We regularly see children under 10, some as young as 5, using lenses. It’s generally the parents fear that is worse than the reality.
Day lenses and night lenses can also be used for Myopia Control – stopping their short-sight getting worse and decreasing their risks of eye disease later in life – see more about that below.
NIGHT LENSES
Using the process of Orthokeratology (a.k.a Ortho-k lenses), night lenses harmlessly reshape the cornea while you sleep. Simply pop in before you go to sleep, remove in the morning – perfect sight all day without needing glasses or day lenses.
Ideal for sports (perfect vision but nothing in their eye), swimming (no more prescription goggles) and confidence (the feeling of being ‘normal’).
After 6 months of use children often remark that they forget that they have an eye problem, as the insertion/removal matches their tooth brushing routine. And with nothing on their eye or on their face to give them hassles during the day, and the ability to see clearly all the time, they forget what it’s like to not be able to see.
Perfect for holidays (beach and pools) and for spontaneous fun. They will never be held back by glasses. Many parents talk of their child’s confidence rising as soon as they start to use night lenses.
Links:
- What are night lenses? How do they work?
- Watch Rhys, age 8, handle lenses and see for the first time without glasses or day lenses
DAY LENSES
Many parents admit to not knowing the full range of day lenses, instead believing that there is only one type of day lens – soft dailies mass produced in factories in China.
The reality is that there are many type of day lenses that your optician can fit your child with, from soft to GP, specialist for myopia control to other specialist lenses that would suit your child’s need.
Ask your optician about their specialist day lens options. In addition they can probably provide prescription goggles for when they go swimming.
Freedom from glasses can give children much needed confidence boosts as well as improvements to their lifestyle.
MYOPIA CONTROL
“Putting our son into a myopia control device was the best thing we ever did. His myopia (short-sight) stabilised and we have been told that he now has a 40% decreased risk of eye diseases like detached retina, myopic macular degeneration and Glaucoma when he’s older, which is brilliant. Sadly we didn’t start until he was 14 and already at -4D. We wished we would have started immediately at first diagnosis when he was 9. Our advice to parents is start early, start immediately. Long term eye health is so important”. Tom Griffiths, dad of Benjamin (in photo above)
Both day lenses and night lenses can be used for myopia control.
- MyopiaChat.org: Learn more about myopia and the importance of myopia control in children
- Myopiacontrolawareness.org: Learn more about specialist glasses, day lenses & night lenses for kids
- Myopia control and night lenses