SEPTEMBER , 2021 | THE HEALTH

Hambiah Liyana Hamzah ( right ) with her colleagues .

I n some studies , adolescent and young adult wearers have been reported to be more likely than older adult wearers to develop eye infections and more likely to have poor contact lens hygiene practices .”

Benefits of contact lenses

“ As for sports performance and safety , contact lenses work better than glasses if your child plays sports or is involved in physical activities frequently ,” she said , noting that children are more likely to damage their glasses due to their active nature .

“ These children may actually reap the most benefits from contact lens wear . Contact lenses also allows a child to have better access to the side view and are safer to wear .”

She said for some , wearing contact lenses would help with their self-image as they may refuse to wear glasses due to appearance .

And for children who are very nearsighted or myopic , contact lenses provide better vision than glasses .

“ Your child ’ s attitude toward wearing glasses can affect school performance and self-image .”

She continued : “ According to research , contact lens wear dramatically improves how children and teens feel about their appearance and participation in activities , leading to greater satisfaction with their refractive error correction .”

The improvement in their quality of life after contact lens wear indicates that younger children should be offered contact lenses as a treatment for refractive error as routinely as teens .

Practicing proper contact lens care

“ In some studies , adolescent and young adult wearers have been reported to be more likely than older adult wearers to develop eye infections and more likely to have poor contact lens hygiene practices .”

To avoid these risks , they must adhere to the following :

• Wash your hands in warm soapy water and dry them well before touching your contact lenses .

• Avoid water . Do not wear lenses when swimming or bathing , and never clean or store contact lenses or their case in water . If lenses touch water , throw them away or disinfect them in fresh solution .

• Use the right products . Use a fresh solution each time . Wash the contact lens case in solution . Dry it with a clean tissue and store it upside down with the caps off . Replace the case at least every three months . If these are adhered to , there would be absolutely no problem for children to wear contact lenses . — The Health

MOST vision problems begin at an early age and if left untreated could get worse .

Hence , Optometrist Hambiah Liyana Hamzah from Focus Point , Ampang Point urges parents to be aware and proactive concerning their children ’ s eye health . They should get their children ’ s eyes checked if they notice anything different in their children ’ s vision skills .

Children require the following vision skills for optimal learning - excellent visual acuity at all distances ; accurate and comfortable eye teaming skills ; and accurate eye movement skills .

Routine eye checkups , said Liyana , is very important especially during childhood to ensure good eye health and there are no vision problems that could interfere with school performance and which could also affect the child ’ s safety .

“ This is because children may not realise that they have vision problems and without routine tests , there would be a risk of missing any problem relating to their eyes .

“ So , regular eye checkups will enable the children to get early treatment which will prevent them from getting any serious eye conditions such as lazy eyes , strabismus and many more .”

She shared : “ It is recommended to get an eye checkup at the age of six months for infants and to continue doing so every six months until they are two years old .

“ Meanwhile , for preschool children aged three years and above , a comprehensive eye examination will be carried out on them which includes a visual acuity test and binocular vision test .”

Signs to look out for

Observant parents would notice the signs in their children ’ s behavior , which includes :

• blinking and rubbing their eyes all the time

• moving nearer to the television or screens

• squinting their eyes to see “ These are red flags for the parents to get their kids ’ eyes checked .”

Most of the clientele at Focus Point , Ampang Point are educated and working groups , who tend to be more attentive to their children ’ s eye care needs .

“ We get lots of parents who are interested in getting their children ’ s eyes checked .

“ And at Focus Point , Ampang Point , besides refraction , we basically have all the equipment needed for primary eyecare checkup and contact lens fitting such as keratometer , corneal topography , handheld tonometer , ophtalmoscope , retinoscope and slit lamp .”

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