Contact lenses are a great tool to correct your vision and help you improve your whole aesthetic but have you wondered if they are suitable for your children? And if so, at what age can children start wearing contact lenses.
Stay tuned to find out the answer to all your questions
1. Are contact lenses safe for children?
Yes. Children can wear contacts and it is perfectly safe for them to do so. Since the size of the eye remains the same since birth, the human eye is perfectly capable of tolerating contacts. In some cases, even infants are fitted with contacts to take care of certain medical conditions. However, if your child suffers from seasonal allergies, make sure to consult with an ophthalmologist. People with allergies can wear contacts but if one of the symptoms of the allergy includes irritation or redness in the eyes, contacts can make the situation worse.
2. If contacts are safe, does that mean my child can start wearing them?
Well yes and no. While contacts are safe, it does not mean that your child can start wearing them. Your child must be able to care for them properly and to that end, refer to this comprehensive checklist to make sure your child is ready.
- Is your child able to remove and insert lenses?
- Can your child remember to remove them before sleeping?
- Does your child often forget to take them off?
- Can your child disinfect them properly with the contact lens solution?
- Does your child remember to take them off before showering and swimming?
3. Does it make sense for my child to switch from glasses to lenses?
Yes. With contacts, your child can have a better peripheral vision as well as a better field of vision. There are no chances of fogging up or breakage during sports as is the case with glasses.
4. Does your child want to wear lenses?
Your child might want to experiment with colored contacts but may be perfectly happy wearing glasses until they reach adolescence. Of course, you can order colored contacts to allow them to experiment with their looks once they reach a certain age but wearing glasses may be a perfectly natural choice for them. Just because you like lenses doesn't mean they have to as well.
5. At what age can your child start wearing lenses?
As discussed earlier, even infants can wear lenses but for children to independently wear lenses, it may take a few years. Research states that 8-year-olds are perfectly capable of wearing lenses and taking care of said lenses.
6. Can wearing lenses at an early age be helpful?
Yes. Contact lenses can block out UV rays can lower the lifetime exposure to UV radiation. UV rays have been known to cause cataracts and macular degeneration and thus wearing contact lenses at an early age can help prevent these conditions in the future.
7. Can wearing contacts help with your child's self-esteem?
Research suggests that contacts lenses can boost self-esteem and positively impact how a child views themselves compared to children who wear glasses.
8. Can wearing lenses improve my child's vision?
Yes. If your child wears overnight orthokeratology lenses, it is possible for them to wake up with better vision each day and not need lenses or glasses. These lenses gently reshape the cornea to promote better vision.
It may be a good idea to buy daily lenses for children to avoid the whole storing and disinfecting the lens scenario.Like colored lense air Optix color contacts we have for adults, there are few lenses available for children also.The risks for infections in children is the same as adults and can be easily prevented with proper care.
