Is Your Child Ready For Contact Lenses?
If your child has always had vision problems, the chances are that at some point, they’ll become interested in contact lenses from Pure Optical. While most kids are happy with glasses when they’re younger, as they start to grow up they may want contact lenses. Ranging from how they look to making it easier to play sports, there are many reasons kids may want contact lenses.
Over the past few years, contact lenses have become much easier to use, making them more suitable for children. Studies have shown that the majority of children of eight years old and up have no problem using them. However, when it comes to whether your child is ready for contact lenses, there are a couple of areas that you need to think about.
Why do they want lenses?
The first question to ask yourself is why does your child want contact lenses. If it’s because their friend or older sibling has just got them, it could just be a passing phase. However, if it’s because they play sports, it’s important to think seriously about lenses. The best thing to do before taking your child to see the optician is do some research of your own. Go online and visit sites like Lensdirect.com and browse prices and contact lens types.
How old is your child?
While most kids get contact lenses at around age 11, studies have shown the younger children can also benefit from them. To be able to safely use contact lenses, your child needs to be mature enough to know how to put them in and take them out. That’s why most opticians never recommend them for children under eight years old. If your child is eight or older, then they could be a perfect candidate for lenses. As long as they meet the other requirements, that is. To find out more about kids and contact lenses, visit http://www.livestrong.com.
Is your child clued up on hygiene?
Contact lenses make your eyes more prone to infections. So it’s crucial that if your child wears lenses, they’re clued up when it comes to hygiene. It’s essential that whenever contact lenses are handled, it’s done so with clean hands. If your little one often forgets to wash their hands after using the toilet or refuses to clean them before eating, this may mean they’re too young. If they’re always on top of their hygiene, this shows that they’ll have no problem with lenses.
Are they responsible?
The next question to ask yourself is, is your child responsible? This is important, as having contact lenses is a big deal and something that they need to be ready for. For example, if a lens was to fall out while they were playing sports, would they know how to deal with the situation? It’s things like this that you need to think about as you won’t always be with them to help them deal with issues like this.
It can be hard knowing if a child is ready for the responsibility of contact lenses, especially if you don’t use them yourself. However, if you take the advice above on board, you should be able to work out if your little one is ready. Or whether it might be best to wait a couple of years until they’re a little older.
