Presbyopia is the medical term for near and intermediate vision loss that naturally begins to occur between age 40 and 50. This happens because the natural lens inside the eye loses its ability to flex allowing clear vision at all ranges of vision. Reading glasses are the most common solution for presbyopia but can become cumbersome and inconvenient over time. There are treatment options to reduce dependency on reading glasses, however, there is not a “fix all” solution to eliminate the need for reading glasses for all activities. Simply stated, we have 3 ranges of vision- distance, intermediate, and near.
Monovision is often prescribed to reduce dependency on reading glasses. Monovision can help patients achieve functional distance and near vision. With Traditional Monovision one eye is corrected for distance and the other for near activities such as reading a book or cell phone. With Computer Monovision one eye is corrected for distance and the other for intermediate (also referred to as arm’s length) activities such as computer work, seeing prices on the shelf at the grocery store, and the dashboard in the car. Monovision can provide functional vision at distance and near or intermediate but cannot provide a range of vision like what is experienced prior to presbyopia occurring.
Each eye will specialize in a different function but will work better together providing a more cohesive field of vision. Your dominant eye typically works best as your distance eye while your non-dominant eye will be corrected for near or intermediate vision. To determine which eye is your dominant eye click here. A contact lens simulation trial will be required for 1-2 weeks prior to being deemed a great candidate for monovision laser vision correction with LASIK or PRK.
Monovision does come with a few sacrifices that must be considered prior to proceeding with this treatment. There will be a sacrifice in depth perception and sharp distance vision in order to reduce the need for readers. You will still need reading glasses for certain activities depending on which range of vision correction you select for treatment. For example, those corrected for distance and near will still need reading glasses for computer work. Consequently, those corrected for distance and intermediate will still need reading glasses for near work like reading a book or cell phone. Very fine detail tasks or tasks in very dim light will still require reading glasses. Those requiring the sharpest vision possible at distance and near are generally not good candidates for monovision. Monovision will be discussed with you in greater detail at your complimentary consultation.