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Can bifocals also help children and teens?
Bifocals are most often prescribed for patients over age 40. But it is not uncommon for doctors of optometry to prescribe bifocals for children and teens to provide the best solution to a youngster's vision problem.
What are some specific reasons that children and teens need bifocals?
Bifocals are prescribed for younger people to correct poor visual acuity (clearness of vision) at various distances. A common use is for nearsighted people who need a stronger prescription to see clearly at a distance than they require up close. They are sometimes recommended to reduce the amount of stress placed on the eyes during close work. They may also be prescribed to help a child focus and aim the eyes more effectively. Some children may show signs of strabismus (crossed eyes) when looking at very close objects. In this instance, bifocals may be used to help the eyes learn to aim correctly.
Aren't bifocals for children a sign of bad eyesight?
A child's need for bifocals does not necessarily mean very poor eyesight. Rather, it means that the child was fortunate enough to have a comprehensive vision examination of his or her overall vision needs and that bifocals can be prescribed to provide the proper correction for both near and distance vision in a convenient way, if needed.
What types of bifocals are available for a child?
A bifocal lens generally consists of two vision correcting segments in one lens and the shape and size of each can vary widely. Some have very small near vision segments while others are split in the middle containing equal portions of each correction. There are some types of bifocals that gradually change in power from the distance vision segment to the near vision segment, eliminating the telltale line in the middle. These are known as progressive addition lenses. A doctor of optometry will review a child's specific needs and recommend the type of bifocals that will best meet those needs. Since there are quite a number of factors involved in wearing bifocals, it is best to follow the doctor's advice.
Will a child have difficulty adapting to bifocals?
With proper encouragement from parents, a child should adapt to wearing bifocals quite easily. Actually, children and teens generally have fewer problems than adults in adapting to bifocals.
How long will they have to be worn?
Depending on the child's vision condition, the need for bifocals can sometimes be eliminated. If the bifocals are prescribed to help a child focus and aim his or her eyes correctly, they may not be needed if these skills improve as the child grows older. If the child needs the bifocals to correct visual acuity, however, they may have to be worn indefinitely.
How will bifocals affect a child's lifestyle?
Once the child has adapted to wearing bifocals, they should not significantly affect his or her lifestyle at all. The child's interest in school, sports and other activities may even improve because of his or her ability to see better and easier than before.
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