How To Use Your Bifocals Correctly

Bifocals are two prescriptions in one pair of glasses for the purpose of vision correction. Bifocals are usually prescribed for people over age 40, whose focusing ability has declined because of vision changes that come with age, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Bifocals eliminate the need to have both distance glasses and reading glasses.

Steps

Step 1

Position the bifocals on your face. The glasses should sit high on your nose. "You should not have to slip the glasses up or down on your nose in order to see properly," says Karen Bergfeld, an optician in St. Louis and spokesperson for the American Optometric Association. The nose pad should feel comfortable and the section that goes behind your ears should not feel too tight.

Step 2

Find the segment for close-up vision correction. This segment of your bifocals may be the entire bottom half of the lens, called the Benjamin Franklin or executive style, or a different shape. As of 2010, close-up vision segments come in a variety of shapes, including half-moon, round, and narrow rectangle, as well as "no-line bifocals" with no visible line due to a technique that polishes it away. Locating the close-up vision correction area of your bifocals now will make it easier to use your glasses for both reading and distance.

Step 3

Check your distance vision. Look straight ahead through the part of the lens that does not have the close-up vision segment. This may be the entire top half of the lens. Focus on something about 20 feet ahead. Then look further in the distance. You should be able to see even far-off objects clearly. This is the portion of the lens you will use for driving.

Step 4

Check your close-up vision. Place a book or reading material about 18 inches away. Look down and focus on the words. This should be fairly easy since you've already located the vision correction segment for close-up vision. If the words look clear, your bifocals are the right strength and are sitting correctly on your face.

Step 5

Move your eyes from side to side. Do this as you are reading each line of the reading material to test your close-up vision. This will ensure that there are no waves or prisms that could make you dizzy or create blind spots.

Step 6

See your optician if necessary. Your optician will be able to adjust your bifocals so they are comfortable and afford optimum vision correction. Your optician can also review the proper way to use your bifocals if you're having problems.

Tips and Warnings

Some people adjust to wearing bifocals within a few days, but it may take several weeks. The more you wear your bifocals, the faster you will adjust. The American Optometric Association advises wearing your bifocals all the time during the first few weeks to cut the adjustment period to a minimum. Clean your glasses with water or a lens-cleaner made specifically for glasses, and a non-lint cloth to keep them spot free and prevent distorted vision. Store them in a dry place and away from potential damage. Bifocals prescriptions are typically good for one year. You should see your opthamologist annually, even if can still see clearly with your bifocals, to check the health of your eyes and to test for any vision changes, says Bergman.
Walking down stairs may be difficult at first while wearing your bifocals because peering through the close-up segment magnifies things, making the stairs look closer than they actually are, according to the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. This could cause you to trip or fall. You may need to hold your head a different way than before when walking down stairs in order to look through the distance portion of your bifocals.