Ask the Optician: For the full spec on eyewear from Marbella specialists

Nerea Galdos, Store Director from Specsavers Opticas Marbella

We’ve been asked to go back to basics for this month’s column by someone who thinks they may need glasses but doesn’t know what the options are!

What are single vision lenses?

These are lenses which have a single prescription over the whole lens. If you only use glasses for driving or reading, you might be prescribed these.

What are multifocal lenses?

As their names suggest, multifocal lenses enable you to have more than one prescription built into the lens so that you only need one pair of glasses for multiple uses. There are several kinds including bifocal lenses, trifocal lenses and varifocal or progressive lenses.

What are bifocal lenses?

This type of multifocal lens has two prescriptions – one for distance at the top, and one for near vision at the bottom – with a visible dividing line or curve on the lens. There are four types of bifocal: D Segment, Executive, Round Segment and C Segment; your optician will prescribe one of these shapes, depending on your lifestyle and visual needs.

What are trifocal lenses?

These multifocal spectacle lenses correct all three working distances and, like bifocal lenses, have visible lines that separate the three segments.

What are varifocal lenses?

These are multifocal lenses that correct vision at different working distances, from reading distance to long distance. Unlike bifocals, they feature a gradual change in prescription with no visible lines separating the segments, so they look just the same as single vision lenses. The distance vision part of the lens is usually in front of the pupil, with the near vision part in the lower section of the lenses. If you’ve been wearing single vision lenses, it might take some time to adjust to wearing them.

To sum up

Don’t worry about what type of glasses you need, simply book an eye test and let our highly trained optometrists test your vision and ask you questions about your lifestyle to determine the best kind of glasses for you. Advanced eye tests at Specsavers Opticas are FREE in January. To find your nearest store visit www.specsavers.es