various private activities, such as using a smartphone, practicing calligraphy, playing a Taishokoto (Nagoya harp), and enjoying flower arranging, in addition to work on the personal computer. Near- near vision lenses are exclusively for near vision, and you cannot view distant scenery, television, etc. Use them like reading glasses.
Products : Wide Vision for Near
Bifocal lens
This is a far vision lens provided with a small window in the lower area for viewing objects at near distances and called a “bifocal lens.” The main users of this lens are those who have difficulty in adapting themselves to sways etc. inherent in bifocal lenses. Although the circumferential area is free of distortion, the small window is protruding and slightly noticeable, and some may feel annoyed with the unlevel surface. Furthermore, a bifocal lens only has two focal points, one for far vision and one for near vision, and you may not clearly see objects slightly away at middle distances.
Single focal lens for near vision
A single focal lens for near vision is exclusively for viewing objects at near distances and provides the widest lateral area at near distances. It is the so-called “reading glass” lens. The power of a single focal lens for near vision is adjusted only to a certain distance, and all objects at different distances appear blurred through it. However, this lens is very convenient for reading and so on.
These types of lenses are available as eyeglass lenses for elderly people. The point when you select lenses is telling the purpose of use of the eyeglasses and first determining the type of the lenses. Then, based on the shape of the frame you select and the required power, select thin type lenses or lenses of a custom-made design with a reduced feeling of discomfort.
When selecting eyeglass lenses for elderly people for the first time, there may be many things you do not know. Communication with optometrists is quite important. Take time to tell them your trouble or desire, and determine lenses based on their advice.
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