What is Monovision?
As we mature, the natural lens in our eyes firms and loses it’s flexibility, decreasing it’s ability to keep it’s shape for different ranges of focus. This normal condition is known as prebyopia. Monovision is an effective alternative to reading glasses for some patients that are experiencing the effects of presbyopia, and can be achieved through contact lenses or through refractive surgery.
How Does It Work?
A persons dominant eye, which can be determined upon examination, is corrected for distance vision, while their non-dominant eye is corrected for near vision. The brain is able to make these changes automatically, without any conscious effort or awareness. Monovision makes it possible to repeatedly change the range of focus, without having to constantly remove or add corrective lenses. As with many things, there are some disadvantages to monovision. People with monovision may have some degree of decreased depth perception without corrective lenses, although this is reported less often than you would think. They may also notice blurred vision in the “near” eye when glancing in the side mirror of their cars or when an object blocks vision in the “distance” eye. Some people with monovision elect to wear corrective lenses for detail activities such as night driving or prolonged reading, so that both eyes are then in simultaneous focus. These corrections, however, are usually necessary only occasionally, and much less frequently than reading glasses would be otherwise.
Is Monovision Right For Me?
If you answer “yes” to two or more of the following questions, it may be an option for you!
- Would it bother me to wear reading glasses and carry them wherever I go as I mature?
- Does my lifestyle permit a slight impairment of depth perception for some activities?
- When I require reading glasses, would I need to wear them most of the time?
- Could I adapt to one eye being slightly out of focus for distances unless thin glasses are worn?
To schedule an appointment, please call our office at 713-526-1600 or schedule online.