contact lenses for teens

[buzz2400]

My ds15 needs glasses but wear them. He says he will wear contact lenses but I don't know anything about them. I know a lot of people lose contacts and I don't want to have to spend so much money replacing them. Just want a little advice about them, what kind, is the online ordering places good, etc. Thanks.

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

I'm really nearsighted, and I started wearing contacts way back in the 80's when they were still super expensive. I was a big jock and thick glasses were tough when you were high jumping or playing tennis.

I like http://www.twopair.com/contacts/, they're inexpensive, their online contact lens ordering is fast and easy, and you can get the Bausch and Lomb Accuvue II lenses for about 17/box, which is terrific.

One word of advice: Don't EVER let your kid sleep in his lenses. He'll end up with infections and be unable to wear lenses ten years down the road. Eyes repair themselves at night when your lids are closed and keeping the dirty contacts in all night prevents repair and recuperation.

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

Both of my teen (very athletic) boys wear contacts and do sometimes sleep in them. We don't purchase anywhere but from our Optometrist, but that is personal preference.

IMO contacts are much cheaper than glasses that are never worn.

 

[BMNABrinx]

My DD got hers at 15 and hasn't had any problem with them. She still wears her glasses some too though. She is supposed to replace her contacts once a month but changes them about every two months since she wears her glasses about 1/2 the time. We get hers at Sams but I don't remember the price. My DD9, almost 10, will be getting contacts soon too so that she can play volleyball like her big sis.

 

[Darcy03231]

Both my teens (15 & 13) wear contact lenses and have for about 2 years. I buy them directly from the optomitrist. I've found they're the same price as the on-line stores and its much more convenient for me to call them and pick them up on my way home from work (right on the way). Both of my kids wear Accuvue.

 

[lyzziesmom]

I wear Focus Dailies and they are great. I got my first contacts at age 14 - been wearing glasses since I was 7 - and I loved them, but the once-a-year kind are very hard to keep clean. Especially for a teen. I would definitely recommend the daily disposables, or the weeklies. My brother wears ones called Night & Day, that he can sleep in. He wears them for a week or two and then throws them out and puts in a new pair. Disposables are great because if you lose or tear a lens, it's not a big deal.

I can tell you that I've slept with mine in before, and it completely damaged my eyes. Now if I wear them for more than 12-14 hours, I get little blisters along the edges of my eye near the lash line. These blisters are not painful but they catch on the edge of the contacts, pulling them off my eye, and they scratch my eye which hurts.

Be careful of the online places. Sometimes they will seem cheaper per box, but the quantity in the box will be fewer than elsewhere. I was so excited to find my Dailies for 1/2 price per box, only to discover (thankfully before purchasing) that their boxes only hold 30 lenses, while the ones I buy from Sam's or from my eye dr. hold 90. So it actually cost a lot more online for the same amount of contacts. You can also ask your doctor if they have any discounts or rebates available. I recently got a $200 rebate for ordering a full year's worth of contacts, which brought the price down to a lot less than I could find anywhere else.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

my 13yo just started wearing them and DH and I have both worn them for years.
He was so psyched to get them and then once he had the prescription, he still just wears his glasses most of the time. He does wear the contacts for baseball and all sports though.

I search around the internet for the best price -- but Wal Mart usually within $1 to $2 per box of that and then I don't have to mess around with shipping times.

If I forget to order early enough, we just run in there.

 

[hniki234]

I used to buy from my optometrist, but since I've been moving around I've started buying them from Wal-Mart. They both cost about the same. I do think there are some better deals online, though.

I wear the Day and Night lenses from Acuvue, and I love them. You're supposed to be able to wear them 30 days and nights before throwing them away and putting in a new pair. They allow more air into the eye. I bought a box of contacts for each eye over two years ago, and I'm still not out of contacts. Granted, I wear my contacts much, much longer than the recommended 30 days, but I haven't had any problems whatsoever (no infections, nothing), but other people do end up having problems wearing contacts overnight or for long periods of time.

I would suggest taking your son to his optometrist and asking for a sample pair of contacts. My optometrist gave me samples to test out before I committed to them. He/she should be able to give you samples from different brands as well.

 

[Kellydelly]

Definately get some for your son, if he can't read the board in class his schoolwork may start to suffer. I think that Costco/Sams have the best prices after shopping around. My optometrist is always at least $4 more per box. Do you have America's Best where you live? That is where I get my exams, if you buy a plan you get exams covered for three years.

 

[imsayin]

I would definitely recommend the daily disposables

This is what we got for DD13. She started wearing them at age 11 (she only needed one at that time). I like the dailies because you don't have to worry about cleaning them, etc. I get them at Walmart.

 

[Kimmumum]

My DS9 just got them about 2 weeks ago and LOVES them. He said the only thing better than contacts would be to wear contacts at Disney

My DH wanted him to get them for sports but I thought he was a bit young so we asked our optomistrist. I told her I thought he had good enough hygiene but didn't want to hurt his eyes by him wearing them so early. She said that wasn't a problem since they would be disposable (monthly). She did say "let's put one in and see how he reacts". She put it in and he was fine. She said some kids shake their heads, say they hurt, want it out right away etc and they are not ready for contacts. She said DS was more than ready.

I don't know how much they cost because we have great insurance and only paid $20/year for disposable contacts

 

[Illuminations_Rocks]

I've had contacts since I was 12. No problems - best thing I've ever done. It really improves your span of vision. For instance, it is much safer driving with contacts in rather than glasses, because there are no gaps in what you can "see". The only person I know of (and many of my friends have had contacts forever) losing a contact, lost it when diving into the pool. You can swim with contacts just fine, but they tend to irritate my eyes then.
I buy mine at the optometrist, but I have vision coverage.
I used Bausch & Lomb contacts (optima 38) for about 10 years - LOVED them. Monthlys, or 3 months. I started out with yearlies but there's no reason to get them anymore. Monthly are healthier for your eyes. I switched to Cooper Vision contacts, and I don't care for them - they dry out wayyyy too easily.
Oh, and I use Alcon Opti-Free No Rub Express solution. I have used a variant (regular Express, Express sensitive eye, regular opti-free) since I've been wearing contacts. And I now use Blink! eyedrops. Oh, how I miss my B&L contacts...

 

[goofyforlife]

One word of advice: Don't EVER let your kid sleep in his lenses. He'll end up with infections and be unable to wear lenses ten years down the road. Eyes repair themselves at night when your lids are closed and keeping the dirty contacts in all night prevents repair and recuperation.

Disposables solve most of the infections people used to get.

Since i am prone to sleeping with my lenses in... Don't ask i have reasons...

Anyway, last year my optometrist switched me to "Night & Day" Brand lenses. They are designed to let more oxygen thru the lens which makes them better for those who sleep in them occasionally. Even after just two weeks in them, she said my eyes look much healthier.

They are a little more expensive than the Bio-medics i used to wear. Bio-medics ($15 ish a box at Walmart) The new lenses are $35 a box. (BTW a box is 6 lenses.) Unless you are lucky enough to have the same prescription in both eyes, you normally buy 2 boxes at a time.

I'm trying to talk my 14yo into contacts... She's into glasses though...
(but has gone through 4 pairs of them this year alone....)

 

[inloveindisney]

I would not suggest getting the kind that you would have to worry about losing. No one wants to have to think about that. Get the throw away kind and then when they get yucky, all you do is toss them.

 

[buzz2400]

Thank you for all your responses. You have been very helpful. I didn't want to go into the eye doctor with no knowledge whatsoever. Thanks again everyone.

 

[suzct]

I am an Optometrist and just wanted to chime in here. There is no special age when it is acceptable to start contact lenses. Only you and your child know how responsible they are. Contact lenses require hygiene, hygiene, hygiene. Contacts are like little sponges. Organisms that someone who is not a contact wearer may come in contact with will quickly get washed out of the eye by the tears. In a contact wearer, that organism will get stuck in the matrix of the lens and sit against the eye until it causes an infection or corneal ulcer.
Anyone who wears lenses takes a risk of eye infections. Some are minor and some can be very very serious. The biggest problem I see is the concept that contact lenses replace glasses. They don't. Glasses are always primary. You need to always have an updated pair of glasses that you can wear if needed and SHOULD wear occasionally to give your eyes a rest from contacts. Always have your glasses with you when you are away on vacation especially. Most problems with contacts come when wearing them when you know you really shouldn't. If your eyes are red, itchy or just don't feel comfortable, they are certainly telling you not to put contacts in them. I know this is a budget board and I'm all for that, but honestly, your vision is not the first place I would think to try and cut corners. OK...getting off my soapbox now.

 

[KKB]

I was 15 when I first got contacts.
DS11 just got them this spring. He has been VERY responsible with them. (and goodness knows he can TOTALLY be an irresponsible middle schooler...) It really seems to have improved his baseball playing!
They are disposables, so run 12.50-17.50/box of 6. (12.50 if you spend $180 for bulk purchase). He has had a couple rip IN his eye...but after speaking to others who use them, apparently this does happen. He did "lose" one, and we found it dried up on the counter a few days later! Each pair is to be used for 2 weeks or so, so that is $2-3/week...NOT bad.
We go to America's Best, and you can order online, as well, though I have not tried yet. (DH's cousin is an optmetrist, so need to call to see if he can get them any cheaper for us!)
Good luck!
(PS our decision was based on our optometrist cousin...he said when DS could be responsible for things like keeping his room clean, homework, showers, without parental nagging, he was ready. He is not perfect, we do have to remind occasionally, but overall we are pleased)

 

[nowellsl]

Check with your Optometrist to see if they price match. I found a really good price on-line, printed it out and took it to Pearl Vision. They matched the on-line price of the other company.

 

[ZPT1022]

I got mine when I was 14. I hated wearing glasses, I had lots of sinus problems and the weight of the glasses would give me really bad headaches. Contacts have been awesome. They have come so far in the 15 or so years I've been wearing them too. They are totally easy to use at this point. I would definitely go with the dailies or the every two weeks ones. Since no one else in the household is familiar with them, DO NOT LEAVE THE EYE DR'S OFFICE UNTIL HE CAN PUT THEM IN AND OUT HIMSELF!!!!!!!!! My brother wasn't really good at it and my mom put them in and out for him for a looooooooong time, but she'd been wearing them for probably close to 20 years at that point so it was no big thing. You guys don't have that extra bit of support. Good luck, I think he'll do good with them, and they're so nice to have. I hate wearing my glasses and pretty much refuse to wear them to drive due to the lack of peripheral vision.

 

[ZPT1022]

forgot to add that we buy our contacts from Target because they give us a discount because of who DH's employer is. I would ask at work if they have anything like that. Obviously go to the eye dr you feel most comfy with but no reason not to save on the supplies