Presbyopia stinks. I can say that because I am a presbyope now. When I was younger, I sympathized with my presbyopic patients, but never really understood the impact. Presbyopic patients like to complain about their vision because it does stink on many levels to have focusing issues throughout the whole day. Vision can be more variable than expected and to the point where it may feel like it changes every day. For those reasons and many more, presbyopic patients need options to help improve their vision. There is no “1-size-fits-all” option. There are a variety of spectacle lens options, but consider presenting daily disposable lenses as a great option for these reasons:

1. Power combinations: Daily disposable contact lenses have many options that allow eyecare professionals to customize them for their patient’s specific visual demands. There are many power combinations available, including monovision and multifocal daily disposables. Multifocal lenses provide a larger range of vision, which is why they are my initial starting point for any presbyopic contact lens fit. Additionally, make sure that starting point is not overminused.

2. Flexibility: Daily disposables allow the patient to choose to wear their contact lenses when they like. This may be for specific things like work or for sporting events or for everyday wearing. For those reasons, ask your patients how they expect to wear their contact lenses and customize them for their visual needs. This does not mean ignore the manufacturer fitting guides, because they do help provide the highest level of success, but make sure to carefully listen to your patient.

Presbyopia presents a visual challenge for many reasons. Presbyopic patients don’t love carrying around readers or taking their glasses on and off. For those reasons, daily disposable contact lenses provide an excellent option for your presbyopic patients. Make sure to understand your patients' visual needs and set proper expectations during the contact lens fit. Don’t forget about this powerful tool, which can provide presbyopic patients with another option to improve their vision.

This content is supported by Alcon.