Hello Everyone,
I often get asked about the “right” time to start wearing spectacles, and my advice to my patients is to delay correcting reading or close work vision as long as possible. That’s because once you start wearing spectacles or contact lenses, there is no going back.
If, however, you can no longer put off the inevitable, then I have some suggestions.
My own first pair of corrected spectacles was the “Home Office” by Nikon, and then I got a second pair, the Varilux S, by Essilor.
What’s the difference between these two types of multi-focus lenses?
Nikon Home Office. The Nikon Home Office is an Extended Focus Lens design, with three levels, that should be used when you are indoors needing to focus at both near and mid-distance for long hours. For example, this might be working at a computer, or any other activity that is at arms length.
This product is great for the office and home environments, heavy users of technology, and those who are starting to lose near visual acuity.
For me, the Home Office gives me the ability to use the top 10% of the lens for distance use, such as engaging with patients, while the next 45% of the lens is for focusing on my desktop/laptop (70cm). The lowest 45% portion of the lens is for my near/reading work (40cm). Both Tom and I use this spectacle in the practice daily as our first lens of choice.
Essilor Varilux S. The Varilux S is a multifocal/progressive lens, which provides stable vision during movement and wide fields of clear vision.
This lens has a 30% split equally between distance, intermediate and near vision. Both Tom and I use this type of lens away from work where we can increase our distance visual acuities. Maureen uses this type of lens at work and has done so for quite a few years.