The optical optometrist and Alain Afflelou training delegate, Beatriz Simón, has highlighted that "two people with a similar prescription may need very different progressive lenses", since the choice must take into account age, prior experience with glasses, the type of work, daily routines, and the specific visual demands of each person.
Progressive lenses are designed to compensate, in a single pair of glasses, for distance, intermediate, and near vision. They are a widely used alternative to presbyopia or tired eye, a physiological change in vision that usually appears from the age of 40 or 45 and that can complicate activities as common as reading, using the computer, or alternating one’s gaze between a screen and the road.
Simón has explained that the prescription is only the starting point for choosing suitable progressive lenses, since these lenses can incorporate different designs, with different distributions of the vision zones and various levels of personalization.
Thus, those who spend a good part of the day in front of a computer need an especially comfortable intermediate band; people who regularly drive may prefer a wider distance field of view; and those who combine reading, intensive screen use, and movement need a versatile option that adapts to that daily pace.
In addition, everyday gestures that are often overlooked come into play, such as frequently consulting the mobile phone, cooking by following a recipe, checking the dashboard while driving, reading labels in the supermarket, or continuously changing the gaze between a face-to-face conversation and a screen.
For this reason, Simón has insisted on the importance of explaining during the eye test what the daily routine is like and in which situations the greatest visual fatigue or discomfort is noticed.
Taking measurements and choosing the frame
Along with these elements, it is essential to take precise measurements, since the interpupillary distance, the size and shape of the frame, its inclination, the curvature, or the distance between the eye and the lens condition the performance of progressive lenses. In this context, the aesthetic choice of the frame must be supervised by a professional to ensure a correct fit.
The optician-optometrist has pointed out that the fear of not managing to adapt continues to be a barrier for many people when deciding on progressive lenses. However, he has indicated that, during the first few days, it is normal to notice a slight sensation of lateral movement, some distortion in the periphery of the visual field, or the need to move the head more to find the sharp area—perceptions that usually decrease with use.
Among the guidelines to favor adaptation, Simón has recommended wearing the glasses continuously, adopting an ergonomic posture in front of the computer, placing the screen at a correct height, and accompanying the direction of the object you want to focus on with a gentle head movement. As for going down stairs or driving, he has suggested that, at first, extra attention be taken and known routes be chosen.