As one grows older, the components in the eye undergo irreversible changes. One of the changes occurs in the lens of the eye. This element helps to focus images of the outside world clearly on the eye. As the years go by, the lens inside the eye becomes opaque.
A condition called presbyopia. This is a normal part of the aging process and happens to everybody. The commonest manifestation of this is difficulty reading small print. Most people have to hold newspapers and books at a distance to read the letters on them.
If you want to purchase contact lenses that have reader glasses incorporated into them, bifocal contacts are an excellent choice. These give you vision for near and distance. So if you have an existing visual defect and get presbyopia as well, these contacts will solve your problem beautifully.
You could choose an alternating vision (translating) lens that makes your pupil alternate between the two powers as your gaze shifts upward or downward. The other choice is simultaneous vision lenses. These lenses allow your eye to be look through both distance and near powers at the same time. Simultaneous vision lenses can be concentric ring or aspheric designs.
Bifocals are available in soft and rigid gas permeable varieties. Most manufacturers also have multifocals for those with more than one visual defect. This allows clear vision at all distances. You can also choose a daily, monthly or yearly disposable regimen.
If you prefer extended wear contact lenses, most manufacturers have now started manufacturing variants for presbyopia as well. You can even choose from an amazing array of colored and tinted contacts in bifocal powers. Presbyopia does not mean the end of your youth. With these amazing contact lenses, you can enjoy unrestricted, clear vision for many years to come.