Monovision contacts are a common option for correcting presbyopia, where each eye is optimized to a different focus depth.
With monovision contact lenses, each eye is used for a different purpose—one dedicated to near vision and one dedicated to distance vision. That might mean different prescriptions on each eye, or a contact lens on just one eye. It takes some getting used to, but it works well for many people. If you’re interested in monovision contacts, talk to your eye doctor—they’re the ones that can determine if you’re a good candidate.
Age-related farsightedness, or presbyopia, happens to almost everyone. It’s a normal part of aging that typically starts becoming noticeable around age 40. A telltale sign is a person at a restaurant holding a menu at arm’s length to be able to read it. Monovision contact lenses are one way to correct this.
Similar to how most people have a dominant hand, most people have a dominant eye that their brain relies on more, and it’s the reason monovision contacts work. By correcting distance vision in the dominant eye, and close-up vision in the non-dominant eye, the brain can learn to change which eye it “listens to” depending on what you’re looking at.
Monovision contact lenses can be great for people who don’t like to depend on reading glasses. A few perks include:
There are a few tradeoffs that come with wearing monovision contact lenses. They include:
This could include headaches, blurry vision, eye strain or other symptoms.
Typically, your eyes work together to help judge the distance of objects and compare light and shadow. When each eye focuses differently, depth perception and contrast can be decreased.
Since vision is corrected far and near, objects that are “middle-distance” may appear blurry.
You may experience more visual difficulties with scattered light, flare or glare when driving at night.
Another approach to contact lenses for presbyopia are multifocal contact lenses. These contacts allow you to see near, middle, and far distances with the same lens.
Whether you end up wearing over-the-counter readers or prescription glasses like bifocals, eyeglasses can be a good option for people who aren’t interested in contact lenses or surgery.
This option can be used for people who already wear contact lenses and aren’t bothered by reading glasses.
This is the most permanent of treatment options, and because of that, it’s not often recommended for people with no vision problems other than presbyopia.
Multifocal contact lenses are another common way to correct presbyopia. Monovision and multifocals can both provide clear vision near and far for many people, but in one study, when given the choice, 76% of new contact lenses wearers preferred multifocal lenses. Ultimately, the only person that can decide which is better for you is your eye doctor.
Consult your eye care professional for more information. Johnson & Johnson does not provide medical advice; this information is for educational purposes only.
*Free trial contact lenses available only from participating eye care professionals. Exam and fitting fees not included.
Important Information For Contact Lens Wearers: ACUVUE Contact Lenses are available by prescription only for vision correction. An eye care professional will determine whether contact lenses are right for you. Although rare, serious eye problems can develop while wearing contact lenses. To help avoid these problems, follow the wear and replacement schedule and the lens care instructions provided by your eye doctor. Do not wear contact lenses if you have an eye infection, or experience eye discomfort, excessive tearing, vision changes, redness or other eye problems. If one of these conditions occurs, remove the lens and contact your eye doctor immediately. For more information on proper wear, care and safety, talk to your eye care professional, call 1-800-843-2020, or download the Patient Instruction Guides.
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