Age is just a number to wear contact lenses.
What is the right age for children to wear contact lenses?
Children are naturally good candidates to wear contact lenses as that they are highly motivated. School performance and physical activity may improve with contact lens wear.
The American Optometric Association (AOA) Research and Information Centre conducted a survey method study in 2010 reported about 97% of optometrists in US fitted contact lens for patients under aged 18. Nearly 41% of optometrists taught children from aged 8-17 to wear contact lenses.
Factors that parents can consider their children to wear contact lenses:
Responsible and mature. Children who can handle responsibilities without parents’ supervision are likely to wear contact lenses. Some can handle contact lenses better than adults.
#eyeglasses intolerance. Children who experience headaches with eye glasses might benefit from contact lens wear.
#goodhygiene habits. Contact lens wear requires a strict regimen, if the child has good hygiene practices, he/she is a good candidate.
Active in sports. Imagine eye glasses fog up and fall off during the sports activity. Children that are involved in contact sports like rugby, soccer and ice hockey are advisable to wear contact lenses instead of eyeglasses.
5. Â Myopia control. Myopia control is a treatment option to slow down the progression of myopia (shortsightedness) by using specially designed customised rigid gas permeable lenses that are worn only at night and removed when awakening.
6. Improve self esteem. Recent news in Singapore reported a 34-year-old motivational speaker, Jessica Cox whose was born with no arms started to wear contact lenses with her feet at aged 16. The motivational speaker who has toured across most continents began learning taekwondo at aged 10, got a driving license and started to take flying lessons!
Age is just a number for contact lens wear.
Author and photo source by SG optometrist, Chua Yee Leen.