Wait... what’s a multifocal contact lens?
Teaching yoga part-time, I see other teachers put on glasses to look at their class notes, then take them off again for a stretch. This says to me that optical practices aren’t letting enough people know about multifocal contact lenses, even though presbyopia is a natural part of time passing and will affect most of us. When we notice changes in prescription and a patient’s proximity to presbyopia, therein lies the opportunity to open the dialogue early. If we don’t, the patient may settle for less-than-optimal solutions.
I know someone who didn’t get on with their multifocal contact lenses
My passion is to get patients to try out the lenses for themselves and share their experience, rather than relying solely on the testimony of loved ones. Often, they are amazed with the quality of vision and freedom they provide. It’s a rewarding feeling to see how much patients can love their lenses. One of our duties is to inspire and support our patients to make that informed choice.
How will this meet my needs?
I get such joy out of blending contact lens science to the individual needs of the patient, accounting for their prescription, lifestyle needs, environment and ocular health. It’s empowering to be proficient in what we’re fitting and an expert on our patients’ needs. it saves patient and practitioner time in the long run, leading to loyalty and growth as patients become advocates and recommend you to other presbyopes. Going on that presbyopic journey with your patient grows confidence in your skills as a practitioner, plus personal satisfaction in making a difference to the patient’s vision and wellbeing.
Are they just like varifocal glasses?
There have been many technological advances in multifocal contact lenses; the optics are complex, but communication doesn’t have to be. Using an analogy can simplify this, eg when looking out through a rainy window, you can choose to focus on the raindrops on the windowpane, or past the raindrops into the distance. Considering the vision through a multifocal, the patient’s eyes are looking through a blend of prescriptions and their brain will choose which visual plane to focus on – the alternative with varifocal glasses is to nod their head to adjust vision. With illustrative examples such as these, we allow the patient to see the potential and convenience multifocal contact lenses can offer.
I’m wearing my lenses less frequently now because they are less comfortable
We aim to give our patients the best quality of vision, but if the tear film is compromised, that’s going to impact their vision. In addition to educating on presbyopia, practitioners can assess any underlying dry eye problem and resolve that. If overlooked, the lens-wearing experience is likely to be adversely affected. We can then communicate the benefits that an alternative contact lens with different material properties may provide and refit the patient with something that integrates better with their tear film to provide longer wear time, and optimised comfort and vision.
But it’s inevitable, right? Isn’t it just my age?
Address the patient’s resignation and remind them of their original motivation for starting contact lenses, perhaps the freedom it afforded them when they first started wearing them. Even if their lifestyle has changed, you can always find ways to get creative; patients love talking about their upcoming holidays, so ask about them. They might have packed a suitcase with both varifocals and varifocal sunglasses. It’s worth asking the patient: ‘Why don’t you try multifocal contact lenses for your holiday? That way you can simply put sunglasses on top of them.’ Holidays involve a lot of dynamic activities, with focus constantly shifting to observe details near and far. Once a patient starts wearing multifocals on their holiday and sees the benefit, they’ll want to wear them more in their day-to-day.
If I can’t wear contact lenses all the time, I might just go back to wearing glasses
It still doesn’t have to be either/or. Multifocal contact lenses work well alongside varifocal glasses, allowing patients to mix and match to meet their needs. Here’s another parallel: ‘Do you wear the same pair of shoes for all your activities?’ Having different solutions available can help fulfil different requirements. In partnership with patients and understanding their needs, aim to give them 80% of their day, spectacle-free. It’s not all or nothing and patients will appreciate the freedom to choose.
- Neelam Patel is a professional affairs consultant at Johnson & Johnson
