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The pressures of being a teenager! Get good grades, excel in a sport, play a musical instrument, work part-time, hang out with your friends, do some community service -- and always, always look good. At increasingly younger ages, children and teens are pushing their parents for contact lenses instead of eyeglasses. As a parent, you may be concerned about the safety of this vision correction option. For many teens, contact lenses are a good choice. However, these medical devices are not without risks and should be used appropriately.
ADVANTAGES
Contacts lenses have several advantages over eyeglasses. Most teens and adults prefer contact lenses because they feel more attractive without eyeglasses. This is not to say that glasses can't be a fashion accessory or even a fashion statement. They look great on a lot of people, but for active teenagers, contacts might be a better match. Another advantage of wearing contacts is that they don't get in the way while playing sports, cheerleading, dancing and participating in other activities. Additionally, contacts provide a broader field of corrected vision and there are no rims to potentially interfere with side, or peripheral, vision. Contact lenses don't steam up or slide down the nose.
AGE
There is no set age at which children can begin to wear contacts. The issue is not a physical one, but rather, whether the child is ready to handle the responsibility of caring for contact lenses. In an article published in April 2004 in the journal "Optometry & Vision Science," Dr. Jeffrey Walline and colleagues reported that children ages 8 to 11 were able to manage wearing daily disposable contact lenses. The decision about when to begin contact lens wear should be made in collaboration with your child's eye doctor.
TYPES
There are several types of contacts to choose from, including soft contacts, daily-wear lenses, extended-wear lenses, disposable-wear lenses and toric lenses for people with astigmatism. All contact lenses require care and cleaning, so teens need to decide if they want contacts enough to take care of them.
SAFETY
Contact lenses can cause eye problems, especially if they are not taken care of properly. Eye infections, scratches on the eye surface and eye ulcers are the most frequent complications of contact lens wear. In July 2010 article published in the journal "Pediatrics," Dr. Cunlin Wang and colleagues reported that there were approximately 34,000 emergency room visits for children with contact lens-associated problems from 2004 through 2005. Decorative contacts that are not purchased from a professional can cause serious, sometimes permanent eye damage.
FACT OR FICTION
There are several myths regarding teens and contact lens wear. Many people believe teens cannot wear contact lenses because their eyes are not fully developed. This is untrue; contact lens wear is usually not contingent upon age. You may have heard that contacts fall out a lot; this is also untrue. Soft lenses conform to the shape of the eye and are tucked under the eyelids, so they usually don't move out of place or fall out. Plus, they're usually more stable than glasses, especially for sports. In terms of expense, the cost of contacts is often comparable to that of an average pair of eyeglasses, although some types of contacts are more expensive. You may have heard that contact lenses are not safe to wear for sports. This is another myth. Except for water sports, contacts are safe to wear while participating in sports. In fact, they have advantages in that they can't be broken or knocked off the face, and they provide unobstructed peripheral vision.
References
- "Pediatrics"; Emergency Department Visits for Medical Device-Associated Adverse Events Among Children; Cunlin Wang, M.D., Ph.D., et al; July 2010
- "Eye and Contact Lens"; Benefits of Contact Lens Wear for Children and Teens; Jeffrey J. Walline, O.D., Ph.D., et al.; November 2007
- All About Vision; Teens and Contact Lenses: What Parents Need To Know; Februrary 2009
- All About Vision; Contact Lenses; Gina White; April 2011
- "Optometry and Vision Science"; Daily Disposable Contact Lens Wear in Myopic Children; Jeffrey J. Walline, O.D., Ph.D., et al.; April 2004
