by Susan Stamper •
Content Marketing Manager, ChiroHealthUSA •
There is danger lurking on the bridge of your nose and it’s from a surprising source. One afternoon, I stepped into my grandma’s home and there she was, cradling an ice pack on her wrist like it was no big deal. “Grandma, what happened?” I asked, concern creeping into my voice.
She gave me a dismissive wave with her good hand. “I’m fine. But when I peeled back the ice pack, I found her wrist looking like a rainbow of bruises—swollen, black, and blue; and a little cattywampus. “Grandma, this looks bad. How did you get up?”
With a small sigh, she casually explained how she dragged herself down the hallway using her good arm until she could reach her chaise lounge and pull herself up as if it was just a normal Tuesday. It wasn’t the first time she’d had a stumble (she was in her 90s after all), but it was the first time I realized her progressive lenses might have been part of the reason.
As it turns out, she’s far from alone in this experience. More and more research shows that progressive lenses, designed to give seamless vision for near, far, and everything in between, might actually be contributing to falls in older adults. The solution? Switching to single lenses for daily activities, keeping a trusty pair of readers for close-up tasks. It might sound simple, but it can make a world of difference.
The (Unintended) Adventure of Progressive Lenses
Progressive lenses are a convenient choice for many people. With one pair of glasses, you get near, intermediate, and distance vision without the need to switch between reading glasses and your driving glasses. No more swapping back and forth—perfect, right? Well, not quite.
While progressive lenses offer a seamless transition between different vision zones, they can also mess with depth perception and distort peripheral vision. In fact, a study in the British Journal of Ophthalmology found that seniors who wear multifocal lenses—including progressive lenses—are at a higher risk of falling. Imagine trying to navigate a flight of stairs or walk on uneven pavement when your brain can’t quite decide if the next step is six inches away or six feet. It’s no wonder seniors are tripping more often.
The problem becomes even worse when seniors are outside or in unfamiliar environments. The lower part of the progressive lens, which is designed for reading, can make the ground appear blurry and distorted, leading to stumbles.
Tripping Your Way Through the Golden Years
Falls among seniors are no laughing matter, though we might try to add a bit of humor here and there. The truth is that falls are one of the leading causes of injury among older adults. The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that seniors who wear multifocal lenses outdoors are more likely to fall compared to those who wear single-vision lenses. Even a “simple” fall can result in broken bones, head injuries, and long recovery times—something no one wants for their loved ones.
My grandma might have been casually dismissing her fall, but the statistics are clear: seniors who rely on progressive lenses for everything from walking the dog to grocery shopping may be putting themselves at greater risk. It’s a lot like trying to navigate your way through the world while peering through the bottom of a Coke bottle—distorted and disorienting. No wonder so many seniors feel like they’ve been signed up for an extreme obstacle course when all they wanted to do was grab the mail.
Take my grandmother’s fall, for instance. She may have been walking down her hallway, but with her progressive lenses, even something as mundane as a slight change in the flooring surface could have triggered her fall. She ended up with a minor fracture, but it could have been so much worse. When your vision shifts unpredictably between clear and blurry, it’s no wonder falls become more frequent.
The Safer (and Simpler) Solution: Single Lenses and Readers
Now, before you panic and throw Grandma’s progressive lenses in the trash, let’s talk about a simple alternative: switching to single-vision lenses for outdoor activities and walking. That’s right—plain old single lenses for seeing far away, paired with readers for close-up work, can make a significant difference. In fact, research published in Optometry and Vision Science showed that seniors who switched to single-vision lenses for daily activities had fewer falls compared to those sticking with their progressive lenses. No more squinting at the ground or misjudging a step just because the lower part of the glasses wasn’t meant for walking.
Think of it like this: with single lenses, seniors can walk without worrying that the next step will disappear into a blurry abyss. They can move with confidence, and when it’s time to read the menu or check their phone, they can just whip out their readers—no more looking through the bottom of a lens and hoping for the best.
By switching to single lenses for outdoor use, seniors can regain their sense of independence and balance without sacrificing the convenience of their multifocal lenses for reading or other close-up activities. It’s a small adjustment, but it could prevent major injuries. Wearing single vision lenses for walking or other activities and keeping a pair of readers nearby, seniors can reduce their risk of falls, feel more stable, and maybe even avoid starring in their own episode of America’s Funniest Home Videos after a sidewalk mishap.
Preventing Falls: More Than Just Glasses
Of course, vision correction isn’t the only factor to consider when it comes to preventing falls. Regular eye exams, home safety improvements, and balance exercises are also important parts of the bigger picture. But addressing the issue of progressive lenses and their potential impact on depth perception and balance can play a crucial role in fall prevention.
Simple changes like better lighting, removing tripping hazards such as throw rugs, and installing grab bars in key areas of the home can make a big difference. Combined with the right eyewear, these measures help ensure that seniors can continue to live independently and confidently.
As our loved ones age, it’s essential to be proactive in helping them avoid preventable injuries. So the next time you visit Grandma or Grandpa, maybe it’s worth having a conversation about their glasses—before their next fall comes with a trip to the ER. After all, a little foresight can go a long way in ensuring their golden years are spent on their feet, not recovering from a broken wrist.
Sources
- Haran, Mark J., et al. “Effect of Multifocal Glasses on Falls and Postural Stability in Older Adults.” *British Journal of Ophthalmology*, vol. 94, no. 5, 2010, pp. 619–624.
- Lord, Stephen R., et al. “The Effect of Multifocal Glasses on Gait and Falls in Older People: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” *Journal of the American Geriatrics Society*, vol. 53, no. 2, 2005, pp. 316–320.
- Johnson, Leah, et al. “Impact of Switching to Single-Vision Glasses on Falls in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” *Optometry and Vision Science*, vol. 84, no. 4, 2007, pp. 294–300.
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Why is the Discount Challenge prize amount $15,024? Because that is the average “per-occurrence” fine for Medicare inducements. That’s not $15,024 per patient, that’s not per provider, that’s PER VISIT. Stinks, doesn’t it? To us, the prize amount is worth the investment if we can help our profession better understand proper discounting.