In the U.K., more than 3.3 million people wear contact lenses to help with everyday vision or special events requiring costumes. However, despite the many advantages that contacts have to offer, a very small percentage of users is children and teenagers. With such a low percentage, what are children and teenagers missing out on?

Contact Lenses and Children

About one in five children between five to 15 years of age need vision correction. For teenagers between 16 to 19, almost one in three experience vision problems as well. However, only one in 12 children and teens that can wear contact lenses actually do.

Advantages of Wearing Contact Lenses

Many people are aware of the various advantages that contact lenses have over eyeglasses. Yet, what other advantages do contacts offer children and teens in particular?

1. More convenience.

When partaking in different activities, especially sports, many children remove their eyeglasses to prevent them from breaking. Unfortunately, removing eyeglasses can make a child feel even more insecure when playing due to vision problems. Fortunately, children wearing contact lenses do not have to worry about missing out on playing their favourite sports and games.

2. Easy updating.

Since a child's eyesight will frequently change as they grow, replacing eyeglasses can become a real chore. Fortunately, updating contacts as needed is easy [and potentially less expensive].

3. Improved confidence.

If a child does not have to worry about their vision or being picked on by their peers, they will become more confident. Unfortunately, despite how common wearing eyeglasses is, many children still get bullied because of them.

4. Full-time vision correction.

Children with vision problems in only one eye can benefit from wearing a single contact lens. Wearing a contact lens to correct any vision problems in one eye can help ensure that both eyes work properly together to avoid further complications [such as “lazy eye”].

Popular Contact Choices for Children and Teens

Daily disposable soft lenses

If your child does not need to wear contact lenses every day, daily disposable soft lenses [available from providers such as Lenstore.co.uk] can be a great choice. Disposable lenses do not require solutions, and are easy and convenient to use. However, since disposable lenses can be expensive, you may want to avoid purchasing them if your child needs to wear lenses every day.

Silicone hydrogel contact lenses

For children and teen that want or need to wear contacts every day, silicone hydrogel contact lenses are excellent solutions. Silicone hydrogel contact lenses provide higher levels of oxygen to the surface of the eye to promote healthier longterm use.

Orthokeratology

Orthokeratology lenses [also known as ortho-K, corneal reshaping, or overnight vision correction lenses] are used to alter the shape of the cornea to help reduce or eliminate the need for vision correction. Orthokeratology lenses are meant to be worn overnight and removed in the morning, so they are not well suited for children or teens that require daily vision correction.

Contact lenses are designed for all age groups with different needs and lifestyles. With the right research, you can easily discover the perfect pair to fit your child as well.

John Sheppard is a pediatrician with several years experience. When he's not seeing patients, he likes to help others by blogging online.