Contact vision correction in children - tips and rules for caring for contact lenses. At what age can you wear colored lenses?

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Unfortunately, visual impairment in children is becoming more common.

Glasses have proven to be a good means of vision correction for young patients.

They correct vision well and help achieve its restoration at initial stage eye disease.

In addition to glasses, there are many vision correction products on the market, differing in price, functionality and other qualities. Let's consider the use of lenses for children, since many parents have different opinions about this method of correction.

The benefits of contact lenses for children

Using lenses has the following advantages:

There are many quality contact lenses on the market. They have high rate permeability to oxygen.

Contact lenses are the optimal solution for correcting visual impairment in children. They are prescribed to patients with refractive errors, varying degrees and lens defects.

At what age is it legal to wear contact lenses?

Traditionally it is believed that contact lenses prescribed for children over 14 years of age.

In some cases, lenses are prescribed from 6-7 years of age.

Some ophthalmologists recommend prescribing lenses for children from 6 to 7 years of age. At the same time, the child must be able to take care of them himself. Such early date Doctors explain the beginning of wearing lenses by saying that even young children can learn to treat lenses conscientiously and care for them. And it’s easy to teach them how to put on and take off such lenses.

Contact lenses for children are so early age not sold in regular stores. They must be ordered according to an individual prescription, which is selected by an ophthalmologist. For such cases, doctors recommend hydrogel lenses, which are most suitable for the still unformed cornea of ​​the eyes.

For children 7-8 years of age, disposable lenses can also be prescribed. With them there will be much less problems in operation. However, then the child must be taught to use reusable lenses: that the lenses must be put on, taken off and stored in a special container.

How to choose the right contact lenses for children

Correctly selected lenses help proper development eyes, without complications or problems. Their selection is carried out only by a doctor. Stages correct selection lenses:

After the final selection of lenses, the child and parents are instructed on wearing lenses and caring for them.

How parents should supervise their children's lens wear.

Parents should know that only strict adherence to all the doctor’s advice will contribute to 100% vision correction. To do this, they must monitor the child and help him comply with the doctor's requirements.

Parents should explain to their child that they should not sleep in lenses.. Also, you cannot wear them longer than the period specified by the manufacturer.

To fully control the child, parents should follow simple rules and tips:

  • It is necessary to assess how responsibly he will follow the doctor’s recommendations;
  • Parents themselves need to be informed about the specifics of wearing lenses by their child;
  • If it is clear that the child needs to be reminded to wash the dishes, make the bed, etc., then it is obvious that he will have the same attitude towards wearing lenses;
  • You need to create a certain motivation for your child to wear them.;
  • Monitoring of the child should be carried out unobtrusively;
  • If you have any problems, you should consult a doctor.

As a rule, following all the rules for wearing lenses and choosing them does not cause problems for the child.

The ideas of creating an ideal version of contact vision correction appeared in the works of many famous scientists, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jung, Friedrich Müller, Adolf Fick.

Initially, lenses were made of glass, but they were too heavy and glass was too unreliable. Subsequently, plastic lenses appeared, in the optical zone of which glass was inserted, but this modification was also not in demand.

Lenses machined from plastics were a new trend. However, they were difficult to tolerate by patients.

Polymer hydrogel (hydroxymethylethacrylate polymer) - a material capable of both retaining water and transmitting oxygen, was invented by the Czech Otto Wichterle only in the late 50s of the last century. From this moment on, a new era of soft contact lenses and, as a result, contact vision correction began.

The advent of silicone hydrogel lenses with high oxygen permeability has made it possible to create “breathable” lenses.

Today's development medical science and the technology is at such high level that lenses equipped with microcircuits may soon appear, allowing you to monitor the level of the body’s main indicators.

What is important to know about lenses?

A lens is a miniature optical system that is worn on the eye. Rear surface lenses almost completely repeat the shape of the cornea, and the front surface corrects the violation optical system eyes.

A modern requirement for all lenses is high oxygen permeability. One of the main refractive structures of the eye is the cornea. She needs oxygen.

A lens placed on the cornea prevents the active penetration of oxygen, which can result in corneal hypoxia. It is recommended that children be prescribed lenses with high oxygen permeability.

There are a great many classifications of lenses - according to materials, production methods, wearing mode, replacement periods and oxygen permeability.

It is believed that the age of 10 - 12 years, when a child is able to perform proper care behind contact lenses, is ideal for using this type of correction.

Teenagers care about their appearance, which they think can be ruined by glasses. With lenses, a similar situation is impossible.

In some cases, lenses can be used from the age of 6 to 7 years. In this case, lens care should be carried out by parents.

There are so-called night orthokeratological lenses prescribed for children with myopia or spasm of accommodation. Their advantage is to wear them at night.

How are lenses selected?

Lenses are selected by ophthalmologists. Initially, visual acuity is determined, refractometry, and examination are performed. Next, the lens wearing regime will be determined. Parents and children will be notified of the replacement deadline.

It should be noted that lenses are immediately prescribed to children who have already undergone spectacle correction.

If this is a primary treatment, then, most likely, the selection of lenses will be carried out only after determining the value of refraction and correction according to certain rules.

You should not try to select lenses, as well as glasses, without first full examination, since in this case you risk reducing your visual acuity, as well as spending money on the wrong thing.

After selecting lenses, take care of purchasing a container for them, tweezers, and a special solution.

Very often, wearing lenses causes dry eyes, so consult your ophthalmologist about medications (drops or gels) that can help cope with this symptom.

There are several ways to put on a lens. Don't be alarmed if it doesn't work the first time. The lens is usually perceived by the eye as foreign object Therefore, certain difficulties are possible, which quickly pass through constant training.

Sequence of putting on the lens:

If you or your child are using lenses for the first time, ask your eye doctor for help.

If the lens is defective, do not use it. Contact an optician if the lens was initially defective. If, after examining the lens, a manufacturing defect is determined, the lens may be replaced.

Do not use lenses beyond the stated replacement period.

The company that produces lenses also produces multifunctional solutions that have antibacterial and cleansing properties.

  1. Try to use lenses and solutions from the same brand, as using solutions that are not suitable in their composition can lead to damage to the lens.
  2. Follow the rules of use and storage. Always empty the solution container immediately after inserting your lenses and refill it with new solution.
  3. Do not use raw or distilled water, saliva, or other solutions as lens solution.
  4. Explain to your child that lenses are an individual means of vision correction, so you should not let even close friends and relatives wear them.

What are the limitations of using lenses?

  1. You should not dive in open or closed waters wearing lenses, as their structure is a favorable place for the development of microorganisms.
  2. It is necessary to warn the doctor about the drugs that the child instills into the eyes, since some medical supplies are not absorbed into required quantities in eyes with lenses, while others cause structural changes the lenses themselves.

There are a number of diseases that can occur as a result of wearing lenses:

1. Corneal edema. The small amount of oxygen received by the cornea due to long-term wearing lenses, leads to the development of its edema. Visual acuity decreases, and the outlines of objects become blurred. If this happens, contact your ophthalmologist immediately.

2. Appearance blood vessels on the cornea (neovascularization). The appearance of this disorder is also associated with hypoxia (lack of oxygen). However, lens defects leading to corneal trauma, or their incorrect selection, can also be the cause. this state. You should immediately consult an ophthalmologist.

3. Infectious lesions. Ulcers, erosions and infiltrates occur on the cornea as a result of poor lens care and poor personal hygiene. Infectious process often combined with allergies. And microorganisms form new ones that are resistant to medicinal substances, strains.

4. Allergic reactions and diseases. Giant papillary conjunctivitis is a common allergic disease in people who have been using contact vision correction for a long time. Allergic reaction V in this case caused by a combination of two factors:

  • firstly, irritated conjunctiva, long time in contact with a lens contaminated with protein deposits.
  • secondly, contact of the conjunctiva with the lens, on the surface of which there are remnants of the denatured tear enzyme - lysozyme.

Violation of the rules for caring for lenses, as well as exceeding the permissible period of wearing lenses, can lead to the development of this disease.

If any of these diseases develops, a number of symptoms arise, and if they occur, you should consult an ophthalmologist:

  1. Redness of the eyes.
  2. Swelling of the eyelids.
  3. Severe lacrimation and lacrimation.
  4. Decreased visual acuity.
  5. Feeling foreign body, burning.
  6. Severe itching.
  7. Photophobia.
  8. Large amount of discharge (sour eyes).
  9. Lens intolerance.

Remember contact correction vision will allow the child to see the world more clearly. But only proper lens care will allow you to do this without problems.

Visual impairment - common problem V childhood. Vision correction is required for myopia, farsightedness, astigmatism, anisometropia and others. eye pathologies. At what age can you wear contact lenses? - we'll figure it out in this article.

Many children are embarrassed to wear glasses, although they need them medical indications. It is necessary to treat the eyes, but effective treatment is hardly possible if the child takes off his glasses at every opportunity. In such cases, contact lenses are the best option.

Can children wear contact lenses?

Experts prescribe wearing lenses after eight years of age. A child at this age is able to independently put on and take out lenses and care for them. For children, soft daily lenses or lenses that need to be changed once a month are recommended. Daily lenses good because they do not require maintenance. They are harmless and easy to use. Lenses that last a month require careful care. Many children do not pay enough attention to this, which is fraught with a number of problems. Lenses need to be treated daily special solution, which washes away protein deposits deposited during the day.

Untreated lenses can cause infection eyeball.

Long-term wear lenses are generally not recommended for children. When there is a need to wear lenses for a long time, rigid gas-permeable ones are prescribed. As a rule, indications for wearing such lenses are certain diseases - myopia, keratoconus. Hard lenses They are significantly different from soft ones; it takes time to get used to them.
An ophthalmologist will tell you in what cases and at what age you can wear contact lenses. Research shows that the development of myopathy or nearsightedness is slowed down if a child wears contacts. And in some cases the process stops completely.
Farsightedness or hypermetropia also requires correction. With this pathology, the lenses display the surroundings more clearly. Often other methods of vision correction are impossible and lenses are the only available treatment tool. Correction of astigmatism is necessary to prevent amblyopia and strabismus.
Anisometropia is an eye disease that results in different eye refractions. This anomaly is most often congenital or hereditary. By loading evenly, the lenses enable both eyes to carry out the visual process. Amblyopia is a persistent unilateral or bilateral decrease in vision. This disease develops in childhood and may not manifest itself for a long time. The deviation is eliminated only in childhood, therefore effective treatment There are no adults. This disease requires correction primarily with lenses. Indeed, to eliminate this deviation, the eyes, which see poorly, must be forced to function at full strength. When wearing glasses, one eye has to be covered. It doesn't look nice. The child is shy and does not want to wear glasses. Contact lenses help avoid such problems. One of the lenses is fogged and placed on the eye, which is working at full capacity. The second lens is located on the lazy eye, which encourages active work.

Modern children, just like their parents, do not understand their daily life without gadgets: tablet, mobile phone, laptop, TV - they are all used daily. But besides the obvious benefits, electronic devices provide and negative influence on children's body and above all on vision.

Unfortunately, the number of children suffering from myopia is only increasing every year. When thinking about correcting their child’s vision, many parents, after weighing the pros and cons, come to the conclusion that best option- these are lenses. But a reasonable question arises: at what age are children allowed to wear them?

At what age can children wear lenses?

Indeed, there are restrictions on wearing lenses. Using this method of vision correction too early is not recommended by ophthalmologists for the following reasons:

  1. The development of the cornea and the eyeball as a whole occurs in a child before he reaches the age of 14 years. Since lenses are still a foreign object, improper selection of them can affect how well the cornea will form in accordance with the norm. That is why it is important to choose suitable lenses, especially in terms of the “Radius of Curvature” indicator.
  2. Until the age of 14, few children are able to bear responsibility for following the rules for wearing lenses. Children may find it difficult to control the timing of scheduled lens replacements, to carefully remove and put them on daily, and to ensure that they are proper cleansing and storage, but some can cope with this even at 10 years old if they understand the motivation.
However, lenses have a number of obvious advantages over glasses:

  • Contact lenses give children freedom of action, which is very important for their normal physical and social development. If a child wears glasses, he should always be careful and careful. He cannot play outdoor games with other children because... Always remember that glasses can fall and break.
  • Lenses do not limit the angle of view, unlike glasses, and also provide better contrast and brightness of the image.
  • Children are very sensitive to their own appearance and are often embarrassed to wear glasses. In this case, lenses will fit better, because... they are completely invisible to others.
  • Lenses, unlike glasses, cannot be lost or broken. The latter will also have to be changed as the child grows, and also depending on his preferences in terms of style.

All this allows you to make a decision in favor of wearing lenses, but their choice must be approached very responsibly.

How to choose lenses for a child?

If you decide to buy contact lenses for your child, you should not choose them based on your own discretion or based solely on price. We recommend that you contact an ophthalmologist who will select lenses after examining the degree of myopia or farsightedness of the child, the presence of astigmatism or other eye diseases.

In our company, you can get a consultation with an ophthalmologist and immediately purchase the lenses that will be recommended for your child. In addition to the obvious time savings, unlike visiting a children's clinic at your place of residence, consulting a doctor in our center has other advantages.

The doctor will tell the child how to handle the lenses, give instructions on how to remove and put them on, and the child will be able to try to carry out all the procedures on his own, under the supervision of a specialist.

The doctor will not just check the child’s vision, but will select suitable lenses depending on their characteristics. Besides optical power Lenses vary in radius of curvature, overall diameter, and percentage of moisture content. Lenses different manufacturers They allow oxygen to pass through differently and differ in the level of UV protection. Only a doctor specializing in the selection of lenses knows about the features of each brand and model, so the lenses will be selected with maximum consideration for the characteristics of the eyes of a particular child.

For the first time, while the habit of wearing lenses is just forming, you can choose daily replacement lenses for your child. They do not need to be washed with a solution, so the child will only need to learn how to carefully put on and remove the lenses. In addition, such lenses are more hygienic, because... Every day the child will put on a new pair of lenses.

The development of conjunctivitis or blepharitis, which can occur due to improper cleaning of lenses designed for a longer period of wear, is reduced to zero here. When the child is already accustomed to wearing lenses, it will be possible to choose bi-weekly or monthly replacement lenses.

Correct selection of lenses and compliance with the rules for wearing them is the key to the health of a child’s eyes. If these conditions are met, you can start wearing lenses before you reach 14 years of age. In our company you can purchase lenses from the world's leading manufacturers and everything you need to care for them and receive the necessary consultations from an ophthalmologist.

You can select contact lenses according to free program“Beginner”, it includes an vision test, selection of contact lenses, training in wearing and the first contact lenses for free!

To complete the “Beginner” program, children under 18 years of age must have a recent report from an ophthalmologist. Get examined by pediatric ophthalmologist You can go to the addresses indicated or at the clinic at your place of residence.

Contact lenses - modern way vision correction - has long been used by adults, but little is known about its use in children. At what age can an ophthalmologist prescribe contact lenses for a child? Can a student cope with lens care? We answer the most common questions from parents.

At what age can children wear contact lenses?

Doctors do not consider the age of a child with visual impairment to be a decisive factor. If the child understands the risk associated with non-compliance with the hygiene standards that are required when wearing lenses, then he is ready. As a rule, schoolchildren begin wearing lenses at the age of 14. However, research confirms that with parental help and support, 8-year-old children can successfully use contact lenses.

Your child's doctor will teach you how to use and care for contact lenses correctly. Typically, children have respect and trust in the doctor - then they tend to follow the recommendations received, sometimes even more carefully than adults.

When deciding to purchase contact lenses for your child, do not underestimate his ability to care for them properly. In the course of research, it was found that 8 out of 10 teenagers easily cope with this after 3 months of using lenses. However, young children should be supervised by their parents to minimize the risk of contact lens misuse.

Girls usually show an interest in contact lenses earlier than boys, as they are more concerned about how they look. Boys' interest in contact lenses is most often associated with the desire to engage in active sports and not experience the inconvenience associated with wearing glasses.

What are the benefits of wearing contact lenses for children?

Freedom of movement. Unlike glasses, contact lenses do not limit your freedom of action - they do not need to be removed during active activities for fear of damage or breaking. In addition, contact lenses do not limit peripheral vision, which is important in most sports. If lenses are lost, replacing them is cheaper and easier than purchasing new glasses.

Psychological comfort. Self-esteem teenagers is largely determined by their attitude towards their own appearance. The need to wear glasses if children are nearsighted, astigmatist or farsighted can contribute to the development of self-doubt, which negatively affects academic performance and communication with peers.

As a result of a study in which 500 children with myopia were observed for 3 years, it was noted that children who wore contact lenses became more satisfied with their appearance and began to communicate more with their peers. Children who didn't like wearing glasses also felt more confident at school after wearing contact lenses.

Based on the results clinical trials, 80% of parents confirmed that contact lenses for children have significantly improved their child's quality of life and increased their self-confidence.

How long does it take to care for contact lenses?

The time it takes to care for your contact lenses depends on the mode you choose to replace a pair of contact lenses. Thus, when using daily contact lenses designed for single use, they do not require storage or processing. Every day a fresh pair of lenses comes out of the packaging, which at the end of the day are simply removed and thrown away.

If the doctor has chosen a different replacement regimen for the child, for example, once every 2 weeks, then modern multifunctional solutions also make caring for such lenses simple.

Discussion

The doctor says that from the age of 15, in fact it can be earlier, it really depends on the child and on the development of the eyeball too. We were advised to buy atraumatic Ultra (Bausch and Lomb) - they have a thin edge, they cannot damage the eye. And besides, they are very moisturized and comfortable to wear. Then I switched to them myself.

Lenses are much more comfortable than glasses, and the child feels more free in them. And from what age to wear it, it probably depends on the child.

Or maybe someone has come across this! For children, you need to choose lenses in the same way as for adults [link-1] I want just the right one for my child psychological reasons, is very embarrassed to wear glasses!

it is possible if the doctor has prescribed it

Comment on the article "Contact lenses: can children wear them? 3 questions"

Does anyone wear night lenses? Vision. Pediatric medicine. Child health, illnesses and treatment, clinic, hospital, doctor, vaccinations. Does anyone wear night lenses? My son and I visited the ophthalmologist... spent a lot of time on gadgets: -2.25 both eyes.

Discussion

The child has been wearing it for six months and there have been no problems. She really put them on easily from the very beginning. I wash them in the morning, about 3-4 minutes every day. She takes a break on the weekends. Also vision -1.5 and -2.5
An older friend has been wearing it for 2 years now and said that her vision has improved :)

01/25/2016 09:52:58, Lindaaa

You can also wear lenses at night, then correction during the day is unnecessary. My daughter has been wearing contact lenses since she was 14 years old. Some are one-day, discarded in the evening, no solution needed. In our joint venture he takes it. There are glasses at home, but only out of necessity - psychologically she cannot and does not want to wear glasses...

Discussion

You can also wear lenses at night, then correction during the day is unnecessary.

08/07/2015 10:08:41, Lindaaa

My daughter has been wearing contact lenses since she was 14 years old. Some are one-day, discarded in the evening, no solution needed. In our joint venture he takes it. There are glasses at home, but only out of necessity - psychologically he cannot and does not want to wear glasses, there is some kind of deep complex. For 15 years of wearing lenses every day, no complications, checked once a year. I think that all complications are greatly exaggerated or are associated with “old, outdated lenses,” or initially with the condition of the eyes. And at the age of 14-15, my daughter was very happy about the possibility of lenses, she experimented - she wore both blue and green ones. :-)
Now at medicinal purposes Children under one year old are allowed to wear corrective lenses.

I wear contact lenses. I can’t imagine how you can put it on (and wear it) unsuccessfully - it immediately becomes painful or uncomfortable, you just need to teach the child to put it on again in this case, if a grain of sand gets in or an eyelash curls up, or the lens goes under the eyelid, etc.

Discussion

Mine has 2 pairs at -5 and -3. Of course, it’s inconvenient at school, but I don’t see any other options yet. We've been wearing 2 pairs of glasses for over a year now; teachers are more irritated by the constant changing of clothes.
Most doctors recommend regular daytime lenses for school and sports, but mine flatly refuses to even try them on.
Can you recommend a doctor about progressive lenses?

My daughter had 1.5 and in six months she became 4. We are switching to hard night lenses. Let's see

Contact lenses: can children wear them? 3 questions. The need to wear glasses if children are nearsighted, astigmatist or farsighted can contribute to the development of self-doubt, which negatively affects academic performance and communication with peers.

Discussion

Usually they prescribe glasses that are slightly weaker, not with full correction, and it is not recommended to wear them all the time, “glasses in your pocket” if necessary. Vision may deteriorate; if you take off your glasses, this does not help.

Full correction glasses for myopia have not been prescribed for 20 years, if not more.
You see, myopia is like defensive reaction body. We are designed in such a way that it is easier for us to look into the distance than close up (well, when evolution was going on, we had to look out for mammoths and saber-toothed tigers from afar, and not read newspapers :). Therefore, the eye gets tired working at a close distance, and makes it so that this “close” turns into “far” (and the real “far” becomes very difficult to see). In full correction glasses, and even when worn constantly, this mechanism starts again and again.
As far as I remember from the time when I myself was myopic, it is recommended (NOT for constant wearing!) glasses in which the 4th line is visible (accordingly, with a low degree of myopia, nothing is needed at all).
IN elementary school There were 4 people in our class with glasses. Everyone except me was shy about glasses and didn’t wear them. Whether it's a coincidence or not, by the end of school I was wearing glasses and high degree I was the only one who was nearsighted :(

How old is your daughter? At what age can you wear contact lenses at all? the child won’t even wear them...does your daughter also have astigmatism? Now I haven’t worn glasses for 10 years, I read books... Is astigmatism treatable?

Contact lenses: can children wear them? 3 questions. Every day a fresh pair of lenses comes out of the packaging, which at the end of the day are simply removed and thrown away. I bought boxes of 6 lenses in bulk at once, it was really profitable. How old is your daughter? At what age can...

I need lenses that are weaker than glasses. The point is not how many diopters they are, but whether they provide full correction. For some reason in Russia they are of the opinion that young people do not need full correction. Here they usually start lowering the diopter closer to 40, when farsightedness is already approaching. I myself simply asked to write a prescription for the same lenses that were in Russia - for the same brand and the same diopters. If you want, please, no one minds. But my daughter in Russia was prescribed lenses that were much weaker than she needed, I didn’t like it, and then we corrected it. What I like about buying lenses here is that they always give a few for free :)

In lenses, vision correction is different than in glasses, since the diopter power is not lost over the distance from the eye to the glass. So, with the same power of spectacle and contact lenses, the correction for contact lenses will be stronger. As a rule, 100% correction is not recommended, otherwise, after getting used to it, there is a risk of switching to higher diopters. Therefore, the fact that you can see better in -2.5 lenses than in -2 lenses should not be decisive. If some glass lenses are considered suitable for you (and most likely your vision in them is not “one”), then contact lenses should be a little weaker, by half a diopter, or by a quarter. Because in fact this difference in optical power is covered by the difference in the distance from the eye to the lens. And as you get used to higher diopters, your eyes will continue to weaken.

06/01/2003 17:38:06, I have been wearing contact lenses for about 5 years.