Adjusting to monovision contact lenses can be difficult

Monovision is a type of lens correction for presbyopia, which is a common eye condition that affects most people as they age. Symptoms of presbyopia include the decreased ability to focus on near objects, eyestrain and headaches. An obvious symptom of presbyopia is having to hold your reading material at arm's length in order to read it. In monovision, one eye is given a distance prescription and the other is given a near vision prescription. Over time, usually within six to eight weeks, the brain learns to favor one eye or the other for different tasks, depending on the vision range needed. Monovision can be achieved with contact lenses, refractive surgery or intraocular lenses. When lenses are the choice of treatment, adjusting to monovision contacts may take a little time.

Learning to use monovision contacts

Some people successfully use monovision, while others find adapting a bit more difficult. Problems with adapting include:

• slightly blurred vision
  
• dizziness
  
• headaches
  
• feeling off-balance
  

These symptoms can last for a few minutes or off-and-on for a few weeks, depending on how quickly you adapt. In general, the longer these types of symptoms last, the more unlikely it is that you will successfully adapt to using the contact lenses. For those who don't successfully adapt, there are other treatment options, including refractive surgery or intraocular lenses. Fortunately, nearly two-thirds of patients will adapt to some form of monovision correction.

For more information about monovision or products used in monovision, see our product menu at right.

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