Contacts for Kids 101

[ColoradoMom!!]

I just love the Dis! I searched this topic, came up with this thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2262151&highlight=contact+lenses&page=2

and am convinced to try contacts for my 12 year old who plays baseball. We have sunk $$$ into Rec Specs and anti-fog stuff, and it just isn't working. SO - I need advice (since I don't wear glasses) on cost, which kind to buy, hints on handling, etc.

I need to go back to the Dr. as his current Rx for his glasses won't work for contacts, correct??

Thanks!!

 

[laurie31]

Yes, contacts are fitted to the eye - you need a specific curvature. As for what type, I would go with my eye doctor's recommendation. It depends on your DS's personal needs (both my girls, plus DH and I, wear monthly disposables, but daily disposables might be the right choice for another family) and prescription.

The staff at the eye doctor should teach your child about care and how to put them in and take them out. They did a great job teaching both my girls about the importance of proper care and they didn't leave the office with them until they were able to put them in and take them out and felt comfortable doing so. They also scheduled a follow-up visit to make sure there was no irritation and they were seeing well with the contacts. You definitely want the follow-up visit to make sure everything's okay.

I think your DS will love them. My younger one is very active and the "Hey! I never knew I could play without my glasses getting all fogged up," was her first "contact thrill." LOL You also don't have to worry about them getting knocked off and broken.

 

[EMom]

DD10 started wearing contacts about one month ago. Her doctor did a contact lens fitting and then gave her a week's worth of daily disposables to try. His rule was that she had to be able to put them in and take them out all by herself. The first day she wore them 3 hours, the next 4 hours, the next 5 hours, then she could wear them all day. After a week, she came back in so he could see how she was adapting/reacting to wearing them. She was doing great, so we ordered a 90 day supply and since it would take a week for them to arrive, the doctor gave us another week's worth of contacts to get her through the wait.

He recommended daily disposables. He said that's what he recommends for kids that age unless they are "the most responsible, clean, fastidious kids in the world." I told him I loved DD dearly, but that she did not fit that description and that we'd go with the daily disposables. She wore them for the first time in the pool the other day and was thrilled to be able to see for a change.

I'd want the doctor to give your child enough samples to try them for a week. On one of the first days, DD had a hard time getting them in and got very discouraged, but the next day it went smoothly and she was positive about it again. If that bad day had been her only day to try them, she'd have given up. Some kids do fine with them, some don't. Our 11 y.o. neighbor really wanted them, but couldn't even get the first one in. You'll never know until you give it a try.

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

Thanks for the replies and encouragement. Hopefully Kaiser ( our health HMO) will give us some samples as that would be very helpful. Here's a dumb question - are the samples in your perscription? I would think not - i.e. how could they do that? So, it is just a non-perscription lense to see if you can actually use them before you order?

OH - best place to order? Costco was awesome for the glasses.

 

[FireDancer]

Thanks for the replies and encouragement. Hopefully Kaiser ( our health HMO) will give us some samples as that would be very helpful. Here's a dumb question - are the samples in your perscription? I would think not - i.e. how could they do that? So, it is just a non-perscription lense to see if you can actually use them before you order?

OH - best place to order? Costco was awesome for the glasses.

In my experience when you go in for an eye exam they do a separate contact exam. They measure the eye and give you the prescription and size they recommend. You are given a sample in your prescription that you wear for a week and then make a follow up appointment. If there are any fit issues they will address them there.

The biggest thing I would recommend is patience. The first day I had contacts I was late for work because it took me 45 minutes to get them it. It took me about a week to get them in and out in one try but after a bit it is second nature.

 

[laurie31]

Oh yes, the samples are the exact brand and prescription you (or rather, your DS) will use. Sometimes you might have to try a couple of brands before you find the right one. DD13 and my DH wear Bausch and Lomb, and DD11 and I wear Air Optix Night and Day by CibaVision. (although we do not sleep in them; we take them out nightly and use them as a monthly disposable per our eye doctor's recommendation, but I don't have to worry if we accidentally fall asleep in them ).

How they do that? I never thought about it. My eye doctor has a huge stock of samples. I presume either the lenses are free samples provided by the companies just like medical doctors have samples of pills, or they buy them to keep in stock.

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

I got the call back from Kaiser Permanente, and our wonderful contact lense benefit comes in at a whopping $0 So the exam would be $99 to $139, she said , plus my co-pay. Since Costco is $79 to $99 for a contacts fitting exam, I think we will go there.

Thanks everyone - here's hoping DS can do it!

 

[golfgal]

I got the call back from Kaiser Permanente, and our wonderful contact lense benefit comes in at a whopping $0 So the exam would be $99 to $139, she said , plus my co-pay. Since Costco is $79 to $99 for a contacts fitting exam, I think we will go there.

Thanks everyone - here's hoping DS can do it!

Very few insurance companies actually cover contacts. Do you get free glasses or have coverage for glasses?

Our twins started wearing contacts in 3rd grade. I was a little weary of letting them start so young but DS especially was in the eye doctor about once/week getting his glasses adjusted from getting knocked around playing sports. It took about a day for me to wish I had done that earlier. They had such a good experience I went back to wearing contacts

 

[Mermaid02]

My son really wants contacts but he's just such a dirty little thing I see tons of eye infections in his future! Anyone else have experience with a kid like that and contact lenses? He's 13 btw- but a very YOUNG 13.

 

[CF'er]

My DS14 insisted he had to have contacts and wouldn't even look at glasses. I made the contact appt and after 5 minutes if trying to put the first one in he decided contacts weren't for him. He got some cute glasses. lol

The Dr's office says it can go either way. They either love them or hate them. DS hated them and obviously wasn't ready for them.

 

[golfgal]

My son really wants contacts but he's just such a dirty little thing I see tons of eye infections in his future! Anyone else have experience with a kid like that and contact lenses? He's 13 btw- but a very YOUNG 13.

Let him try them and if it doesn't work out he goes back to glasses. Most kids I know have been in contacts for several years by age 13 so being a young 13 year old shouldn't be an issue. You can buy a box or two, let him try them for a month or two and if it doesn't work out, just don't buy any more. Make him understand the importance of doing a good job cleaning them.

A friend of ours DD got an eye infection from showering with her contact in. She needed a special medicine that you can only get from a very few hospitals. She had to have the drops put into her eyes every 30 minutes around the clock for 3 weeks and then every hour for another week and then a few times daily for a few more weeks. Needless to say her family was exhausted. It's a good story to share. I hate eye drops so the thought of even needing to do them once/day would be enough for me.

 

[Mermaid02]

My DS14 insisted he had to have contacts and wouldn't even look at glasses. I made the contact appt and after 5 minutes if trying to put the first one in he decided contacts weren't for him. He got some cute glasses. lol

The Dr's office says it can go either way. They either love them or hate them. DS hated them and obviously wasn't ready for them.

Let him try them and if it doesn't work out he goes back to glasses. Most kids I know have been in contacts for several years by age 13 so being a young 13 year old shouldn't be an issue. You can buy a box or two, let him try them for a month or two and if it doesn't work out, just don't buy any more. Make him understand the importance of doing a good job cleaning them.

A friend of ours DD got an eye infection from showering with her contact in. She needed a special medicine that you can only get from a very few hospitals. She had to have the drops put into her eyes every 30 minutes around the clock for 3 weeks and then every hour for another week and then a few times daily for a few more weeks. Needless to say her family was exhausted. It's a good story to share. I hate eye drops so the thought of even needing to do them once/day would be enough for me.

I have a feeling he will be like CF'er's son. He has PDD too and that makes things hard. Getting him to shower is like pulling teeth LOL

 

[golfgal]

I have a feeling he will be like CF'er's son. He has PDD too and that makes things hard. Getting him to shower is like pulling teeth LOL

If you let him try them and he can't get them in and out at least it isn't your fault he can't wear them . We had the kids practice touching their eyeballs to get them used to putting in contacts.

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

So keeping them clean is big - is that a reason to go with disposables, or are they more expensive?

I have to tell you that my hubby is so impressed with my new found knowledge on the subject Little does he know my secret weapon is the Dis!

 

[Sarah7401]

I can't tell you how thankful I am for this thread!!! Our DS7 recently had to start wearing his glasses all the time.. only needed them before for reading. He plays soccer and basketball, rides his bike constantly (helmet) and has been complaining about his glasses. We are constantly getting them adjusted. I just had never even considered contacts for a kid so young. It's so nice to hear all these success stories. It's very encouraging and I'm thinking we may look into contacts soon, at least for sports!

Thanks!!

 

[Bluestars]

My ds started wearing contacts when he first had problems with his vision at age 11. Before he was able to leave the office with contacts, he had to be able to put them in and take them out by himself.

He takes them out every night. He swims with them in. I don't know if that is a good idea or not, but he has never had a problem with it. He has a pair of glasses for backup, just in case.

I put an extra pair of contacts with some solution in his backpack and I also keep an extra set in my purse. There have been a few time where he has had to put in a fresh contact.

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

Here's an update for us:

We were at the fitting appt. yesterday with my son who just turned 12. The appt. went well, but getting them in and out was very difficult for him. I knew it would be, so I took an as long as it takes approach. Once in, he loved them - so that's motivation. He got them out last night after about 20 min. of trying. We won't try again until today after school - he has a game tonight. I told him if they weren't in by 4, we would just try another time. So the jury is still out for us.

BTW - we were given 2 week disposables to try - how much more $ are the dailies? Any disadvantages of dailies? She gave us Acuview - Oasis - I know I spelled that wrong.