How old do you have to be to wear lenses? Tips for parents. When is a child prescribed contact lenses? Which lenses are suitable for children

The date: 06.04.2019

Contact lenses designed to correct vision or to give a cosmetic effect. These are transparent small-sized hemispheres, designed to be worn by children and adults.

From how old you can wear these devices to improve vision is a moot point, it all depends on the patient's condition and the doctor's recommendations. What is the correct way to wear contact lenses for children?

Such devices for vision are made of special materials, there are soft night lenses and more rigid ones, OK lenses. Only a doctor can select and prescribe lenses for a child, his duties also include:

training in the rules of use;
regular vision control;
selection of other corrective parameters in case of improvement or deterioration of the condition.

It is very important to choose the right lens of the right size, shape and required optical properties. This can only be done with a special tool.

For children, it is preferable to prescribe disposable lenses that do not require cleaning and disinfection. At improper care increased risk of infection of the cornea. Wearing such devices to improve vision is not prescribed for a long time.

Soft corrective ones with a therapeutic effect are recommended by ophthalmologists after 8 years, when children can already use them on their own. There are no restrictions on such products, but up to the age of eight, the responsibility for the safety of using lenses rests with the parents.

When especially severe forms myopia, astigmatism, children are prescribed daily rigid gas-permeable lenses, but this happens extremely rarely and only as directed by an ophthalmologist.

Lenses improve the quality of vision, do not distort the color and size of the surrounding world.
Their constant and correct wearing stops the development of myopia, and even completely restores vision.
Lenses do not cause discomfort, aesthetic inconvenience, do not limit motor activity children.

Why lenses and not glasses?

Children are very mobile, at such moments it is difficult to avoid falling, injuring the face and eyes. This is very scary, and therefore doctors are trying to select more gentle analogues - these are contact lenses.

In addition, the circle of vision is limited in glasses, and in lenses the field of vision is full, the child sees the surrounding objects in their natural form, shape and color, and the distance to them does not increase or decrease, as is the case with glasses.

Girls often ask their parents to buy colored lenses that can change their eye color and improve their vision. Experts say that this should not be done. Colored lenses can change the eyes, but in this way they become tougher than ordinary ones.

Wearing such lenses can cause irritation, discomfort of the eyeball, and therefore eye health should be an order of magnitude higher than beauty! If the child does not understand this, you need to take him to a doctor who can explain such serious things to him.

How to improve eyesight?

From how a person’s eyes look, sometimes his whole image depends. Tired, dull eyes, even in the presence of a beautiful well-groomed skin they will give the face a haggard look, completely crossing out all the care efforts, and no make-up of the eyes and the whole face can correct the situation.

In order for the eyes to shine and attract the views of other people, you need to take care of them. Of course, it's great when a person has the opportunity to have a good night's sleep, relax, not strain his eyes, sitting all day in front of a computer monitor. But if there are no such possibilities, then you need to contact the latest achievements in the field of medical technology.

Not so long ago, the healing techniques of the ancient Chinese were adopted and brought to perfection, appearing in the form of eye massagers, the technology of which is a combination of magnetic and mechanical effects on acupuncture points around eyes.

essence this massage is that under the influence of external magnetic field metabolism is activated in the tissues, the nutrition of tissues and organs, their oxygen saturation is enhanced.

These eye massagers are presented in the form of glasses that are tightly worn on the head, their shape is the result of a computer program simulation that takes into account all the nuances of the structure of the periocular region, as well as the location of important acupuncture points in this zone.

Glasses have on inner surface special massage fingers made of hypoallergenic silicone, equipped with powerful permanent magnets. Inside the massager there is a micromotor that ensures the fingers work with the necessary intensity and frequency, the program can be selected depending on the problem to be eliminated.

To enhance the relaxing effect, most models have built-in melodies in the form of nature sounds.

Women purchase these glasses more often than men, since one of their functions is to reduce the depth of existing wrinkles in the eye area, as well as reduce the appearance of circles under the eyes and bags.

When using the device every day for five minutes with the additional imposition of special cosmetics increases skin elasticity and reduces age-related changes.

It is also possible to improve sleep by turning on the device for 5-10 minutes immediately before going to bed. Perhaps even some improvement in the function of vision, relaxation of the eye muscles.

Stimulation of the blood circulation of the periocular zone by this massager can significantly improve the condition and appearance of the eyes.

Conclusion!

Take care of your eyesight from a young age, eat right, wear eye lenses correctly, without harm to your health! Do not self-medicate, but trust your vision only to specialists!

Contact lenses, which are soft and hard, decorative and cosmetic, are a fairly common ophthalmic product. Adults, in the absence of significant contraindications to wearing, are happy to resort to this method. At what age can children wear lenses?

A small child cannot yet control himself like an adult. And given that the lens is placed directly in the eye on the iris, it is difficult to keep track of the safety of the baby. Experts say that, in extreme cases, children can wear contact lenses from the age of eight. With serious refractive errors and congenital anomalies of the eye, contact lenses are prescribed even for babies up to a year old. Under standard conditions, ophthalmic agents of this type are prescribed only from the age of fourteen.

The contact method of correcting a child's vision can be applied in the case of therapeutic and preventive measures of such ophthalmic problems:

myopia (nearsightedness) - can help stop the development of the disease;
hypermetropia (farsightedness) - in lenses the child feels more confident than in glasses, they give a more accurate picture of the surrounding objects;
astigmatism - lenses can prevent the development of strabismus, amblyopia;
anisometropia - wearing lenses prevents the development of the "lazy eye" syndrome;
amblyopia - special lenses with a foggy effect are aesthetically more attractive than glasses with one closed glass (children really do not like to look like a "pirate");
aphakia.

Causes of age restrictions for wearing contact lenses

The human eye is the only organ that from birth to last days life does not change in size. So, no matter how old, children can wear lenses in the same way as adults? Although eyeball does not change during the period of growth of the child, some developmental processes still occur. The cornea of a child's eye develops until about 7-14 years of age. The constant wearing of contact lenses, which are still a foreign body, can affect the normal course of this process. Therefore, when selecting soft lenses, the radius of curvature is taken into account.

The second reason for the age limit is the same inability of the child to be responsible for compliance with the rules for wearing soft lenses. It is difficult for a young child to follow the rules for caring for an ophthalmic product, which, moreover, should be put on and taken off daily, cleaned and changed in a timely manner. True, there are cases when even a ten-year-old child copes with tasks quite independently. All this is individual.

Soft contact lenses are transparent hemispheres made of special materials. The range also includes products with decorative properties. At what age can a child wear colored lenses? At least from 8, if you really want to, ideally, if the child waits until 14. There is no difference for the eye between clear and colored lenses. The only difference is an artificial change in the color or tone of the iris.

Read also:

The Bates Method of Restoring Vision: Eye Exercises

We select contact lenses for a child

vision problems recent times increasingly diagnosed in early age. For the most part, this is due to the influence of computers and other on-screen electronics, the school. An ophthalmologist prescribes glasses for children with farsightedness and myopia. Many are very painful about this, afraid of becoming an object of ridicule. So parents are asked to buy contact lenses.

children school age a contractual vision correction method may be suitable if there is motivation. As a rule, after 1-3 months, a small user adapts to cope with the tasks of using and caring for lenses on his own. On the part of parents, only vigilance and control is required.

As we have already found out, there is no difference between wearing regular or colored lenses. And for a child, contact correction with a decorative effect can become original way self-expression. In ophthalmology offices for contact correction of vision, products intended for schoolchildren and adolescents are usually on sale.

You can start with soft one-day lenses. The product does not require compliance with care and storage measures. Every day the child unpacks a new pair, and in the evening the used product is simply disposed of. Lenses are sold individually, so there will be no problems with replacement. In addition, replacing lenses is sometimes cheaper than ordering a new pair of glasses.

Over time, you can switch to products with a wearing period of 7 to 30 days. Here you already need to follow the rules for caring for contact lenses and change them in a timely manner. From soft lenses for long-term wear, and even more so those that do not require daily removal, it is better to childhood refuse.

The first time the lenses should be worn for 2-3 hours, so that the eyes get used to the new conditions. Every day you can add 30-60 minutes. Wear no longer than 10-12 hours in a row for 38% hydrophilic lenses, 15 hours for 70-80% hydrophilic lenses.

When choosing lenses for a child, pay attention to a number of criteria that the product must meet. Main criterion- a high level of oxygen enrichment of the eye, because the cornea constantly needs a fresh supply of air. If the product interferes with the supply of oxygen, hypoxia of the eye tissues develops. Doctors recommend wearing lenses in childhood with high air permeability.

It is better to choose hydrogel options that are suitable for the emerging cornea. However, sometimes doctors allow you to wear lenses from the age of 6-7, if the baby can put on, take off and care for them on his own.

Teaching your child how to use contact lenses is not difficult.

Children from 7-8 years old can wear disposable products, which is much more convenient to use. Over time, you can teach your child to use reusable lenses. Gradually, children will learn to take them off and put them in a special container.

How to choose the right

Properly selected contact lenses will help the eye grow without deformation and deviations. An ophthalmologist will help you choose a product and determine how old it can be used.

There are 8 stages for choosing lenses for children of school and preschool age:

Examination of the child on a special lamp to exclude situations in which it is contraindicated to wear lenses.
Establishing the characteristics of the eyes for choosing a probe (diameter, curvature of the cornea is determined).
Setting the angle of refraction of light rays in optical system eyes.
Checking the child's vision and establishing the reasons for the deviation.
Trying on a lens to determine whether it is comfortable to wear, the degree of mobility, measuring visual acuity.
The measurement of optical power is carried out after establishing the refraction of light rays in the eye along with the lens.
Fitting and searching for an option where the necessary centering and level of visual acuity is achieved.
Explaining to the child and his parents the rules for using the product.

It is the responsibility of the ophthalmologist to make sure the parents can remove the lens from the child's eye.

Soft for daytime wear

Soft lenses for vision correction, which are designed for daily wear, can be worn from the age of 8. At this age, it is already possible to form a care skill in children, teach them to take off and dress correctly.

The main advantages of soft contact lenses for daily wear:

Improve vision in children, will not cause distortion of shapes and colors;
Prevent further deterioration of vision, restore to normal;
The child can wear them, while actively moving and playing sports;
The level of perception is not disturbed, the child's vision develops normally.

Rigid contact lenses for children are prescribed for a number of serious illnesses- high degree.

Night hard

During the night they change the shape of the cornea. In the morning, after removal, the shape of the cornea does not change and you can do without additional correction all day. Night lenses to restore vision significantly reduce the risk of myopia in childhood. The use of orthokeratological agents helps to correct the level of vision and stop the development of myopia in childhood.

Orthokeratological correction means have a number of advantages over analogues and glasses:

Allow not to correct vision in the daytime;
Can be driven active image life, to train without experiencing discomfort;
Parents help to put it on in the evening and take it off in the morning;
Night lenses pass oxygen well;
A child who refuses glasses feels comfortable in the company of peers.

Previously, in order to stop the growth of myopia, one had to resort to medical techniques. Therapy was carried out with the help of drops, but the benefits were short-term, and the discomfort was significant. With the use of night contact lenses, children have the opportunity to study and play sports, and not spend time in the clinic.

Perifocal

Perifocal lenses for children are made using the special Perifocal technology and help to correct the central and peripheral refraction of light rays. There are also multifocal products.

There are several types of perifocal lenses:

"Perifocal M" - can be worn with myopia in progressive stages. The mechanism of work is to limit the growth of the eye.
"Perifocal H" - is prescribed for if the child already had this pathology at birth.
"Perifocal P" - used for prevention.

The selection of lenses for children is carried out by gradually increasing the refraction so that ultimately maximum vision is achieved. For those who have myopia, the ophthalmologist prescribes a lens with minimal refraction. With farsightedness, on the contrary, maximum refraction is necessary.

For one day wear

The best option for a child is lenses that are worn for only one day. Daily lenses possess high level safety, they do not need to be supervised. They are used starting from the morning rise, and just thrown out before going to bed. If the child can maintain hygiene, then the ophthalmologist will allow you to wear permanent lenses. Disposable in without fail taken before daytime or nighttime sleep.

colored

In order for lenses for vision correction to be visible to children in a colorless solution, colored analogues can also be prescribed. There is an opinion that paint is harmful to health. In fact, the pigment does not cause any harm to the eyes and has the necessary safety standard. The paint is between the polymer parts and does not come into contact with the eye.

Before purchasing, it is important to choose an option that matches the color of the eyes. Do not worry that the children will look stupid or defiant, because colored lens copies the contour of the iris. To constantly wear contact lenses, you can choose a natural shade, and for holidays and celebrations - original colors.

How to put on

At first, parents will have to be nervous to explain to their children how to put on contact lenses. Devices feel like foreign body, hence a number of inconveniences arise, but as you get used to it, the discomfort will disappear.

Detailed instructions on how to put on lenses:

To wash hands;
Open the package;
Get the lens and determine where is the front and where is the back;
Position on the right hand so that the convex part is located on the finger;
Lower the lower eyelid with the same hand;
Eyes look up;
Lower the lens onto the sclera of the lower part of the eyeball;
Remove finger;
Lower your eyes down to center your gaze;
Let go of the eyelid;
Blink a couple of times to secure.

When using for the first time and lack of experience, you can ask a specialist for help.

If the product has defects, then it can not be worn. If a manufacturing defect is found, the product must be changed at the pharmacy. You can not wear more time than specified in the instructions, otherwise vision will not be restored, but worsen.

How to quickly withdraw

To quickly get rid of the lenses, you need to perform a number of simple manipulations:

First of all, it is important to wash your hands thoroughly;
Prepare the container and fill it with a special liquid;
Post middle finger in the center of the century;
Touch the lens with your index finger and, gently pressing, lower it into the lower part of the sclera;
Grab the optical product so that it falls into the part between the thumb and forefinger, then remove it;

After removal, immediately lower into a special liquid, each in its own part of the container. Wash your hands again and apply drops containing a tear substitute.

How to care for lenses

For care, it is necessary to purchase special solutions, preferably from the same manufacturer, since incompatible components lead to material deformation. Always empty the container after putting on the lenses, then refill.

Do not use tap water or distilled water as a solution, as well as other liquids not intended for such purposes.

Instruct children that lenses are for one person only and should never be shared with friends or family members. It is forbidden to swim in pools, rivers and other bodies of water, so as not to infect.

Be sure to inform the ophthalmologist about medicines used by the child. Substances contained in some drops can lead to the destruction and deformation of the product.

Possible complications and consequences

Failure to comply with the rules for the use of vision correction products may result in the following consequences:

The cornea starts to swell. Insufficient oxygen permeability of the material when worn leads to edema. Vision deteriorates, surrounding objects become blurred.
Damage to blood vessels in the eyes. Lack of oxygen, incorrect selection and violation of the integrity of the lens lead to corneal injuries.
The appearance of infections. If you do not take care of the product, then ulcers and microtraumas may appear on the cornea.
Allergies can occur in children who wear optical aids all the time.

Contact lenses are transparent small hemispheres that are put directly on the cornea of the eye. Their purpose:

vision correction;
cosmetic effect.

What are lenses?

There are two types - soft, which are used in ophthalmology in 90% of cases, and tough.

Soft needed for vision correction. They are used for therapeutic, prophylactic and cosmetic purposes - they are prescribed for various degrees:

myopia;
hypermetropia (farsightedness);
astigmatism;
aphakia - a violation after the removal of a congenital or traumatic cataract;
anisometropia - a different percentage of vision in the left and right eyes;
amblyopathy - shutdown by the brain of the functions of the worse seeing eye due to anisometropia.

Therapeutic tough orthokeratolytic lenses (OK lenses) for night use are prescribed to give a flatter shape to the cornea, as a result of which the angle of refraction of rays on the retina is corrected to normal. In this case, vision becomes normal for the whole next day.

In addition, they are cosmetic and decorative.

Decorative can be worn for a shocking change in shape or appearance pupil and iris in the form geometric shapes, various drawings.

Cosmetic change the color of the iris. Manufactured by:

translucent - slightly changing the shade of the natural color of the iris;
opaque - drastically changing color.

Characteristics and types of soft lenses

They have two main quality characteristics:

Keep water inside.
Provide oxygen access to the corneal mucosa.

Kinds:

Hydrogel- made of polymers that can absorb water (up to 70%) and change their properties depending on the amount of liquid absorbed - the more absorbed, the softer the coating becomes and the more oxygen is delivered to the mucous membrane.
Silicone hydrogel- innovative, with corrective parameters, degree of softness, ability to pass oxygen, regardless of the percentage of liquid in them.

Important parameters

External shape, dimensions, physical, corrective and medicinal properties defined by the following characteristics:

material used;
radius of curvature;
design and shape (spherical, toric, multifocal);
diameter;
cylinder axis;
optical correction power (in diopters);
thickness of the center and edges;
maximum wearing mode and frequency of replacement.

At what age and which lenses can children wear?

Made for children special day soft and night, harder, OK lenses. Only an ophthalmologist has the right to prescribe, determine the appropriate type and parameters. His responsibilities also include teaching the rules of use, as well as regular monitoring of vision during the entire time they are worn, the selection of other corrective parameters in case of improvement or deterioration.

It is very important to choose exactly the right size, shape and required optical properties. This can only be done with special equipment. At the same time, even if the most accurate examination data are observed, the final choice should take place after fitting, checking the convenience and accuracy of the corrective effect.

For children, it is preferable to choose disposable ones that do not require hygienic cleaning and disinfection. When using lenses of frequent (1-2 weeks or a month) planned replacement, the risk of infection of the eyes increases if they are not properly cared for. A longer period of wearing children are not assigned.

Soft with corrective and healing effect recommended by ophthalmologists children over 8 years old able to use them correctly. Age restrictions for their appointment is not, but until the age of eight, the responsibility for the safety of use rests with the parents. After all, they must be removed before going to bed, properly cleaned and placed in a special container for their storage. Children younger age may not always follow these rules exactly.
It is extremely rare and only with especially severe forms of myopia, astigmatism, with keratoconus, children are prescribed day rigid gas-permeable(GGP).

Main advantages

They improve the quality of vision without distorting the natural shapes, colors, sizes of objects in the surrounding world.
Their constant wearing can stop the development of myopia, improve and even restore vision to normal.
In addition, they do not cause discomfort, aesthetic inconvenience, do not limit motor activity during sports.
The positive difference from glasses is that they provide the correct perception of the surrounding world by the children's brain and do not interfere with the normal physiological development eye. All these properties are extremely important for correction.

Night

allergic, inflammatory or psychological intolerance;
speed or water sports that may dry out the lens or accidentally wash it off with water;
significant progression of myopia;
astigmatism - deformation of the cornea or lens;
Keratoconus is a cone-shaped thinning of the cornea of the eye.

Therapeutic, corrective and preventive efficacy of OK night lenses latest generation is a proven fact.

The main condition for the success of their application is an ideally accurate individual selection according to all the main parameters.

plus is also the suspension of the development of myopia, a high probability of permanent improvement in vision, a long period of operation (from six months to a year).

Cons:

the high cost of such lenses and the services of an ophthalmologist;
an unpleasant feeling of presence in the eye of a foreign body until falling asleep;
possible deterioration in the perception of the picture (fuzziness, doubling) during the first two weeks of getting used to them.

After a period of addiction, unpleasant phenomena should disappear. If a side effects are observed in the future, then the ophthalmologist must decide whether to replace the incorrectly selected night lenses for free, or to cancel them and return the entire amount of money spent on them to the parents.

How to teach to use?

The initial training of the child and his parents in the basic rules of putting on lenses, their safe wearing, removal, processing and storage takes place in the ophthalmologist's office. In the future, the responsibility of the parents is to control the observance of these rules, help him in everything, until the full development of all actions. It is very important to remove soft lenses in the evening, as during sleep there is a danger of them falling deep under upper eyelid. It is very difficult to get them out of there.

How to wear

1. Wash your hands with soap and dry them with a disposable paper towel or tissue.
2. Remove from the container, put the lens on forefinger right hand.
3. Pull back slightly the lower and upper eyelids with the fingers of the left hand.
4. Carefully bring your index finger to the center of the eye and lightly touch the cornea. The lens should stick to the mucosa on its own.
5. Let go of the raised eyelids and blink, helping her to fall into place.

How to withdraw

1. Wash and dry your hands.
2. Drop eyes with a moisturizing solution.
3. Take right hand a special stick with a suction cup, and with the fingers of the left - slightly pull the eyelids.
4. Touch the suction cup to the center of the lens and pull gently.

Cleaning rules

1. Rinse under clean running water, scrubbing lightly with fingers.
2. Install it in the container holder, then dip it into the solution (preferably multifunctional) to disinfect and store it.
3. Close container.

Contraindications

Contraindications for use are:

inflammatory diseases of the eyes and eyelids;
traumatic damage to the cornea;
allergic intolerance to lens materials;
some diseases of the CNS.

How old do you have to be to wear lenses? A question that interests many. Lenses are a great alternative to glasses. They are comfortable, practical, not felt. Some pluses. However, at what age you can wear lenses is a question that needs to be answered.

Age restrictions

Age restrictions exist. How old are lenses? Specialist doctors give the go-ahead to wear this invention from the age of 14. The thing is that by the age of 14 a person has already completely formed. At this age, it is equal in size to the cornea of any adult. So wearing lenses will not be able to affect its successful development.

However, it is worth noting that 14 years is not an unequivocal answer to the question of how old you can wear lenses. There are exceptions, as elsewhere. Lenses can also be prescribed for children. They have a special, small size. However, they are ordered in special centers with an ophthalmological profile. Otherwise, children under the age of 14 must wear glasses when

From what age can you wear lenses - clearly. Now we should talk about how to wear them correctly, what care is needed, etc.

Lens care

Many people think that wearing lenses is easy. Yes, it is, there really is nothing supernatural in the process of wearing, because this is a very thin material that is comfortable to the eye and is not felt at all. However, the lenses need careful care to ensure they last a long time and are comfortable to wear, and not to spoil your eyesight.

First of all. Lenses should be selected by a doctor. In fact, an ophthalmologist can find answers to many questions of interest: "at what age are lenses worn", "what solution is better to use", "for how many months you can wear them", etc.

An ophthalmologist, before prescribing lenses, performs diagnostics using modern equipment. After that, a prescription is written. According to it, you need to order lenses, but only in a special store or in optics. Before you start using them, you should read the instructions. Usually in optics, when they give out lenses, they teach how to put them on correctly. Someone succeeds immediately, someone needs to practice - it all depends on the skills. Some simply experience a vague fear - that a foreign body will be in the eye. However, after this very "foreign body" gets on the surface of the eye, you immediately forget about all the fear. At first it may be unusual that everything is well and clearly visible without glasses, as if with "native vision", but then you get used to it.

Matter of habit

Get used to the lenses gradually. On the first day they need to be worn for an hour, on the second for two, on the third for three, and so on in ascending order. Thus, both the eye and the person get used to it. The solution in the container where the lenses are to be stored must be changed daily. If, of course, for three days, for example, they did not dress, you can leave it. The expiration date of the solution and lenses should be monitored. There are those that can be worn for a month, there are also three-month, daily. For every taste, as they say. However, the main thing is to change it in time, otherwise you can ruin your eyesight or damage your eyes.