Selection of contact lenses for a child. Selection of contact vision correction products for a child

Most children with early age They begin to focus on their own appearance and do not want to stand out among their peers. If your child has vision problems (myopia, farsightedness or astigmatism) and he categorically refuses to wear glasses, you should not force him, because this can lead to the development of self-doubt and negatively affect communication with others. The best solution to the problem is to replace your glasses with contact lenses.

At what age can you wear contact lenses?

Ophthalmologists say that age is not a fundamental factor when using products contact correction vision. A child’s readiness to wear lenses is determined by his degree of independence and understanding of the need to care for them. Experts determine the average optimal age To start using lenses - 8-10 years. If children have vision problems at an earlier age, no one will limit you in choosing this method of vision correction. Sometimes ophthalmologists even one-year-old children are prescribed to wear contact lenses, similar cases Parents have to be very careful about their child’s eye hygiene and care for optical products themselves. Their main task in the future is to explain how to properly monitor eye health, care for lenses, and help in mastering these skills.

Selection of contact vision correction devices for a child and their advantageous differences from glasses

To choose the right contact lenses, you first need to consult an ophthalmologist. It will help to accurately determine the disease of the child’s eye organs and identify the parameters of his vision. Sometimes children need some time to adapt to the lenses. If the baby has not yet learned to use them, you need to contact a specialist who will give step by step instructions on the use of lenses. In addition to the child’s vision indicators, when choosing lenses, it is worth considering:

• the material from which they are made (use products made of soft and elastic material, since the time the eyes get used to the lenses and wearing comfort depend on it);
• moisture retention and breathability indicators (the higher they are, the safer and more hygienic the contact lenses);
• period of use (more than short period the use of lenses will facilitate easy care of them).

Since children are in constant motion, it is necessary to choose optical products that will be as stable as possible on the surface of the eye (this depends on the radius of curvature of the product, which is also determined by the doctor, and the material). This will allow the child to play active games and play sports, and you will not worry about the lens falling out. But even if this happens, buying lenses will cost much less than new glasses. In addition, these optical products, unlike glasses, provide a wider view, enhance the contrast and sharpness of image perception. With contact lenses, a teenager will no longer be ashamed of his appearance and will become more confident.

In order for a child’s first experience of using contact lenses to be successful, it is important that they are selected correctly. We offer our short list of optical salons in Moscow, where they cope with this task with five points.

Is your child obsessed with wearing contact lenses instead of glasses? There is nothing wrong with this, since the effectiveness and safety of contact vision correction in children has long been proven. But in order for a child’s first experience of using contact lenses to be successful, it is important that they are selected correctly. We present to your attention our short list of Moscow optical salons, where they cope with this task with five points.

Pediatric ophthalmology is one of the priority areas of activity of Optics-8, which is one of the oldest optical salons in Moscow. Here, experienced ophthalmologists go through all stages of contact lens selection with the child, starting with a vision test and ending with monitoring the young patient during the period of his adaptation to contact lenses. The selection procedure itself does not take much time. Diagnostics are carried out in a separate comfortable room, equipped with modern Japanese equipment. When selecting contact lenses, the doctor uses individual diagnostic lenses, which are provided to the patient free of charge. Upon completion of the selection, the nurse must teach both the parent and the child all manipulations with contact lenses, as well as proper care after them.
Optika-8 ophthalmologists specializing in pediatric ophthalmology are teachers of The Vision Care Institute, an international innovative educational center whose activities are aimed at improving the theoretical and practical skills of specialists in the field of contact vision correction, so that Optika-8 doctors are always in aware of the latest developments in the field of pediatric ophthalmology and actively use them in their practical activities.

In the network of optical salons "Optic City", the selection of contact lenses for children is today a fairly popular service. The deputy chief physician of the Optic City company, Evgenia Golubeva, told us about what caused its popularity: “At the present stage, the selection of contact lenses for children can be easily done in an optical salon, while high quality traditional contact lenses for routine replacement and, expanding the range of the line, the emergence of soft contact lenses for myopia control in most cases allows us to satisfy the refractive needs of children."
To a large extent, the demand for services in the network’s salons is facilitated by the fact that only experienced ophthalmologists with a specialization in contact vision correction work with children here. Before selecting contact lenses, they conduct a detailed examination of the child’s vision, examine him in conditions, and select glasses.
Equipping the network's salons with modern diagnostic devices, continuous training of employees to improve their skills, as well as the desire to meet international standards of optometry - all this ensures high quality of services provided to children.
The atmosphere in the network's salons is calmer and more comfortable than in many medical institutions, which appeals to both children and parents. “We spend a lot of time with our little patients, we don’t rush or rush them. Having a large arsenal of optical means, we can always choose the most suitable one for the child, which has a positive effect on the effectiveness of our work,” comments Evgenia Golubeva.
By the way, the list of services provided to children by Optic City specialists is not limited to the selection of glasses and contact lenses. On the basis of the network, for more than 15 years, a children’s vision care office has been operating, equipped with devices for pleopto-orthoptic treatment of children with progressive myopia. Over the past few years, a study of accommodative ability in myopia has been carried out using, as well as a study of peripheral refraction using an open-field autorefractometer. Optic City specialists were among the first in Moscow to begin working with “” spectacle lenses that correct peripheral refraction. In the Optic City salon on Zemlyanoy Val they carry out a specialized selection of prismatic correction, and in the salon on Bolshaya Polyanka a service is available for the selection of color spectacle lenses - .

A children's vision care office has been operating on the basis of the Optic City network for more than 15 years.

The atmosphere in the Optic City chain salons is calmer and more comfortable than in many medical institutions, which appeals to both children and parents

In the Optic City chain salons, only experienced ophthalmologists work with children

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* Detailed information about which specific salons of the Optic City network accept young patients and at what age can be found by clicking on.

In the Interoptika salon on Nakhimovsky Prospekt 63, contact lenses are selected for children over 14 years old. As the head of the diagnostics department, Irina Mikhailova, told our correspondent, this service is in demand. “Teenagers lead an active lifestyle, play sports, and often glasses are a hindrance to them. And for proper development visual analyzer complete and permanent correction of the refractive error is needed,” she notes.
In addition to the selection of contact lenses, the teenager will be asked to undergo a full ophthalmological examination under conditions of cycloplegia, which makes it possible to determine his refraction and identify the presence of a spasm of accommodation. Based on the results of the examination, the ophthalmologist (in the salon it is not optometrists, but ophthalmologists who work with children) will choose the optimal type of contact lenses, write a prescription for them and give recommendations for further observation. A prescription for glasses will also be issued.
A vision care room for children and teenagers will soon be opened at the salon.

In the Interoptika salon on Nakhimovsky Prospekt 63, contact lenses are selected for children over 14 years old

In the salon, children can undergo a full ophthalmological examination in conditions of cycloplegia

In the “Salon of Unusual Frames” - discount (Andropova Ave., 28), a service for selecting contact lenses for children from 7 years old is available. Children are seen here by ophthalmologists. The salon also has a vision protection room with a specialized set of therapeutic equipment for prevention and conservative treatment. therapeutic treatment myopia, farsightedness, astigmatism, strabismus, amblyopia. The doctor draws up a course of therapeutic treatment for each patient individually, taking into account the characteristics specific disease and is designed for 10 days. Procedures are carried out daily, using 2-4 devices , which takes about 30 minutes.
A wide range of services, including vision diagnostics, selection of glasses and soft contact lenses, treatment of children eye diseases, as well as the production of glasses of any complexity in a short time, creates for the salon those competitive advantages, which will be appreciated by the parents of young patients, and eventually by themselves.

In the “Salon of Unusual Frames” - discount (Andropova Ave., 28) not only adults, but also young patients are welcome

The salon has a vision care room with a set of therapeutic equipment for the prevention and therapeutic treatment of eye diseases

Patients with myopia, farsightedness, astigmatism, strabismus, and amblyopia can undergo treatment here using special devices

Children can benefit greatly from contact vision correction because contact lenses allow them greater freedom of movement, do not restrict their field of vision, and eliminate the need for glasses. So don’t delay your visit to a specialist who will select contact lenses for your child! Moreover, you already know where to turn.

Vision is nature’s greatest gift to man! The eyes serve to perceive the world around us; a person receives up to 80% of information through the organs of vision. Have good vision important, especially for children. Full development child's body, physical and psychological, is possible only in the absence of pathology of the visual organs. Unfortunately, it should be recognized that, according to WHO, up to 30% of the world's population has vision problems, 40% of this number are children.

Vision correction is carried out using glasses and contact lenses. But this method is not always convenient and comfortable in Everyday life child. Glasses or contact lenses for children interfere with active games, sports, and cause feelings of inferiority in the child. An alternative to glasses today is the advanced technology of vision restoration using corneal refractive therapy (orthokeratology). The essence of the method is the effect of a lens, worn at night, on the shape of the cornea of ​​the eye while a person sleeps.

Can children wear lenses?

Many parents are interested in whether it is possible to use night lenses for children? The answer is clear - yes! Ophthalmologists recommend night lenses for children aged six years and older. By using night lenses, it is possible to curb the development of myopia in children without astigmatism with a sphere of up to -6.00 and with astigmatism with a cylinder of up to -1.75 diopters. The method of restoring vision using orthokeratology is safe and quite effective. The approach to patients is very individual and the ophthalmologist selects contact lenses for children only after a thorough examination of the condition of the child’s visual organs, taking into account his age. Selecting lenses for children is an important stage and should be carried out by a doctor who has undergone special training. The doctor's monitoring of changes in vision in a patient wearing night lenses should be constant. Only in this case can the effectiveness of treatment be achieved. Night lenses for children are a great opportunity to lead an active lifestyle during the day, play sports, play outdoor games and not be constrained by constantly wearing glasses. Before you buy night lenses for your child, get examined by an ophthalmologist and listen to his recommendations!

Many parents ask ophthalmologists the question: can children wear lenses, and at what age can children wear lenses? Most doctors are confident that a child can use lenses from the age of 10. Many children, starting at this age, are quite capable of independently removing and putting on lenses, as well as fully caring for them.

Unfortunately, vision problems today concern not only older people. Increasingly, parents who are concerned about visual impairment in their child are turning to ophthalmologists. Computer, TV, mobile gadgets, poor quality food, burdened by poor heredity, lead to an early decrease in visual acuity in the child. Cases are also increasingly being diagnosed congenital anomalies in the development of visual organs. Just a few years ago the only solution The problem was the glasses. Today there are safe, comfortable and effective contact lenses for children. They not only help the child see better and learn more effectively, but also have a corrective effect. Which ones are better to choose, how to use them correctly, at what age contact lenses are prescribed - read on.

When to start using

If a child has vision problems, the first question that parents have is whether children can wear contact lenses (CLs) and at what age. Ophthalmologists do not see any obstacles to the use of this method of vision correction by children and adolescents. Age is not a contraindication. Is not medicinal product, which penetrates the blood and can affect the development internal organs and systems of the child.

It is much more important that children understand how important it is to maintain good hygiene when using contact lenses. A young patient must be old enough to be able to independently put on and take off lenses, wash them, and keep the container clean. If he is ready for this and understands all the responsibility, he can select lenses.

As shown medical practice, the contact method of vision correction is best prescribed to patients starting at the age of 14. But if the defect is detected earlier, parents have every right to choose contact lenses for their child. There are cases when this method of vision correction is prescribed even to infants. But in this case, of course, all manipulations and care of the devices are performed by the parents.

Research has proven that even an 8-year-old child can fully master the skills of using contact lenses after 1–3 months.

The most important thing is to teach your child to use them correctly and care not only for the lenses, but also for all the auxiliary tools. Physically, a child’s eyes tolerate CL just as easily as an adult’s eyes, from a fairly early age. It has been tested and proven through experience that children from eight to eleven years old can easily cope with all procedures. Difficulties usually do not arise, but if problems do arise, you can always contact an ophthalmologist for additional consultation or find the necessary information on the Internet.

Much depends on the parents. It is important not to repeat to the child: “You’re still small,” “You can’t handle it,” but to help him, gently remind him if he forgot to do something. Another important point that must also be taken into account when choosing children's contact lenses is the desire of the teenager himself to use them. He is the one who decides. Glasses have long been considered by young people as a trendy accessory, and not a reason for ridicule. Therefore, many teenagers, even with excellent vision, wear them every day. But if your child seriously suffers and has complexes from the fact that he has poor vision and is forced to wear glasses, there is every reason to think about switching to the contact method of vision correction.

For reference: according to statistics, eight out of ten children master the skills of using contact lenses within three months and use them as easily and automatically as a toothbrush or comb. Adults need almost the same period of time to adapt, so don’t underestimate a teenager’s neatness and organization.

Indications

Only a doctor can prescribe CL to a child after an examination; under no circumstances should you do this yourself. The main indications are as follows:

• Myopia (myopia) – today there are soft contact lenses that can correct myopia of any degree. But, unfortunately, they cannot stop its progression.
• Hypermetropia (farsightedness) - in comparison with glasses for farsightedness, lenses are much more physiological and safer. The child sees objects at a true distance in their true size, while glasses magnify and bring objects closer, which increases the risk of injury, especially on the street.
• Astigmatism – soft toric contact lenses make it possible to correct the defect up to 3 diopters.
• Anisometropia is the name given to a defect in which the refraction of the right and left eyes is different. If anisometropia is no more than two diopters, it can be successfully corrected with glasses; such a difference has almost no effect on the quality of life and visual acuity. If anisometropia exceeds three diopters, then the child begins to use the dominant eye, and impulses are more weak eye are suppressed and not perceived by the brain. A birth defect usually causes the development of amblyopia. For anisometropia high degree It is advisable to use soft CLs for vision correction.
• Amblyopia – corrected by placing a patch over the stronger eye, or covering it with an occluder. School-age children do not agree to do this for obvious reasons. Contact lenses invisible, they can be used to successfully carry out penalization: the better-seeing eye is artificially clouded, and thus amblyopia is treated.
• Aphakia – after removal of congenital or acquired cataracts, the optimal method of vision correction today is contact.

Any visual impairment in children and adolescents is an indication for the appointment of a contact method of correction

Contraindications to the use of CL are pathologies anterior segment eyes.

How to select a lens

The selection of contact lenses for children is carried out only by an ophthalmologist. If a child used glasses before deciding to use contact lenses, do not immediately abandon them. He will not be able to adapt to contact lenses in one day, and glasses will still come in handy.

The doctor will conduct full examination organs of vision of a small patient and tries on several different lenses before choosing the final, most optimal

Which lenses should you choose?

• For the children themselves younger age Doctors recommend daily lenses. This is due to the fact that they do not require any care, container, solution or tweezers. They do not need to be washed or cleaned. The child puts on lenses in the morning and throws them away in the evening. But not all parents can afford such costs. Cost is the only disadvantage of such lenses.
• As an alternative, lenses for fourteen or thirty days can be used - and this best option. In a month it will be clear whether the child is able to care for them in compliance with all hygiene rules or not. If everything is in order, you can continue to use them. If difficulties arise, that’s also okay - compared to six-month lenses, thirty-day ones don’t cost that much.
• For children over 14 years of age, after testing one-day or thirty-day lenses, long-term lenses can be recommended. But in this situation, the risk of infection in case of violations of hygiene rules increases significantly. A teenager should always have moisturizing eye drops, a spare container and tweezers with him.

The selection of lenses in the ophthalmologist's office is carried out in several stages.

1. First the doctor will examine outer part the child’s visual apparatus using special equipment. This is necessary in order to completely eliminate direct contraindications to the use of CL.
2. Next, all required parameters organs of vision to select the optimal trial lens. The doctor will measure the diameter and curvature of the cornea and determine the degree of visual impairment. After this, lenses for testing will be selected.
3. Then the specialist will help the child put on the lens and check the visual acuity in it. It is important to determine exactly how clearly the child sees, whether there are any distortions, and whether he feels discomfort. You will need to try on several different lenses to choose the most suitable one.

In conclusion, the doctor will tell parents and the little patient in detail how to properly use and care for contact lenses. The child will need to demonstrate how to remove and put on the lens independently so that the doctor can make sure that the information has been learned. If you have any questions, you should immediately contact your ophthalmologist. If everything is ok then routine examinations and consultations are held every six months. In the first six months, it is recommended to visit an ophthalmologist before each scheduled CL change to monitor visual acuity and eye condition.

Models for children

The same types of CL are offered for children as for adults. First of all, all lenses are divided into soft and hard. Rigid gas-permeable lenses are prescribed to children in extremely rare cases. They are usually needed if soft contact lenses do not provide the desired effect, for example, with severe myopia or keratoconus. Hard lenses require long period adaptations, they are felt before our eyes. The only benefit for baby and parents is that they can be worn for six months or more.

Children are usually prescribed soft CLs, ideal, modern and safe option– silicone hydrogel, daily or with scheduled replacement after 14–30 days

Most often, soft CLs are selected for children. Modern models are made from silicone hydrogel. They are highly breathable, which is important for comfort and eye health. The characteristics of conventional hydrogel lenses are slightly different, but they also do their job well and are well suited for children's eyes.

As for the duration of wearing, it was already mentioned above that the ideal option would be contact lenses with frequent scheduled replacement (from 14 to 30 days) or daily lenses. Don’t think that you can save money by buying a pair of lenses for six months at once.

• Firstly, as you use it optical characteristics the lenses will deteriorate.
• Secondly, deposits will accumulate on the lens, which increases the risk of infection of the visual organs.
• Thirdly, the child may simply lose them or tear them in just two weeks, and he will have to buy a new pair and spend even more.

Whatever type of lenses you choose, you cannot wear them all day long. Child's eyes, blood vessels, optic nerve and the receptors must get used to the new perception of the surrounding world. Therefore, adaptation occurs gradually. On the first day, the lenses are worn for two hours. Then they need to be removed and put on again a day later, now for three hours. And so on until 12 hours are reached. If you rush, you can get unwanted side effects:

• headache;
• increased intracranial and intraocular pressure;
• visual impairment;
• eye irritation.

U adaptation period has its advantages: during this time you can master the skills of using contact lenses, because the child will regularly put them on, then take them out, wash them and put them in a container.

Why you should give preference to CL

Children and adolescents are very vulnerable; relationships with the outside world, in particular with peers, are extremely important for them. A child wearing glasses can become an object of ridicule in the classroom and on the playground. Therefore, most children are embarrassed to admit they have vision problems at an appointment with an eye doctor. And when the defect does open (this inevitably happens sooner or later), they flatly refuse to wear glasses. Contact lenses for children become a real salvation in such cases.

The most important advantage is that a child wearing contact lenses gets much more freedom for active movement without the risk of injury than wearing glasses.

A number of advantages can be highlighted:

• The child gets the opportunity to freely play active games, play sports, and attend various sections and clubs. Children are very active, and glasses can easily break while playing ball or hide-and-seek. sports training and injure the baby. With CL there is nothing to worry about.
• The lenses do not narrow the field of view, while maintaining contrast and clarity visual picture it will be much clearer.
• CLs increase a teenager’s self-esteem. He does not have complexes in front of his peers, he feels confident and complete.
• Lenses correct vision rather than worsen it, unlike glasses. After a year, your child's vision will remain at the same level or even improve, and you will not need to select a new corrective device.
• Even if the lens is lost, you can purchase a new one the very next day without any problems, and it will be cheaper than ordering and buying new glasses.
• Vision correction is carried out constantly. Many children deceive their parents and take off their glasses as soon as they leave the house. This will not happen with CL.

If you still have doubts about whether or not you should switch to contact lenses, an American experiment can help you decide. Several years ago, when CL began to gain popularity, scientists in the United States conducted studies among high school students. The results of the experiment were shocking. Those children and teenagers who long time wore glasses, after switching to contact lenses they began to study better, their self-esteem increased and their relationships with peers improved. The positive changes were especially noticeable in girls.

What else do you need to know

Contact method Vision correction helps to easily solve a number of problems if a teenager is diagnosed with nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. But it also has its drawbacks. The most important thing is the risk of infection of the organs of vision. Children find the process of removing and cleaning lenses every evening tedious and boring; they try to complete it as quickly as possible, so they often clean the lens poorly. If this happens regularly, sooner or later the eyes will become inflamed and conjunctivitis will develop.

Is it forbidden for children and adolescents to wear colored contact lenses - a question frequently asked to ophthalmologists

Sometimes teenagers simply forget to take out CLs at night and fall asleep in them, which is also undesirable. If this happens regularly, it makes sense to return to glasses for a while, and later repeat the experience with lenses. Many parents purchase both for their child. At home the child uses glasses. And if you need to go outside, to train, etc., put on contact lenses.

Is it possible for children and teenagers to wear colored CLs? Another question often asked by parents. More precisely, he is interested in girls aged 13–17 who like to experiment with their appearance. Colored contact lenses are no different from regular lenses in their characteristics. But they cost an order of magnitude more. And it is not always possible to select color contact lenses of exactly the diopter that is necessary for vision correction.

Summary: Vision problems today arise from a very early age in children and adolescents. Despite modern techniques correction and restoration of vision, this is not always possible. To stop the progression of myopia, farsightedness, and astigmatism, special children's contact lenses are selected. They are invisible to others, simple and comfortable to use, reliable, safe, accessible and enable the child to lead a full life along with his peers. The main thing is to find good specialist and choose the optimal lenses.