Multifocal Contacts

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kyleb

Final Approach
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Drake the Outlaw
At my recent eye exam, I spoke with the Doc regarding my presbyopia - my diminishing ability to focus up close, particularly when wearing my contacts or glasses, which correct my distant vision.

This is a typical problem for someone my age.

Anyway, the Doc suggested multifocal contacts which have concentric rings with varying levels of correction for close, medium, and distant viewing. Your brain is supposed to process the varying levels of focus and choose the appropriate bits of information to stitch together for an in-focus image.

Yeah, right...

But I tried the trial lenses anyway. And they work darned well. My distant vision is as good as it ever was (corrected) and I don't need cheater glasses to read a novel anymore.

The brand/product I'm using is Ciba's "Air Optix Multifocal". Highly recommended.
 
I am test driving a pair right now, not sure which brand. My distant and middle vision is great, my near vision is ....meh........gotta have good light, low light=can't read.
 
I have one thrid class airman who uses them. But on the ATPs they generally can't get the fine hi vision required for Class 1. The fresnel maps are not quite fine enough.
 
I've been using Multi focal contacts for almost two years. They do have some limitations as I was told by my eye doc, and as I have experienced. He mentioned up to a 10% deficiency in some areas, not always perfect.

I've found that they are not that good for chart reading on night flights. Need a bright light on the approach plate. Not so good for newsprint in the easy chair at the end of the day. Yes I can read the newsprint, but it's not easy.

I'll use my multifocal contacts for day VFR with the Pawnee or glider. But, night or IFR I plan to have my no line bifocals handy.
 
Thanks to everyone who's posted - I'm going to be making a similar decision at my next eye exam, and I think I'll choose bifocals.
 
Do they require a special prescription beyond typical glasses and contacts script?
 
Goofy said:
Do they require a special prescription beyond typical glasses and contacts script?
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No. The prescription is the prescription. The problem is doing the math to design the lens, especially if it includes a spherical correction for astigmatism as well as a cylindrical correction for myopia/presbyopia.
 
I've got them and they're okay, but not great. While I still test as okay, I don't feel that they're quite as clear as I'd like on either distant or near, so I may go back to normal contacts with a pair of cheaters for near. I like contacts so that I don't need both regular glasses and prescription sunglasses (and Sheyden flipups for flying).
 
TMetzinger said:
Thanks to everyone who's posted - I'm going to be making a similar decision at my next eye exam, and I think I'll choose bifocals.
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Usually, the eye doc will give you a sample set of contacts. You might try the multifocals - wouldn't cost you anything except a little time.
 
I go back next Monday for my two week check. I'm gonna ask if he can dial in the near vision any. If so, then these will work. If not, they will work part time.
 
I use the bifocal contacts while flying, and they work fine.
 
Ron, you got it reversed. Spherical correction is for near/far correction, while the cylinder is for astigmatism.
 
TMetzinger said:
Thanks to everyone who's posted - I'm going to be making a similar decision at my next eye exam, and I think I'll choose bifocals.
Click to expand...
Tim there are at least two contact lens options for presbyopia. One is similar to bifocal lenses in glasses and with those the lens has to shift position on your cornea when switching between near and far correction. Multifocal contacts, OTOH, generate two images on the retina at the same time, one focused at reading distance (adjustable in the prescription) and the other at infinity. With those you don't need to tilt your head to change focus. The downside is that since both images are always present one can interfere with the other. Multifocals are what I wear and I've not had any difficulties with flying but driving at night (especially when tired) I see "halos" and other patterns around tail lights and streetlights that are a bit distracting until you get used to ignoring them.

If by "bifocals" you meant bifocal glasses, nevermind.
 
I was fitted with a pair yesterday. Dr says distant vision is still corrected to 20/20, but since I have been used to better than 20/20 for years the difference driving is noticeable; can't read road signs far away like before. ill have to take her word for it that it is 20/20 still.

Near vision is much better tho. I can sit with ipad in my lap and type this without reading glasses tonight, something I could not do 36 hrs ago. My hope is no glasses needed in the cockpit. Plane is in annual so won't be able to check the panel view for a week or two.

Any more PIREPs on night vision, either driving or flying? Dr also warned me to watch out for them drying out in flight. Anyone experience this? My longest legs are 3-3.5 hrs. VFR only.
 
When I was flying with contacts, othes had problems with dryness, but I did not. I flew with contacts for almost 10yrs in the AF.

I posted last year about flying the the Multi focal contacts. As I've gotten older I noticed more and more that I was missing that 10% acuity the eye doc mentioned. Late in the day I had problems with the newspaper and fine print on television commercials. Watching student glider pilots outside the traffic pattern from the ground, I was having more problems picking them out.

Sure, in the eye docs office with all the bright lights, I still checked out at 20/20 at all ranges. But it I felt I was missing something or working to hard, and still had dark cockpit chart reading issues. So last winter I gave up on all contacts and just use my line less bifocals.

Price we pay for getting older. But I just passed my Class II medical last week,again. Vision, BP, hearing, the works.
 
mikeinbama said:
I am test driving a pair right now, not sure which brand. My distant and middle vision is great, my near vision is ....meh........gotta have good light, low light=can't read.
Click to expand...
This is my problem with multifocal contacts. My un-aided eyes are perfect for reading a book, but for some reason I just can't seem to get a multi-focal contact that works for distance, middle and near. After several tries, I decided they just weren't for me. :nonod:
 
gismo said:
Multifocals are what I wear and I've not had any difficulties with flying but driving at night (especially when tired) I see "halos" and other patterns around tail lights and streetlights that are a bit distracting until you get used to ignoring them.
Click to expand...

My experience with mulitfocals is very similar to this. Day distance clarity is down 10-15%, but I still pass 20/20. Mids are fine, and of course close is much better. I no longer need readers in the cockpit to read checklists, charts, etc.

I also get the night halo issue around headlights, and it is distracting and it does degrade vision. For local driving I just put up with the issue, for long night driving (or flying) I switch to bifocal glasses.

I commute by motorcycle almost every day, and glasses are a pain. If it weren't for glasses/helmet issues, I'd just go bifocals.
 
I've been wearing multifocal contacts for about 7 years. Since I also have an astigmatic correction in addition to a myopic correction, my lenses are rather unusual. I have some trouble with double images, particularly at night -- like two sets of PAPI's, each clear and clean, but offset just a bit from each other. In addition, while I test 20/20 both near and distant with them, my vision isn't as crisp as I'd like for flying. I tried flying with them for a long time, but switched back to single vision distant correction contacts plus reading glasses for flying, while wearing the multifocals on non-flying days.
 
Rigged4Flight said:
I'm too chicken to try it. You first! :redface:
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Ron Levy said:
Me, too.
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Yeah. An MD friend of mine had some type of corrective surgery, and it went bad.
With glasses she has to hold things three inches from her eyes to read, and her distance vision and night vision are crap.

I know the success rate is extremely high (in the well over 99% range), but the uncorrectable consequences of a bad outcome is more risk than I am willing to absorb.
 
The biggest practitioner in the city of Lasik.....wears glasses. That should tell you something.
 
So,let me make sure I understand correct.

With a third class medical I can fly with contact lenses? That's not what I understood from my instructor, but I may misunderstood.

Please confirm! It's ok to fly with contact lenses.

Thank you.
 
DaytonaLynn said:
Please confirm! It's ok to fly with contact lenses.
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I can't cite chapter and verse, but have always worn contacts to my exam, always told dr, and dr always puts restriction that I have to wear corrective lenses on my medical. First time was 1986.
 
I think they're nothing short of a miracle. Worked great for me, although I eventually tired of dealing with contacts especially on long days with tired eyes, so have settled back into glasses, which work just fine for me.
 
DaytonaLynn said:
So,let me make sure I understand correct.

With a third class medical I can fly with contact lenses? That's not what I understood from my instructor, but I may misunderstood.

Please confirm! It's ok to fly with contact lenses.

Thank you.
Click to expand...

What does the restriction on your medical say, and did you check the contact lense box on your last medical application?

Some restrictions may say "must wear glasses", some may say "must wear contact lenses", mine used to say, "must wear corrective lenses" which gave me the option to swap between the two.
 
bbchien said:
The biggest practitioner in the city of Lasik.....wears glasses. That should tell you something.
Click to expand...

It could be he's like the barber with a bad haircut. All the other barbers go to him because he's the best, but he has to settle for going to the other guys that aren't quite so good.

:p
 
Ron Levy said:
I have some trouble with double images, particularly at night -- like two sets of PAPI's, each clear and clean, but offset just a bit from each other.
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The real problem comes when one set show two red and the other three red. :eek: Ruh-roh!!

-Skip
 
Ron Levy said:
No. The prescription is the prescription. The problem is doing the math to design the lens, especially if it includes a spherical correction for astigmatism as well as a cylindrical correction for myopia/presbyopia.
Click to expand...

You said that backwards. Cylindrical corrects astigmatism. The Spherical is the general correction.
 
BillTIZ said:
What does the restriction on your medical say, and did you check the contact lense box on your last medical application?

Some restrictions may say "must wear glasses", some may say "must wear contact lenses", mine used to say, "must wear corrective lenses" which gave me the option to swap between the two.
Click to expand...


I'll check medical tonight,
What would be on my box of contacts that I should know about?


Thanks
 
DaytonaLynn said:
I'll check medical tonight,
What would be on my box of contacts that I should know about?
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IIRC, the AME guide says for them to write "corrective lenses" on the medicals -- not contacts, not glasses (other than when reading glasses are required along with DVA contacts). Contacts are indeed "corrective lenses" and so meet the restriction as it should be written. See http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org...m/ame/guide/app_process/exam_tech/item50/amd/ for details.
 
No distinction is made between eyeglasses and contacts. However, each eye must be corrected equally, none of this one for near and one for far stuff.
 
bbchien said:
No distinction is made between eyeglasses and contacts. However, each eye must be corrected equally, none of this one for near and one for far stuff.
Click to expand...
Hence, multifocal contacts which allow you to pass the eye tests both near and distant on each eye individually (like mine, even though I do not normally fly with them any more) are allowable, but monovision contacts which correct one eye for near and the other eye for distant are not.

That said, it is interesting to note in this context that monovision eye surgery is allowable -- Bruce can explain why.
 
Ron Levy said:
Hence, multifocal contacts which allow you to pass the eye tests both near and distant on each eye individually (like mine, even though I do not normally fly with them any more) are allowable, but monovision contacts which correct one eye for near and the other eye for distant are not.

That said, it is interesting to note in this context that monovision eye surgery is allowable -- Bruce can explain why.
Click to expand...
That's because monovision contacts are in sometimes and out sometimes and the brain gets confused as to depth cues. But 90 days after it's burned in, provided your brain can adapt, the cue- taking is pretty reliable and that's why there is a mandatory 90 day after monovision lasik down period.

Now the difficulty for pilots is, there isn't a reputable eye surgeon who would just go and burn it in. He would give you contacts to wear for 3 months, yes, the precisely prohibited arrangement, to make sure you CAN adapt to the one-for-near and one-for-far setup.

So you're down SIX months.
 

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Sounds like another good reason not to let people cut into your eyeballs if it isn't essential to having satisfactory vision.
 
Thanks so much, I have been flying three years under the assumption that I had to wear my glasses.
In deed my medical says corrective lenses.

I do wear the multi focal. I like them a lot. Cant wait to fly with them now.
 
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