Contact Lenses: How Young is Too Young?
Kids are asking for contact lenses at younger and younger ages. Teasing about glasses has been standard on the playground for many years, but increased concern about self-esteem causes today’s parents to consider contact lenses when kids face teasing, where parents in the past might have told kids to toughen up.
More young people want contacts for sports and performing arts, too. Dance, theater, and football all are cited as reasons for going with contact rather than eyeglasses, and all of these activities are being taken up at younger ages.
Opticians say, as a general rule, that a child who can take good care of his or her own teeth is probably mature enough to take good care of contact lenses as well.
What does “taking care” mean?
- Wearing lenses responsibly. An estimated 3 million Britons sleep in their contacts, but this can lead to eye infections and corneal damage. A child who will forget to remove contact lenses or decide not to bother is putting his or her eye health at risk. Of course, that 3 million estimate includes plenty of adults. Kids may be more likely to forget, though.
- Replacing lenses as necessary. We hear of students continuing to wear old lenses for months while waiting for a school break to come home and see the eye doctor. If kids can’t take responsibility for keeping track of their eye care schedules, they may be too young for contact lenses. Kids should have glasses to wear in case they run out of disposable contact lenses before their scheduled eye exams. Tell them about online eye tests, too, to catch vision changes during the school term.
- Cleaning lenses correctly. Cleaning contacts in tap water because they’ve run out of solution can lead to microbial keratitis, an eye disease caused by a microbe that can be found in tap water. Forgetting to clean contact lenses can be a problem for younger kids, too. Once of the most common issues for young children is failing to wash hands before removing or replacing contacts. Kids are not very germ conscious. If your child might drop a lens on the floor, pick it up, and pop it into her eye, she’s not ready for contacts.
- Keeping track of lenses. The contact lens left at a friend’s house, taken out of the eye and placed on the desk and forgotten, or washed down the sink – with disposable lenses, it’s just a matter of getting a new lens. With extended wear or gas permeable contact lenses, the expense can be considerable. Even with disposable lenses, you’ll get tired of replacing lost and damaged lenses on a regular basis. If your child can’t yet keep track of a latchkey or lunch money, this should be a consideration.
About The Author :
OpticianEyeTests.co.uk is an informational website with articles on eye health and vision care, free online eye tests, and tools to help consumers choose the right glasses and remember to order a new supply of contact lenses in time for best eye health.
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