Contact Lens Tips for Your Grand Children

Contacts aren’t just for adults. Children can wear them too! Not only does it help with their vision, but it can also boost self-esteem especially for pre-teens and teens. Proper care must be taken with contact lens usage, and grandparents can be involved to a certain extent in the beginning. 

Here are 12 tips for children who wish to wear contact lenses – 

1. Don’t be afraid: Despite all the horror stories, contact lenses are safe as long as you follow what your doctor tells you. Make sure to wash your hands, use lint-free towels and avoid sleeping in them and you should be fine. 
2. Follow protocol: Contact lenses are not meant to be worn for long or extended hours. Make sure to remind yourself to take them off and circle in the date to throw them out when they are expired. 
3. Ask an adult for help: If you find that are unable to get your lenses on right or that it is causing you any irritation, ask your parents for help. Mild cases of irritation can happen if you switch the right and left eye lenses or you are prone to allergies. 
4. Keep your lenses away from water: Do not shower with your lenses or get into swimming pools or hot tubs. Unfiltered water carries a bacteria that can cause serious infections in your eye and you can even end up losing your vision. 
5. Never use saliva: Only use the re-wetting drops and lens cleaning solution prescribed by your doctor. Don’t use your saliva to clean the lenses. 
6. Keep your contact lens case clean: Rinse your contact lens case with the solution – not water – and dry it with a clean tissue. 
7. Replace your case every 3 months: Your contact lens case becomes the breeding ground for bacteria. Throw it away after 3 months and get a new one. Set a reminder for this so that you don’t forget.
8. Don’t top off solution: Never mix the fresh and used solution together. Only use fresh solution. This can cause severe irritations, blurred vision, and cloudy vision.
9. Don’t use off-brand solution: Only use the solution recommended by your doctor. Off-brand solution may cause your lens to react adversely and cause blurred vision, redness or watering. 
10. Don’t swap your colored lenses: Even if you have non-prescription Bella color contact lenses, don’t swap them with your friends. Your contact lenses aren’t designed for someone else’s eyes. Not only can this cause an infection but your lenses may also have a micro tear if you do this. 
11. Get a prescription for colored lenses: You may want the latest Bella elite collection but remember that lenses are medical devices at the end of the day. Without a prescription and a proper fitting, you may end with a corneal abrasion which can cause severe vision problems. 
12. Be prepared: Carry re-wetting drops, lens solution and a pack of disposables when you’re going away on a trip. Also, remember to carry a pair of backup pair of eyeglasses in case your luggage goes missing.