Contact lenses offer benefits for people of all ages, including children and teenagers. Since many teenagers are particularly concerned about appearances, lenses are often more favoured than eyeglasses. Yet, to ensure that your teenager safely wears contact lenses, here are 4 tips:
1. Make sure your teenager knows the risks.
Since contact lenses are medical devices, it is very important that your teenager knows the risks involved with using them. Although there are many benefits for wearing contact lenses, their use is not without risk.
When you shop around for the new contact lenses, you need to ensure that the prescription you use is up-to-date and correct. Once you have the information handy, you can buy contact lenses with no prescription.
2. Show your teenager how to correctly insert and remove contact lenses.
If you have experience with wearing contact lenses, you should teach your teenager what you know about comfortably and safely inserting and removing contact lenses.
To insert a contact lens, you need to:
- Wash your hands with soap and dry with a clean towel
- Rinse the lens with an approved solution
- Place the lens on the tip of the index finger that you feel most comfortable using
- Use your other hand to pull back your upper and lower eyelids
- Look up at the ceiling and gently nudge the lens onto the lower white part of your eye
- Release your eyelids and let your eyes rest while closed for a moment
- Blink a few times to make sure that the lens is settled
To remove a contact lens, you need to:
- Wash your hands with soap and dry with a clean towel
- Look up to the ceiling and hold down your lower eyelid
- Bring the tip of the index finger that you feel most comfortable using to the edge of the lens
- Slide the lens downward onto the lower white part of your eye
- Use your index and thumb finger to gently squeeze the lens and remove it
3. Create a checklist.
To ensure that your teen keeps up with their eye care responsibilities, it is helpful to create a checklist for them to follow. By completing the checklist and sticking to the recommended schedule, it will be much easier for the teen to keep up with responsibilities and stay safe.
Fortunately, contact lenses are not too difficult to care for. In fact, most people just need a contact lens case and multipurpose solution to provide adequate lens care. However, if your teenager does not intend to wear contact lenses every day, daily disposable lenses may work best since they do not require cleaning.
4. Ask an eye care professional for advice.
If your teenager has more questions or concerns about wearing contact lenses, be sure to have them speak with an eye care professional. It is also important to book regularly examinations for your teenager.
With these 4 tips, your teenager can care for and wear contact lenses safely.
Sarah Cole is a school counselor. She loves to write about her tips that she sees in schools on parenting blogs.