The Benefits of Youth Wearing Contact Lenses

Have you come to the point where you can't decide whether or not to let you child make the decision to wear contact lenses?  In this informative guest post they have outlined many points that you might want to take into consideration!

Deciding when and if it is a good time for your kids to switch from glasses to contacts can be a difficult choice. Fortunately, the decision seems to be easier than once thought because recent studies support that contact lenses greatly increase a child’s quality of life. It has been shown that there are undeniable benefits like self-assurance, peer acceptance, athletic advantages, safety, and less financial responsibility If your little one is hankering to make the transition, be reassured that it can be both easy and safe.

While we want our kids to be proud of who they are, regardless of whether they sport frames or not, studies show that children have an increased self-esteem when wearing contact lenses instead of glasses. A contact lenses by Dr. Jeffrey Walline for the American Academy of Optometry concluded that children who utilize contact lenses had an improved self-perception (how much a child likes him/herself) after just one month of use. These improvements carried for over three years and, according to the study, stemmed from feelings about physical appearance, athletic competence, and social acceptance.

Moreover, Walline’s study found that contact lenses led to heightened academic success. One explanation that was provided to explain this is  that the participating children who wore glasses might have taken them off while in the classroom with peers, consequently causing them to struggle when seeing the board or taking notes. Unfortunately, this concern over appearance ends up conflicting with the success of some children.

No matter what level of athletics children play, their glasses are often at risk of falling off or being destroyed. This can cause any number of problems and can be a detrimental distraction for children trying to keep their glasses on during games. With contact lenses, there is no danger of glasses getting stepped on or worse, scratching the face or eyes if broken during an activity.  The British Contact Lens Association has found that contacts improve athletic performance over frames because children can see better peripherally, lenses do not fog up, depth perception is better, and magnification is more consistent as contacts, unlike glasses, do not shift around while moving. One common question in regards to contacts and sports is whether or not the physical exertion and speed will cause eyes to become dry. There are options like the Acuvue TruEye found contact lenses that are specifically designed to lubricate the eye and even provide UV protection. Furthermore, there are eye drops specifically designed to accommodate individuals that wear contacts, like Systane.

Worried about hygiene and potential infections? Make sure you have a written calendar by your child’s mirror that helps him or her remember which dates to switch out the lenses on. An alternative to having your child regularly clean the contacts is to buy 1-day versions that are tossed each night and replaced with a new set in the morning. What’s great about this option is that, if the contact goes missing, you’re not out hundreds of dollars; if glasses get lost or are shattered, the price tag is much heftier.

According to a study by the American Optometry Association, eye doctors are more likely than ever to recommend switching from glasses to contacts. While there are rare cases where children cannot wear contact lenses due to eye problems, the majority of children over the age of 8 are able to at least consider lenses as an option. Clearly the benefits are many, but ultimately it is up to the parent, child, and eye doctor to determine if contact lenses are the best choice for them.