Contact lenses may be identified by the type of refractive error they are designed to correct. Your eye care practitioner may prescribe:

• Spherical contact lenses for "nearsightedness"(myopia) and "farsightedness" (hypermetropia);
• Toric contact lenses for "astigmatism.";
• Bifocal lenses for "presbyopia," the loss of ability to focus on reading or close-up activities.

As an alternative to special bifocal contact lenses, many practitioners use a system called monovision where one eye is fitted with a distance lens and the other with a reading lens. Approximately two-thirds of patients adapt to this type of contact lens wear, with the brain automatically switching to the eye more clearly in focus.