Contact Lenses | FAQ

Can children wear contact lenses?

What is the difference between hard and soft contact lenses?

Can I swim or shower with contact lenses on?

Can children wear contact lenses?

Children of all ages can tolerate contact lenses remarkably well. Even newborn babies born with certain eye conditions can wear and tolerate contacts. The deciding factor as to whether or not a child should wear contacts should not be his or her age, but rather the child’s maturity level. Parents should make that judgment based on the child’s personal hygiene and ability to perform household responsibilities.

Contact lenses are especially good for children in sports. Contacts don’t get fogged up, they fit under helmets and goggles, they improve peripheral field and, in many cases, improve visual acuity and depth perception. For the price of a good pair of glasses, you can purchase a year’s supply of contacts. Also, if a child’s prescription changes, the Wheaton Eye Clinic Contact Lens Department can usually take back any unopened boxes and exchange them for replacement boxes in the new prescription.

When appropriately fit and cared for, contact lenses are a very good option for many children.

What is the difference between hard and soft contact lenses?

Rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses, sometimes referred to as hard lenses, are made of slightly flexible plastics that allow oxygen to pass through them to the corneas of eyes. There are materials that should only be worn during the day and materials that can be worn throughout the night. RGPs give you excellent vision and have a short adaptation period. They are durable, come in light tints for handling and usually have a relatively long life.

Soft contact lenses are made of soft, flexible plastic that also allows oxygen to pass through it to the corneas of the eyes. There are soft lenses that are only to be worn during the waking hours and soft lenses designed for overnight wear. Usually these lenses are immediately comfortable and have a very short adaptation period. These lenses come in light tints, or tints that change the color of your eyes, and they also can be made bifocal. There are soft lenses which can be kept for about a year, ones that you replace every 3 or 4 months, monthly replacement lenses, two week replacement lenses or daily replacement lenses.

The contact lens doctors at the Wheaton Eye Clinic will explain all of the options available to you and help you come up with the appropriate lenses for your eyes, your lifestyle and budget.

Can I swim or shower with contact lenses on?

There are organisms in lakes, oceans, pools and hot tubs that may be fine for you to swim in but should not get on your contact lenses. Some of these organisms can cause infections and damage to your eyes. Because of the potential hazards to your eyes, we recommend wearing watertight goggles during swimming.

Showering with your contact lenses is fine if you do not get tap water in your eyes. Tap water is different than the buffered saline you use with your contact lenses and can actually change the shape of your contacts so that they do not fit your eyes correctly.