Dr Michael Lange says you can Simplify and Improve your quality of life with Progressive lenses
Written by Dr Michael Lange on April 27, 2020
Dr Michael Lange has been involved in eye care since 1986 and has seen an amazing transformation in the evolution of progressive lens technology. The Lange Eye Institute in The Villages Florida has a large optical with variety of frames and progressive lens designs. The Institute also has a state of the art optical lab on site with 4 opticians on staff to help with frame and lens choices.
Around the age of 40 everyone looses their ability to focus up close . This is called Presbyopia. This is when the human crystalen lens looses is elasticity and its ability to focus up close.
Many people will notice that their arms just aren’t long enough anymore and they must constantly push things further away to see them. There are many optical options to correct for this normal age related condition called presbyopia. Many people will elect to go with reading glasses that enables them to see at one set distance at near only and things will be very blurry at far.
The other option is to go with a bifocal that allows near vision and far vision. Bifocals will have a dead zone in the intermediate range and there is a noticeable line between the far and near prescription. Bifocal wearers will also notice a dramatic image jump when going from far to near and can make going up and down steps dangerous.
The third option is to go to a trifocal. A trifocal has distance, intermediate and near in one lens with two noticeable lines demarcating the different powers. Trifocals are more difficult to adapt to than bifocals and are also very difficult to go up and down steps.
The fourth and by far best option is Progressive lenses. Dr Michael Lange says that 95% of people purchase new generation progressive lenses today vs the other options. Progressive lenses are an invisible no line multifocal with a prescription that allows you to see clearly in the distance as well as up close and everywhere in between. Progressive lenses do not have any ugly lines and there is a smooth transition from distance to near. Earlier progressive lenses had a very narrow corridor of vision and quite a few optical aberrations and distortions throughout the lenses and were very difficult to adapt to.
Today with the vast technological advancements your optometrist or optician can take much more accurate measurements and the labs can produce lenses with much wider corridors and virtually no optical aberrations or distortions. The biggest technological advancement in progressive lenses is the new digital free form progressive lenses. With this new technology lenses can be fit into much smaller frames and be more customized for an individuals particular visual needs.
These new generation progressive lenses have a very natural feel and are very easy to adapt to. These new lens designs allow you to see clearly from far to near with no dead spots in between. Many opticals still sell the old lens technology and hide behind a reputable name brand when making the progressive lens sale.
When shopping for a progressive lens do not be concerned about the brand just make sure you get a digital free form progressive lens design. These lens designs come in good, better and best designs and if you can afford to go to the best design it is well worth it. Each level usually comes at a higher cost but you also get a wider corridor in the higher level progressive lens that improves visual performance.
With a new generation premium progressive lens your life will be simplified since you will have one pair of glasses that allows you to do all your daily duties with crystal clear vision at all ranges. There are a few additional options you can get with your progressive lens. Dr Michael Lange recommends getting the anti glare coating and blue light filtering lens. Anti glare will reduce eye strain when working on the computer and improve night vision dramatically.
Blue light filter will filter the harmful blue light from all digital apps you come in contact with as well as filtering the blue light from any main made light source and the sun. The chronic exposure to this blue light has been correlated with macular degeneration. Dr Lange recommends Blue Light Defense Progressive lenses or Blue Light Shield progressive lenses. These are premium progressive lenses that both come with a thinner and lighter material, anti glare coating, scratch coating and blue filtering technology in the lens monomer not a coating.
These new generation blue filtering lenses are clear unlike the competitors that have a cosmetically unappealing yellow or purplish color to the lens. Transition lenses are also another valuable lens option. Transition lenses will get dark when out doors protecting your eyes from the harmful uv radiation and turn back to clear when indoors or at night time. With each additional lens option you will pay an additional fee, so be prepared to spend a little more money when you are shopping for the best lens technology available.
Progressive lenses are an investment in improving your quality of life.