ANNOUNCER: Glasses are probably the simplest way to easily read your newspaper.
PENNY ASBELL, MD: Everybody ends up needing reading glasses. This is universal. That's why they now sell reading glasses in the drugstore. Those work fine for many people.
ANNOUNCER: Getting used to glasses means keeping track of them. Some people choose to solve that problem by wearing glasses full time. Lenses can be divided to correct near, far and in-between. And for those who don't need help with distance, lenses can be clear on the top.
PENNY ASBELL, MD: There are glasses that have a different power on the top for distance, and the bottom power has reading power. Bifocals are usually the ones that you actually can see the line in them.
ANNOUNCER: "Progressives" are an update on the traditional bifocal.
PENNY ASBELL, MD: They look like normal glasses, but they actually have different powers to give you good distance vision and good reading vision all with one pair of glasses.
ANNOUNCER: Another option sounds a little lopsided, but actually works fairly well. In people who need help only with reading can wear just one contact lens. The brain miraculously makes the necessary adjustments to see everything else properly.
This system, called "monovision," works for people who also have problems with distance. Here two contact lenses are in order.
