You might be wondering whether your kids are old enough to put on contact lenses. In reality, no well-defined rules exist pertaining to this aspect. As a parent, you must be knowing the benefits of hydrogel contact lenses for your kids. Often, parents reach out to opticians, enquiring about the right age of kids to wear contact lenses. The answer lies in how responsible your child would be while wearing the lenses.
Of course, kids would need some kind of parental support initially, when they start wearing contact lenses. Kids as young as eight can also carry these lenses safely. Opticians generally do not recommend daily wear contact lenses for kids younger than twelve. However, if you feel that your kid needs a better peripheral vision for sports or other activities, you may buy them the lenses at a younger age.
Preparing your kids to wear contact lenses
Wearing contact lenses offers several benefits to children. If you are confident enough that your child is ready to shoulder the additional responsibility, feel free to go ahead.
In general, the issue lies in the hygiene and maintenance of these lenses. Make sure that your child adheres to the instructions provided by the eye care provider. Messing up with contact lens hygiene may lead to infections and irritations in their eyes.
Basic advice for kids to maintain contact lens hygiene
• Make sure that your child washes his/her hands before putting on or removing the disposable contact lens.
• Rise and clean the lenses as per the instructions provided.
• Stick to the cleaning agents recommended by the eye care provider.
• Take care that your kids do not put the lenses in saliva or water.
• Kids should not wear contact lenses for a longer duration than prescribed.
• If your kids have red eyes, make sure that they do not use the lenses.
• Educate your kids not to use someone else’s contact lenses.
• Make sure that your kids do not sleep with disposable lenses.
• In case of any kind of irritation, burning sensation, or itching in the eyes, contact the optician.
When should you buy contact lenses for your child?
Now, you must be knowing that responsible kids can handle contact lenses safely. Considering the prices, you might be thinking of buying a silicone hydrogel monthly contact lenses for your child. How would you understand that your kid really needs a pair of contact lenses? Here are certain aspects, that you should consider before buying a branded pair of contact lenses for your child.
1. Motivation and interest
• In general, kids feel the drive to put on contact lenses themselves after a certain age. However, if he or she is experiencing conditions like myopic, you might want to buy contact lenses for them. In case your kid hasn’t asked for these lenses, there’s no point pushing them to wear one.
• At times, doctors advise kids to wear contact lenses to slow down or prevent nearsightedness. In these situations, too, you may consider buying a silicone hydrogel contact lens for your kids.
• Often, parents buy contact lenses for their kids, as these accessories enhance their self-esteem. Provided that the child can responsibly handle contact lenses, you may opt for purchasing them. Research reveals that wearing contact lenses improve kids’ physical appearance, athletic ability, and acceptance among friends. Considering these aspects, you can go ahead with the purchase.
2. Lifestyle and activities
Considering the multiplicity of advantages of contact lenses, your child may adapt to them during particular activities. These activities and their lifestyle largely determine whether they can safely wear contact lenses. Particularly, if your kid is into sports, buying contact lenses might be a good decision.
Children who spend long hours outdoors may lose their glasses. Again, while playing various games and sports, contact lenses would be a better option. They do not slip off during outdoor activities. Most importantly, contact lenses are compatible with sunglasses and goggles.
3. Responsibility
The responsibility element is of critical importance when kids start wearing contact lenses. After all, they must realize that lenses are not playthings. Before you buy contact lenses for them, check out how they tend to behave in other aspects of life. Does your child take care of his/her personal belongings? How responsible is your child with homework?
Children showing signs of responsibility in their academic and personal lifestyles are more likely to take care of the contact lenses. As a parent, you must be observing these activities. A 10-year old might demonstrate more responsibility than a 12-year one.
4. Cleanliness and hygiene
If you find that your kid takes care of his/her personal hygiene, you may consider buying a pair of contact lenses. Sometimes, a child might not like wearing glasses. Once you introduce the lenses to him, he might start taking care of it responsibly. However, you might not be sure whether your child would maintain cleanliness and hygiene. Talk to one of the experienced doctors, and the professional would provide the necessary advice to your kid.
You might also want to know which type of lenses would be ideal for your kids. In general, doctors recommend daily disposable lenses, weekly, biweekly or monthly lenses. Considering your budget and the requirements of the child, you need to decide on this aspect.
Buying contact lenses: Choosing a branded product
Once you decide to buy lenses for your child, you would be looking for the best contact lens brand. Considering the sensitivity of the eyes, it is recommended to purchase quality lenses from reputed brands like Miacare. Properly cleaned and replaced, these lenses would not cause any kind of irritation or discomfiture in your kid’s eye. In case he or she feels uncomfortable with these lenses, you might appoint a meeting with the optician to find out any underlying problem.
Contact lenses come with several benefits. Take care not to deprive your child of these perks. Feel free to consult an optician online and get the right kind of lenses for your child. The decision ultimately depends on the responsibilities your child can shoulder.
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