Contact Lenses

How do I know if my child is ready for contact lenses?

In general, children receive prescriptions for contact lenses when they’re 12 years old or older. However, age isn’t the only issue. In some cases, children as young as eight can benefit from contacts, and plenty of teenagers shouldn’t wear contacts. It comes down to your child’s maturity, hygiene, and responsibility.

To wear contact lenses safely, your child needs to keep the lenses clean, practice good eye hygiene, and follow their doctor’s instructions for wear, such as disposing of lenses on schedule. Consider how your child handles their current responsibilities. If they can take care of chores, homework, and personal grooming without being reminded, that’s a good sign.

If your child is interested in getting contact lenses, the staff at ABC Children’s Eye Specialists is happy to help figure out if now is the right time. It’s important to your child’s eye health to only wear contacts when they’re ready.

What are the advantages of contact lenses?

There are a number of reasons your child may want to wear contacts. It’s common for kids to not like the way they look in glasses, and to feel self-conscious. Switching to contacts can help them feel more confident in their appearance.

Glasses and athletics don’t always mix well, so contacts are popular among active kids. Though there are prescription glasses designed for sports, including extra-durable lenses, there’s still a risk of the frames breaking or falling off during play, and the lenses may fog up from humidity. Contact lenses give your child clearer peripheral vision than glasses, and without frames, there’s nothing blocking their view of the field or court.

If your child can handle the responsibilities of contact lenses, there’s no wrong reason to get them. Contact lenses are effective for correcting blurry vision nearsightedness (myopia),  farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism causes. For your convenience, ABC Children’s Eye Specialists has an on-site optical shop.

How should my child take care of their eyes while wearing contact lenses?

WIth good hygiene and maintenance habits, your child can minimize the possibility of discomfort, irritation, or infection while wearing contacts. These habits include:

• Washing their hands with perfume-free and oil-free soap before putting in, taking out, or handling their contacts
• Removing their contacts before they go to sleep
• Always using fresh lens solution that is made for use with contacts, as recommended by their doctor
• Regularly rinsing their contact lens case with solution and replacing it every three months
• Always wearing contacts according to the prescribed schedule, replacing them as directed
• Never ignoring redness, itching, burning, and other symptoms that could be signs of an infection or another problem
• Keeping a backup pair of glasses handy

If your child is interested in contact lenses, schedule an appointment at ABC Children’s Eye Specialists online or over the phone to learn more.