Also available are disposable lenses, which can be discarded at the end of the day or at the end of the week. Ask your doctor which is right for you, considering both convenience and the health of your eyes. Disposable lenses are often more comfortable for people with dry or sensitive eyes, says Dr. Pier. If you have been hit by presbyopia, you can probably get by with simple magnifying glasses for close work if your vision is otherwise good, says Stephen Kamenetsky, M.D., associate clinical professor of ophthalmology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. If you already wear glasses or contact lenses, you'll have to switch to bifocals, in which the bottom part of the lens is used for close work and the upper part for distance vision.
Bifocal contacts come in both soft and gas-permeable varieties.
Monovision works best in early presbyopia, when the difference in close and distance vision isn't very great, says Dr. Pier. Like bifocals, monovision lenses require an adjustment period, usually four to six weeks. How well you see is largely due to your genes. But protecting your eyes from flying debris, sharp objects, dangerous chemicals and infections is definitely in your hands. About a million Americans suffer eye injuries every year, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.