Contact lenses are a huge part of today’s society. The ability to correct your vision without the involvement of glasses is a huge bonus for many people. But what about children? Kids run around all day and are always climbing and falling and doing who knows what else, having to wear glasses can be quite intrusive on play time. As children get older and begin more structured activities such as dance, ice hockey, or football, glasses become almost an impossibility to wear. Consider the possibility that your child will benefit from wearing contact lenses.
There are many things that a parent will want to consider when deciding between glasses or contact lenses. Here are a few to ponder:
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Is your child accident prone?
If your child is constantly falling or roughhousing around, you can probably count on spending a lot of money on replacing glasses. Having your child switch to contact lenses can save plenty of money over the years.
Is the prescription likely to change?
The answer to this question will almost always be yes. Children’s eyes change as they get older and their prescriptions will need to be updated as they go. The ease of changing a prescription for contacts is simple, whereas changing the prescription for glasses involves getting a whole new pair of glasses.
Am I willing to have my child use both?
Oftentimes people think that contacts eliminate the need for glasses altogether, which is untrue. So although having contacts for the majority of the time is ok for your child, they must be willing to switch back to glasses when necessary. For example, when an eye infection or eye injury is sustained, contacts are not acceptable. It is also advisable to not allow children and teenagers to wear contacts for more than twelve hours per day.
Can my child handle contact lenses?
It’s not a secret, the lenses go directly on the eye. If you have a particularly squeamish child it may not be ideal to have them insert the lens each day. However studies have shown that children can be trained as easily as adults on the insertion and safe removal of contact lenses. As long as proper instruction is given, children are fully capable of handling contact lenses.
Is my child too young?
Studies have been done on infants wearing contact lenses, so if a baby can do it so can your child. A lot of it depends on the comfort levels of the parent and the ability of the child to sit still in order to insert the lens. Talk to your optometrist to ensure it’s the right time.
If the idea of contact lenses for your active child entices you, don’t be afraid to book an appointment with your optometrist and discuss the possibility. It could be a game changer for your child and open up a world free from the restraints of glasses!