Presbyopia: Which glasses for which uses?

From the age of 45 on average, everyone experiences increasing difficulty in seeing up close: this is presbyopia . The easiest way to correct it is to wear progressive lenses that allow you to see well at all distances and in all circumstances. But for some activities, it may be worth investing in a complementary pair, designed for specific needs. Explanations.

All forties know this growing discomfort to see up close, which results from aging of the lens. To compensate for this difficulty, which is called presbyopia , several choices are possible. Most presbyopics (around two-thirds, mostly nearsighted or astigmatic people who are already used to glasses) opt for progressive lenses. Their advantage? They bring together, on the same surface, all the corrections necessary to see well in all circumstances. Since their creation at the end of the 1950s by an Essilor engineer, considerable progress has been made and few carriers still encounter real adaptation problems. Yet some are not entirely satisfied, despite these technological advances.

Finely assessing your needs
” An optical system always requires a compromise. And there can be no compromise that can actually satisfy everyone ,” says Daniel Lichtman, president of Essor, a lens manufacturer.which launched a new lens called “adaptive” aimed at all those who are not satisfied with classic progressive lenses, due to very specific needs. The number of people who are still dissatisfied with progressive lenses remains a minority. The fact remains that for certain professions (doctors, dentists, etc.) or activities (playing a musical instrument, sport, computer, for example), the progressive generates disappointments.
To remedy this, lens manufacturers have been developing personalized lenses for a few years, which incorporate measures and elements specific to each wearer. But more and more, they also offer glasses specifically adapted to an activity, whether it is working on a screen, sport, driving , etc. The principle is simple: it is simply a question of evaluating your real needs with the optician and of having the equipment that you use in a specific context. For example, if, like the vast majority of French people, you spend more than four hours in front of a computer screen, you need a progressive lens with excellent near vision and very good intermediate vision. On the other hand, if you drive a lot, you should have excellent distance and intermediate views.
“It is quite profitable for spectacle wearers to combine a universal progressive which allows them to see well at any distance and, in addition, a second pair of glasses which they use for a specific activity. Carriers understand this well on condition that this second piece of equipment is of high quality and corresponds exactly to their needs ” , explains Frédérique Laville-Leroy, Marketing Director of Essilor, who has just launched a communication campaign on this subject in the stores of optics (“Do you play sports with your dress shoes? What about your glasses?”) It is therefore essential to think carefully about the use you make of your glasses to really regain your ability to see well in all circumstances. “Rather than talking about adapting the wearer to the progressive lens, we have to turn the formula around and offer each customer, according to their needs, progressives that adapt to them “, concludes Daniel Lichtman.

 

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