Contact Lenses: Good Choice for Kids?

The biggest concern parents have about contact lenses for their kids is, "Is my child old enough to wear contact lenses?"

In reality, there's no one answer. Physically the eyes can tolerate contact lenses at a very young age. Some babies are fitted with contact lenses due to eye conditions present at birth. What parents are really asking is, "Is my child mature enough to wear contact lenses?" eye care practitioners can offer guidelines and recommendations, but only parents can answer that question.

If you're considering contact lenses for your child, take a look at how your child handles other responsibility. Does he take out the trash, care for the dog or follow through with school or other projects? If your child needs frequent reminders for everyday chores, he may not be ready for the responsibility of wearing and caring for contact lenses. But if he handles such duties well, he may be an excellent candidate for contact lenses.

Children are naturally great contact lens wearers if they accept the responsibility for them. They adapt well to wearing the lenses due to their flexible personalities. Kids also develop fewer complications than adults. Younger people usually heal faster and have stronger immune systems. Plus, children tend to follow instructions better than adults, so they have fewer problems with overwearing the lenses or not using the correct care solutions.

Great for Sports

Sports and contact lenses are a great combination for all athletes, including smaller athletes. Contact lenses may be a safer vision option than glasses for recreation use. Polycarbonate lenses are a must, but frames are more vulnerable to breakage. Many contact lenses, especially rigid gas permeable lenses, offer better optics than eyeglasses. This leads to clearer vision and better sports performance. A baseball player might see the ball a few milliseconds sooner with crisp vision from contact lenses. Better peripheral vision also comes from contact lenses, which leads to a superior performance.

It's much easier to play sports with contacts than with glasses.

Controlling Nearsightedness

Myopia control is another great reason for children to wear contact lenses. If your child is nearsighted, consider fitting him with rigid contact lenses to slow the progression of myopia. Although the concept is controversial, many eye care practitioners believe that rigid contact lenses may prevent your child from reaching the full amount of nearsightedness wearing glasses or soft contact lenses would bring.

Building Self-Esteem

Contact lenses can do wonders for your child's self-esteem. Many kids would opt for contact lenses over glasses, mainly for cosmetic reasons. They don't like the way they look while wearing glasses. Physical appearance can be dramatically altered by switching from glasses to contact lenses. In many cases, this physical change prompts a self-confidence and self-esteem surge in the child. School performance and participation may also increase after switching to contact lenses. Amazingly, two thin pieces of plastic may breathe new life into a previously reserved child.

Keep in mind that switching your child from glasses to contact lenses does not have to be a permanent decision. If your child does not adapt well, or is not up to the responsibility of wearing and caring for contact lenses, your eye care practitioner will not hesitate to recommend glasses as a safer means for vision correction. You may speak to the eye care practitioner as well if you feel your child is not handling the switch well. Contact lenses can always be tried again at a later date.

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Corneal Abrasion

A corneal abrasion is an injury to the front surface of the eye.

The injury can occur when a foreign object gets in the eye, when the cornea becomes scratched or even from rubbing the eyes very hard.

The cornea is very sensitive.

Depending on the location and depth of the injury, it can be very painful and even sight threatening, resulting in permanent visual impairment.

Treatment is important to prevent infection within the injured cornea.

The medication that the doctor prescribes will help to heal the cornea and prevent the risk of infection.

It is important to follow the doctor's instructions so that the cornea heals properly.

Small abrasions can heal within 24 hours but other, more severe abrasions can take up to several weeks to heal.

There are different ways to treat this injury.

The doctor will probably prescribe eye drops and / or ointment.

You may need to wear a special contact lens overnight or longer in order to help with healing.

Sometimes a patch may need to be worn on the eye overnight.

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Dry Eye

Dry eye is a common condition that occurs when the eyes do not produce enough tears or produce tears that do not have the proper chemical composition. If untreated, dry eye can damage eye tissue.

The most common symptoms are:

· A sandy, gritty sensation.
· Irritated, scratchy or dry eyes.
· Redness of the eyes.
· A burning sensation of the eyes.
· A feeling of a foreign body in the eye.
· Blurred vision.
· Excessive watering (reflex tearing that flushes normal lubricating oils).

The first line of treatment is the use of lubricating drops (artificial tears). Your doctor will prescribe specific eye drops that can be purchased over-the-counter. They should be used regularly, each day to obtain relief.

Medications are available for those who have a chronic problem which does not respond to artificial tears. There are also nutritional supplements that are helpful for dry eye.

One of the most effective treatments is punctal occlusion. A tiny plug is inserted into the puncta (a small hole in the eyelid), impeding the outflow of natural tears. This procedure takes only a few minutes and can be done in the doctor's office.

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Protecting Your Eves From UV Radiation.

The sun, a ball of fire some 93 million miles away, supports all life on our planet. But, its life giving rays also pose dangers.

The principal danger posed by the sun is in the form of ultraviolet radiation, or for short, UV radiation. UV radiation is a component of solar energy, but it can also be given off by artificial sources like welding machines, tanning beds and lasers.

You are probably aware of the danger posed by UV radiation to your skin, but you may not realize that exposure to UV radiation can harm your eyes and affect your vision as well.

UV radiation is divided into UV-A, UV-B and UV-C. UV-C is absorbed by the ozone layer and does not present any threat (man made sources of UV-C, like electric welding arcs, are very harmful to the eyes, if you do not use the proper protection). That's not true of UV-A and UV-B. More and more scientific evidence is showing that exposure to both UV-A and UV-B can have damaging long and short term effects on your eyes and vision.

If you are exposed, unprotected, to excessive amounts of UV radiation over a short period of time, you are likely to experience an effect called photokeratitis. Like a "sunburn of the eye" it may be painful and you may have symptoms including red eyes, a foreign body sensation or gritty feeling in the eyes, extreme sensitivity to light and excessive tearing. Fortunately, this is usually temporary and rarely causes permanent damage to the eyes.

Long term exposure to UV radiation can be more serious. A number of scientific studies and research have shown that exposure to small amounts of UV-B radiation over a period of many years may increase your chance of developing a cataract and can cause damage to the retina, the nerve-rich lining of your eye that is used for seeing. Damage to the retina is usually not reversible.

The effects of UV radiation are cumulative. This means the longer your eyes are exposed to UV radiation, the greater the risk of developing conditions such as cataracts in later life. Therefore, you should wear quality sunglasses that offer good protection and a hat or cap with a wide brim whenever you are working outdoors, participating in outdoor sports, taking a walk, running errands or doing anything in the sun.

To provide protection for your eyes, your sunglasses should:

· block out 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation;

· screen out 75 to 90 percent of visible light;

· be perfectly matched in color and free of distortion and imperfection; and

· have lenses that are gray, green or brown.

Polycarbonate lenses are a must for your sunglasses if you participate in potentially eye hazardous work or sports. These lenses provide the most impact resistance.

If you spend a lot of time outdoors in bright sunlight, wrap-around frames provide additional protection from the harmful UV radiation.

Don't forget protection for children and teenagers. They typically spend more time in the sun than adults.

UV Radiation Checklist

If one or more of the following factors fits you, you could be in a higher risk category for damage to eyes from UV radiation:

Do you spend a great deal of time outdoors?

Do you spend time skiing, mountain climbing or at the beach?

Do you use a sunlamp or tanning parlor?

Do you live in the mountains or the U.S. Sunbelt? :

Are you a welder, medical technologist or do you work in the graphic arts or in the manufacture of electronic circuit boards?

Do you take prescription or over the counter drugs that can increase your sensitivity to UV radiation (check with your optometrist, pharmacist or physician)?

Have you had cataract surgery in one or both eyes?

Be sure to see your doctor of optometry once a year for a thorough eye examination. It is a good way to monitor your eye health, maintain good vision and keep track of your UV radiation protection needs as well as new advances in that protection.

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Eyelid Problems.

The eyelids perform many important functions, including protecting and lubricating the eye, producing oil secretions, and helping to drain away tears. The following conditions are usually not serious and can often be easily treated. However, if left untreated, they can be uncomfortable, unattractive, and can lead to more serious problems. Eyelid problems can affect the upper and/or lower eyelid in one or both eyes.

Blepharitis

Blepharitis is a chronic or long term inflammation of the eyelid margins (the edges of the eyelids), often caused by bacteria around the lashes and outer tissues of the eye.
Symptoms can include swelling of the lid margin, irritation, sensitivity to light, itching, burning, redness along the lid margin and redness of the eyeball itself. There is often crust or roughness along the lid margin and/or possibly dandruff on the lashes. This can be worse in the morning upon awakening. Patients who wear contact lenses will often experience these symptoms to a greater degree, as lenses will seem dry.

Treatment

In most cases, good eyelid hygiene and daily cleaning of the eyelid margins will control blepharitis. Eyelid hygiene is particularly important upon awakening because bacteria builds up during the night. In more severe cases, it may be necessary to combine eyelid hygiene and medication for good control. In cases where the conjunctiva (the front surface of the eye) is affected, the doctor may prescribe additional treatment.

Chalazion

A chalazion results from a blockage of one or more of the small oil producing glands found in the upper and lower eyelids. Symptoms are inflammation and swelling in the form of a round lump within the eyelid that may or may not be painful. If the chalazion becomes infected, the eyelid can become swollen, inflamed and more painful.

Treatment

A chalazion may be treated by applying warm compresses. At times this condition may require additional treatments that your doctor will prescribe.

Stye

A stye is a bacterial infection of one of the eyelid glands near the lid margins, at the base of the lashes. This forms a red, sore lump similar to a boil, causing pain and inflammation.

Treatment

Styes are usually treated with warm compresses. Antibiotic and /or steroid eye drops or ointments may also be needed.

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Computer Vision Syndrome.

Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) is a complex optical and musculoskeletal disorder related to near work during computer use.

The most common symptoms of CVS include:

· Headache.
· Loss of focus / blurred vision.
· Double vision.
· Dry, burning, tired eyes.
· Muscular strain.
· Excessive tears.
· General fatigue.
· Excessive blinking/squinting.
· Overall stress.
· Neck or shoulder strain/pain.

As an eye and vision problem, some individuals react with more difficulty focusing on characters on a computer screen as opposed to reading printed material on paper.

Treatment is varied and complex with different solutions for different individual's needs. For optimum patient comfort and performance, it is usually necessary to use a specific computer correction. Your optometrist will assess your optical needs. There are a wide variety of lens styles available, ranging from single vision computer lenses to progressive-add bifocals, which can aid in achieving proper focus. There are also many different lens materials and treatments (i.e. tints and anti-reflective coatings) to assist with comfort.

Your doctor will be testing your eyes to help find which solution works best for you. Some of these tests might include:

Detailed Refraction - a measurement of your visual system's focusing power needs.

Binocular Vision Testing - an evaluation of your I eyes' efficiency in working together at different distances.

Dynamic Retinoscopy - an evaluation of your eye's focusing system function for near tasks.
Tear Assessment - an evaluation of your tear's quantity and quality.

Studies show that about three-quarters of computer users experience the symptoms of CVS. The good news is that the eye and vision symptoms, as well as other problems of CVS, can usually be alleviated by good eye care and/or by changes in the work environment.

Eye Breaks

· Refocus eyes away from the monitor to across the room for 5 seconds every 15 minutes of monitor viewing. Look at objects that are varying distances from your computer.
· Perform several rapid and quick blinks to the eyes several times to rewet and refocus during this eye break. Application of artificial tears or rewetting drops for contact lens wearers at this time would be beneficial.

Workstation Adjustments

· Ambient lighting should be available. Avoid harsh brightness changes from the computer monitor to the room.
· Minimize screen glare by repositioning the computer monitor or source of light to avoid glare and light reflections or consider an anti-glare screen.
· Place monitor directly in front of you, not off to one side. Adjust monitor sharpness, contrast (adjust to individual comfort), brightness (match room brightness), distance (20 inches to 26 inches), and viewing angle (approximately 15 degrees from eyes to monitor center).
A larger monitor with higher resolution and refresh rate (70Hz or higher) than your current monitor may also be helpful.
· Adjust your chair so that both feet touch the ground with knees approximately 90 degrees to the floor and elbows approximately 90 degrees to the keyboard. Allow for comfortable thigh support.
· Exercise when sitting with various stretches and joint rotation. Standing up and moving about is also helpful to keep your blood circulating.

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Using Your Eyes and Your VDT

It's 11:30 in the morning. You've been working at your video display terminal (VDT) since 9:00 AM. Your eyes feel irritated and fatigued, your vision is blurry and you still have several hours of work ahead of you.

The symptoms that you are experiencing are common among people who work with VDTs. They may be a result of the way that you use the equipment and furnishings in your workstation. But they may also be, at least partly, the result of a vision problem. Anytime you experience symptoms like headaches, eye strain, blurred vision, eye irritation, double vision, excessive tears or dry eyes, pain in the eyes or excessive blinking or squinting, you should visit your doctor of optometry for a comprehensive eye examination. And, when you do, be sure to tell the doctor about the VDT work that you do.

After you have had a comprehensive eye examination, there are a number of things that you can do to arrange and use the elements of your workstation to eliminate or minimize discomfort.

Adjusting your chair

Many times, your chair can be adjusted to make your work station much more efficient and comfortable. For instance:

· Your feet should be flat on the floor (or on a slightly angled foot rest) with your knees bent close to or greater than 90 degrees.

· Your chair should support your legs without excessive pressure on the back of your thighs.

· Your back should be snug against the seat to fit your spinal contour. Your thigh to trunk angle should be 90 degrees or greater.

· The distance from the front of your chair to the hollow of your knee should be 2" toc4" inches.

· Your wrist and hand should extend nearly straight from the elbow to the home row of the keyboard.

Setting up your work surface

Consider the following suggestions to make sure the height of your work surface and the amount of leg room it provides are "comfortable."

· For most people, the amount of leg room below the work surface should be about 25" high by 27" wide by 27" deep. Larger people will require more space.

· A commonly preferred work surface height for VDT use is about 26" as opposed to conventional 29" of most tables or desks.

Using your VDT and Keyboard

The following suggestions will help you arrange your VIDT screen and your keyboard to allow you to work most productively and comfortably: |

· Locate your VDT 16" to 30" from your eyes, depending on the size of your VDT and your individual vision conditions. Many people find 20" to 26" most comfortable.

· The top of the VDT should be slightly below a horizontal eye level. Tilt the top of the VDT away from you at a f 0 degree to 20 degree angle.

· Place document holders close to your screen within the same viewing distance. Keep your keyboard and VDT in line.

· Keep your VDT screen free of fingerprints and dust. Both can reduce clarity.

· Adjust your keyboard so it does not lie flat.

VDTs and lighting

To improve visual efficiency when using your VDT:

· Try to match the brightness of the surroundings to that of the VDT screen. Overall room light should be about 20 to 70 foot candles, which is about half the level of normal office light.

· The contrast between the characters on the VDT screen and the screen background should be high.

· Minimize reflected glare on your VDT screen by using window treatments, dimmer switches on lights and anti-glare screens.

· Position your VDT screen perpendicular to windows or other bright light sources to reduce the likelihood of glare. To locate the source of glare, hold a small mirror on your VDT screen. The reflection will help you determine the origin of the glare.

Working efficiently

Human eyes were made for most efficient operation at a distance, but if you use the suggestions made here and those made by your doctor of optometry you will be able to use your VDT more comfortably and productively.

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Don't Skip Your Contact Lens Exam

"Many people assume they can buy contacts from any available source and put them on," says Dr. Pegueros.

 "This could result in discomfort and injury to your eyes if your lenses aren't accurately prescribed and properly fitted. Remember that contacts require a prescription because they're medical devices. You should treat them with the same caution and care as any other medicine."

If you're interested in wearing contacts, you should understand the difference between a routine, annual eye exam and an exam meant specifically to fit you with safe, reliable contacts, says Dr. Pegueros.

"During a routine exam, the doctor will check for overall eye health and may write a prescription for glasses without the need for much follow-up," he says.

"Contacts are different because they rest right on the eye," he adds.

"They can affect its shape and comfort if they aren't fitted properly. If they don't work right, the lenses could cause abrasion of the eye's surface and even an eye infection.

"You also need to understand how to properly place the contacts on the eyes and when to wear and replace them. Getting these things right requires an annual evaluation and fitting from your eye doctor."

If you're thinking about contacts, Dr. Pegueros recommends these steps:

Schedule a contact lens exam with your eye doctor. You can describe your vision goals and discuss the type of lenses you might wear and the length of time you will wear them before replacing them.

Learn how to put in your new lenses and how to clean and store them.

Schedule a follow-up exam 30 to 60 days after you start wearing the contacts.

Says Dr. Pegueros, "Taking the time and trouble to get the right contacts for your eyes is worth it. You'll see better and will enjoy the peace of mind knowing your contacts are healthy and safe for your eyes."

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You're Never Too Old to See Better

Ask doctor Pegueros, to describe the latest treatments that help senior citizens see better, and he'll tell the story of a 66-year-old patient named Manny who improved his eyesight with laser vision correction surgery.

"My friend Manny wanted to retire and do some of the things he enjoys most, such as traveling, but his near-sightedness had become a problem," says Dr. Pegueros.
After carefully examining his friend's eyes, Dr. Pegueros recommended LASIK, a brief and virtually painless laser procedure to correct his nearsightedness permanently.

"Manny's been going stronger than ever since the procedure," he says. "He's extremely active at age 72 — and most of the time he doesn't even wear glasses!
"More and more people in their early- to mid-60s are benefiting from this proven technology," he says. "The procedure usually takes less than a half hour. In my experience, most of the seniors who've been through it are pleased with the results."

LASIK worked for Manny, but Dr. Pegueros cautions that it isn't the solution for all older Americans. Fortunately, other techniques are available to help them improve their eyesight and remain active. Some of the most exciting vision-enhancing options include:

 Extended-wear soft contact lenses: Launched about a year ago, comfortable, extended-wear soft contacts can be left in place night and day for up to a full month. This eliminates most of the hassle (washing, rinsing, soaking, etc.) of wearing contacts. The new lenses can remain in the eye for longer periods because they allow large amounts of oxygen to reach the corneal surface. This helps prevent germs from causing infections under die contacts.

Bifocal contact lenses: A growing number of seniors are enjoying the freedom that comes with discarding their bifocal glasses. Bifocal contacts allow the wearer to read a book up close or focus on a distant object simply by shifting his or her gaze.

Progressive lenses: Sometimes described as "no-line bifocals," these eyeglass lenses allow wearers to see close-up objects (such as the pages of a book) better, while also improving vision at middle and far distances. Because they correct vision all along the range of sight — with a progressively engineered lens that provides a seamless transition from near to faraway images — the glasses eliminate the cumbersome split-vision effect so often created by bifocals. Many wearers also say they look much better than the old-fashioned bifocals.

Dietary supplements: Many senior citizens are using food supplements — including antioxidant vitamins (primarily A, E and C) and lutein (found in spinach) — that may slow down age-related condi­tions such as macular degeneration and cataracts.

Low-vision aids: Many of the 14 million older Americans who struggle with partial sight loss (also called low vision) are turning to vision-enhancing tools to remain active. These include telescopic adapters that attach directly to glasses and TV magnification systems that provide enlarged images of books, newspapers and other objects.

"At your annual eye exam, make sure you talk to your doctor about the options best suited to your lifestyle," advises Dr. Pegueros.

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