Correcting faulty vision

Editor’s Note: [This is the second column in a series about vision correction.]

There are three basic ways to correct faulty vision: eyeglasses, contact lenses or surgery. In this column, we’ll cover eyeglasses.

• Eyeglasses correct the following vision problems:

• Nearsightedness (myopia), which blurs distant objects.

• Farsightedness (hyperopia), which blurs near vision.

• Astigmatism is caused by an uneven curvature of the eye’s surface that produces abnormal focus.

• Presbyopia is a natural condition of aging that makes it more difficult to focus on near objects.

• Corrective eyeglasses come in several different forms:

Bifocals have a correction for seeing up close on the bottom half of the lenses and another for seeing at a distance on the top. There are lines between the lenses.

Trifocals have lenses with corrections for distance, intermediate vision, and up close. More lines between lenses.

Progressive lenses have a smooth transition between corrections for distance and up close. There are no visible dividing lines.

Single vision lenses are designed to correct just distance vision.

Readers are for people who need only better up-close focusing.

There is a type of eyeglasses that was introduced in 2009. They are called Superfocus. I bought a pair of these eyeglasses. Mine cost $800. I got a 30-day free trial.

Superfocus glasses seemed to be the answer I had been looking for since I started wearing glasses almost 50 years ago.

I have worn single vision, bifocals, progressives and contact lenses. All of them had disadvantages. The Superfocus has its own downsides.

A pair of Superfocuses has four lenses with no lines. There are two flexible lenses within the frame. And there are two rigid lenses that are made to your prescription. These hard lenses are held onto the outside of the flexible lenses by magnets.

You move a small slider on the bridge of the frame to focus the flexible lenses. When the slider is far left, you are focusing on distant objects. When the slider is far right, you are focusing up close. The middle setting is perfect for working on a computer and other objects in the middle distance.

You can fine-tune your focusing by moving the slider between the three basic settings. Putting the slider half way between the far and middle settings works for most situations.

When you drive, you push the slider far left and then bring it back right just a smidge; this setting lets you view both road signs and your instrument panel.

Superfocus eyeglasses have none of the disadvantages of other corrective devices I’ve worn. My vision with them was superior. Here are the problems that, eventually, I was unwilling to live with:

• You have to refocus quite often. I tried watching a baseball game on TV while reading a newspaper. Annoying.

• You must be careful to avoid picking up the Superfocuses by the lenses. The outside lenses will pop off and fall. I’ve had a few heart-stopping accidents before learning to use the frames to pick up the glasses.

• When you want to clean the glasses, you can do the job normally. However, there are many times when moisture and dust have crept in between the lenses. This requires removing the rigid lenses and cleaning a total of eight surfaces.

After four months of wearing these glasses, I asked the company to take them back. The customer service department was wonderful. They gave me a full refund.

I bought trifocals for everyday use and a pair of bifocals just for my computer. I’m still not happy.

Fred Cicetti is a freelance writer who specializes in health. He has been writing professionally since 1963. Before he began freelancing, he was a reporter and columnist for three daily newspapers in New Jersey. Email questions to fredcicetti@gmail.com.