Are there contact lenses that replace reading glasses?

A lot of patients ask if they can get contacts that would let them get rid of their reading glasses. For most people the answer is yes! Lenses like the Purevision Multifocal and the Air Optix Multifocal offer great vision in a very healthy lens material.

And here’s another suggestion: some patients who naturally have good distance vision use just one contact lens for near vision. The result is what we call mono-vision. One eye sees near and one eye sees far. What actually happens is that the brain tells the eyes which eye should take over as it learns to use the distance focused eye for distance viewing and the near focused eye for near viewing. The majority of patients who use this method adapt to it in a very short time. It is an amazing example how the eyes and the brain work together.

When you use a daily disposable with no lens solution to fool with and you can just toss it whenever you want wherever you are, it’s even more convenient. You may only wear these lenses occasionally but it’s still a great idea.

People often use this “one contact lens” method because they may not want to fumble with reading glasses when they go to a restaurant or shopping. They may want to be glasses free when attending an entertainment venue or sporting event where they might want to read a program or other printed items. So, they pop in a contact lens and off they go. And when you go on vacation and don’t have to chase reading glasses around makes it even more appealing.

Of course when you set up a fitting with us, we will go over all of the options that are best for you personally. Call to set up an appointment (502) 897-1604

James A. Muse, O.D.

Scroll to Top