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When is it safe to get your child contact lenses ?
Contacts offer several benefits to those who have vision challenges. The first benefit is enhanced appearance. If you don’t like the feel and look of eyeglasses, contact lenses provide the freedom of less weight on your face while providing visual assistance. However, there are precautions that must be followed to maintain eye health especially if you’re considering purchasing contact lenses for your teen.
The best time to allow your teen to begin wearing contact lenses is when you’ve educated your teen about these contact lens care steps, and when he or she has demonstrated the ability to follow these steps on a regular basis.
Promote Hygiene
Contact lenses must be handled with the highest level of hypoallergenic care. This is due to the increased chances of the eye being infected by germs. Before inserting a contact lens into the eye, your teen must wash his or her hands thoroughly before opening the secured lens package. Hand washing is also imperative when removing contact lenses. Placing a clean piece of tissue under the contact lens case will also prevent germs from being transmitted from a counter’s surface.
Opt For Daily Lenses
If you purchase daily contact lenses, you will decrease the chances of eye infection because these type of lenses must be thrown away at the end of the day. Daily lenses don’t require the same level of cleaning as regular contact lenses. The lenses are already stored in the proper amount of solution. Regular contact lenses require rubbing the lenses with disinfectant solution and rinsing with saline solution prior to insertion and storage. If the lenses are not cleaned or rinsed thoroughly, the risk of having an allergic reaction to the chemicals in the solution will be increased.
Avoid Extended Wear
If your teen’s eye doctor does not recommend extended wear contact lenses, it’s important to emphasize the removal of contact lenses prior to going to bed. This will prevent the contact lenses from getting stuck on the eyeball or moving away from the iris. It can be difficult to remove lenses from the eye when natural moisture has been lost because of prolonged eye closure. The eye fluid that accumulates while sleeping can cause dryness as well. As a result, contamination will be the consequence that will lead to infection. Removing the lenses prior to sleeping allows the eye to rest. Visit an eye care professional, like Discover Vision Centers, to see your options when it comes to contact lenses and what would work best for you.
Contact lenses should not be treated like eyeglasses. Laying lens cases on unclean counters or storing cases in unprotected bags can allow lenses to become vulnerable to germs. Educating your teen about his or her eye health should not be taken lightly. The more precautionary steps that are taken to reduce eye infection, the more preserved your teen’s vision will be when he or she gets older.