A small child and contact lenses are a moment that worries many parents. Is it not harmful? How to choose? How to care? It turns out that there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of. In addition to aesthetic and corrective functions, lenses perform many others. Points, for example, are uncomfortable. They can break, break, dust and mist. Active children they can interfere if the child loves outdoor games, sports. When practicing sports and artistic gymnastics glasses are difficult to hold on the bridge of the nose, in hockey it is difficult to combine them with a protective helmet. Contact lenses - a worthy, in some ways even superior to the glasses alternative. They give a feeling of maximum comfort, in them a small child sees much better. The extra space between the eye and the glass disappears. The contact lens creates a single optical system, and therefore does not limit the field of view and does not distort objects from the side, does not change the size of the image. Only lenses will help cope with myopia or farsightedness of both eyes, if it exceeds 2 diopters. Contact lenses are prescribed for children and adolescents with various refractive disorders, as well as if they have amblyopia, aphakia (absence of the lens), or when the eyeglass correction fails. The lens is used as a correcting and therapeutic (after laser operations). In addition, it is indispensable when you need to cover the cornea with a protective film, as well as for some dystrophic diseases of the cornea (when the cornea is very sensitive and needs additional protection). A lens is used (but only a planned replacement) and as a therapeutic lens after wearing a traditional replacement lens. It allows you to return the normal metabolism in the cornea, the person continues to wear contact lenses.
Lenses for preschool children
10-12 years - the age when a child can consciously and competently carry out wearing and proper care of lenses. However, if there is a need, then you can start with a year. But this should be decided only by the doctor. Such early wearing of contact lenses can be caused if, in congenital myopia, the difference between the eyes is slightly larger than three diopters, or a baby with congenital cataracts carried out removal of the cloudy lens. But keep in mind that in this case, the load for care and putting on the lenses completely lie on your shoulders.
How to choose the right lens
Despite today's huge selection of lenses, select them only after consulting a doctor. There is such a thing as individual tolerance. Each small child has a certain shape of the cornea of the eye, according to which it is worth choosing the shape of the lens. The initial reasons why a doctor can prescribe lenses can be many. Everything depends on the disease. With an incorrectly selected lens, the eye can become irritated, inflamed, sick. In addition, it is extremely rare, but still there may be an allergic reaction. A feature of the child's eyes is the presence of a lower sensitivity of the cornea than in adults. That is why the child needs to choose contact lenses with a high coefficient of acid-to-permeability (Dk / L), the so-called silicone-hydrogel lenses. This polymer material allows you to completely conserve the metabolism in the cornea, less accumulates pollution, bacteria. Such lenses have no restrictions in wearing over time during the day, and even 30 days. However, for children of all ages, it is preferable to use a day regimen for wearing contact lenses. So you are less likely to injure the child's eye or face any complication due to improper wearing. There are cases when the lens is undesirable to often remove or it is impossible. Then the lenses with the round-the-clock mode of wearing come to the rescue.
Contact lenses for routine replacement
These lenses have a service life of one to three months. Perhaps, this is their main advantage over traditional lenses. You get a pair of cleaner contact lenses and, accordingly, keep your eyes healthy. This significantly reduces the likelihood that you will use damaged contact lenses. But the most pleasant is the price-quality ratio.
One- or two-week contact lenses
They are also called lenses of frequent scheduled replacement. It is convenient for those who do not want to remove the lens at the time of sleep and is a good choice for wearing in the daytime mode. The use of a more frequent mode of changing contact lenses leads to a decrease in the likelihood of the development of deposits.
One-day contact lenses
They need to be worn for one day and then discarded. This is an example of one of the most convenient and safe types of contact lenses. They do not require care. Ideal for those who do not wear lenses all the time, but only wear them from time to time - for sports, for example. These lenses maximally reduce the likelihood of irritation, redness and eye trauma. They do not cause allergies, because the reaction most often occurs not on the lens itself, but on a solution that contains chemicals. There is no need to use a solution. Often, eye surface diseases and allergy manifestations in a young child are provoked by deposits on contact lenses. There can be no deposits here - the child always puts on a new lens.
Tinted or colored lenses
With the help of tinted lenses, the shade of light eyes is amplified or changed. When placed on dark eyes, they are almost invisible. They differ in that they look very natural, and are usually produced in three colors - blue, green and turquoise. Color lenses have a more intense color, imitating the iris of the eye, and easily change the color of even the darkest eyes. Due to higher density can cause discomfort. Color and toning contact lenses are harmless to the eyes. But think, do they need a child? And what for you lenses - correction of vision or desire to start after the fashion?
How to care for lenses
First of all, you need to comply with hygiene. Wash your hands with soap and then take the lenses. Please note that the hand towel should not contain villi. Store the lens in a closed container at room temperature. Do not clean the lens with saliva or water. Special solution must be changed every evening. Now they produce very high-quality multifunctional, or, as they are called, universal solutions, which allow minimizing the care of lenses. Such solutions should contain a disinfectant, an enzyme system (for deeper cleaning of lenses), a preservative that will allow the liquid to be stored for a long time. A humectant is also important in solution, especially for silicone hydrogel lenses. It will be superfluous to sometimes drop an enzyme tablet into the solution with lenses. It will clean and disinfect the lenses. Never double the same solution or solution with expired shelf life.
Moisturize the eyes. Dry eye syndrome is very common. There are a lot of external factors that cause a moisture deficit. A lens - a foreign body, which requires additional moisture and loses moisture. "Take a shower" your lenses will help special drops.
Do not over-fill the lens - they will harm your eyes. And you can not determine the period of wearing a lens based on your own feelings. In people who wear lenses long enough (and even more so if the children), the sensitivity of the cornea is reduced. So do not skimp on your eyes and change lenses as often as possible.
Taboo when wearing lenses
Do not wear lenses in the sauna and bath. For the pool, the lenses are not a hindrance. There are special sealed goggles for swimming that will protect the eyes from water and will not allow them to wash out the lenses.
It is not allowed to contact aerosol, hot steam or vapor of paint products.
Do not wear lenses for a cold. When a person falls ill, the vessels expand, the tear ceases to circulate under the lens and its stagnation forms (it seems to be sucked to the eye). Moreover, the lens can quickly become infected.
Careful parents should:
1. To learn how to put on contact lenses with children (he often needs outside help).
2. Be able to clean and store contact lenses.
3. Make sure that contact lenses are replaced in time.
4. Control the correct use, cleaning and facetting of contact lenses.
5. Make sure that the lens does not cause any undesirable phenomena.
6. Ensure that the child does not do what is contraindicated, (rub eyes, for example).
However, modern children quite often are not in the years smart and responsible. Therefore, most often for a small child contact lenses are not something exotic. For them wearing a lens does not cause difficulties. Their regular putting on and taking off are quite feasible actions for the child. Only practice is needed. And even the preschooler can do it himself, without resorting to the help of adults. And if your child is uncomfortable or uncomfortable, do not worry - he will immediately let you know.