Many people when visiting an optician or ophthalmologist hear for the first time the words: progressive eyeglasses.

You as a client, usually receive an excellent description of the product and its features by the eye care professional that attends you. Often though, you’ll want to know more and for most people the first port of call is Google. With some luck that will be why you ended up here and I hope you will find the answers you are looking for below.

• What is presbyopia?

Presbyopia, also known as far-sightedness, is a visual defect that involves decreasing ability to focus the eye, which makes it difficult to see close objects clearly.

In order to see objects clearly when they are close up requires a change in the shape of the Lens, through the work of the ciliary muscles. Over the years, the lens loses its flexibility and so they do not end up not being able to focus on close objects clearly. This defect is corrected with convex Lenses to address the lack of flexibility and among those the most appropriate lenses to correct presbyopia are Progressive lenses. For further information I suggest you to read our presbyopia explained.

• When I need to use progressive glasses?

From the moment you start to have trouble reading text especially where the letters are small, when you find yourself needing bright light or when you end up moving the text an arms length away to read it.

The age to start to need a correction for presbyopia fluctuates between 37 and 45 years old or less and mainly depend on two factors: the type of activity in near vision you do and if you already have some form of ametropia.

For example, a myopic person can take longer to need to graduate to glasses for near-sighted or a person working in an office than someone who work outdoors.

Presbyopia is evolutionary and so will not stabilize until around age 60 or so, therefore you will be required to change from time to time you glasses as your eyes change.

• What should I do?

Visit your optometrist or ophthalmologist so they can conduct a visual examination to determine whether or not you require a presbyopic prescription and what you need to do to correct it by means of prescription glasses.

• If I delay the use of glasses can I limit the progression of presbyopia?

No. Presbyopia is inevitable, we all go through it.

If you choose to take reading glasses later and struggle on all you will get is to suffer the inconvenience linked to eyestrain: eyestrain, blurred vision, difficulty reading small text or numbers, etc.

• What is a progressive lens?

A progressive lens is an ophthalmic lens with a special geometry and a complex design that is able to provide the user with a complete solution to their visual problem by allowing a single piece of equipment to work at all distances: far distance, middle distance and close up.

Progressive lenses are also called multifocal lens.

• What are the alternatives to a progressive spectacle?

There are three alternatives, but none of them provide all the advantages of glasses with progressive lenses.

Bifocal glasses with lenses: allow you to see far and near but not have a correction for intermediate vision. The jump in power between the distance correction and close may cause certain difficulties to adapt. From an aesthetic point of view is the worst solution and the difference between the two types of lens is visible.

Single vision glasses with lenses: with this type of lenses you can only correct your problem for near vision. When you want to look away or to an intermediate distance you will have to remove the glasses. Would only be recommended if you only want them to read or to perform an activity in near vision and you don’t need to focus on different distances.

Occupational glasses with lenses: This type of lens will let you see near and middle distance. They are ideal for people working in a table and are constantly changing reading distance between the papers they are reading (near vision) and the computer with which they work (intermediate vision). In case you have to look away the glasses for further distance the glasses should be removed.

• Are there one or more types of progressive lenses?

Many types:

Progressive lenses personalised based on your viewing behavior.

Progressive lenses customised depending on the frame you have chosen.

Progressive lenses with smooth designs.

Ideally, your optician explain what your needs are and they will recommend the most appropriate design for you.

• Are there contact lenses that are progressive?

Yes. Lens manufacturers have these kind of products and in some cases may be an alternative for those who do not want to wear glasses. Please consult your optician for advice about which it can be progressive contact lens best suited to your case.

• Who are the manufacturers of progressive lenses?

There are many manufacturers and quality progressive lenses are expensive products. Although it is always good find deals with really low prices, it is important to get quality and some time cheap lens can be low quality.

Among the leading manufacturers of progressive lenses you will find are:

Essilor, Hoya, Zeiss, Indo, Prats and many more

• Is the adaptation to progressive glasses complicated?

It used to be, but now manufacturers have made great efforts in improving and adapting their designs to this type of lens.

• How I can recognize a progressive lens?

All progressive lenses are engraved with laser markings that are invisible to the naked eye. To see them you have two choices: go to an optician and a special device to show these markings or else you might get to see them standing under a light source and in both cases what you will find the following:

engraved laser manufacturer, laser engraved information

The figures represents the value of the addition of the progressive lens and symbol labeling that identifies the manufacturer of the lens and progressive design that you have chosen from a variety of manufacturers who offer these lenses.

Here you will find a file with the markings of the leading manufacturers of progressive lenses: laser prints of progressive lenses, although ideally it would be best to visit an optician and they will tell you exactly what is the lens model and give more information about them.

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