eye doctor

Are Contact Lenses Safe For Young Children?

Here’s a question we often get at our practice: ‘Is my child too young for contact lenses?’ This is an important question, and the answer may surprise you.

For children with myopia (nearsightedness), contact lenses can be a convenient method of vision correction. It allows kids to go about their day without having to worry about breaking or misplacing their glasses, and enables them to freely participate in sports and other physical activities.

Some children and young teens may ask their parents for contact lenses because they feel self-conscious wearing glasses. Contact lenses may even provide children with the confidence boost they need to come out of their shell. Moreover, these days, it is very popular for children to wear single-use one-day disposable soft contacts, since there is no cleaning or maintenance involved.

Some parents may deny their child’s request for contacts due to concerns about eye health and safety. There’s no reason to worry: contact lenses are just as safe for children as they are for anyone else.

At Sheridan Optometric Centre, we provide children, teens, and patients of all ages with a wide variety of contact lenses. If you’re concerned about the safety of contacts for your child, we’ll be happy to explain and explore ways to ensure maximum safety, optimal eye health and comfort. To learn more or to schedule a pediatric eye exam for contact lenses, contact us today.

What Are the Risks of Having My Child Wear Contact Lenses?

A study published in the January 2021 issue of The Journal of Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics found that kids aren’t at a higher risk of experiencing contact lens complications.

The study followed nearly 1000 children aged 8-16 over the course of 1.5-3 years to determine how contact lenses affected their eye health.

The results indicate that age doesn’t have an effect on contact lens safety. In fact, the researchers found that the risk of developing infections or other adverse reactions was less than 1% per year of wear — which is comparable to contact lens wearers of other ages.

But before you decide that contact lenses are right for your child, you may want to consider whether your child is ready to wear them. During his or her eye doctor’s appointment, the optometrist may ask about your child’s level of maturity, responsibility, and personal hygiene. Since many children are highly motivated to wear contacts, they tend to display real maturity in caring for their lenses. That said, in the initial stages, parents may need to play an active role, as their child gets used to inserting and removing the new contact lenses.

It’s important to note that just as with any other medical device, contact lenses are not risk-free. Anyone who wears contact lenses has a chance of developing eye infections or other complications with contact lenses. However, when worn and cared for according to your eye doctor’s instructions, contact lenses are low-risk and can be safe for children and teenagers.

So, go ahead and bring your child in for a contact lens consultation! We’ll help determine if your child is ready for contacts and answer any questions you or your child may have. To schedule your child’s contact lens fitting or eye exam, contact Sheridan Optometric Centre in Mississauga today.

Do I need Eye Exams?

Do you wait until you notice a problem before visiting your eye doctor for an eye exam? Or do you schedule routine check-ups?

Many people are not aware of how important it is to have regular eye exams. In fact, it is the most dependable way to preserve your long-lasting eye health and quality vision.

Don’t make the mistake of waiting until you have a complaint about your vision before reserving your comprehensive eye exam. Book an appointment today with Dr. Hwang, your expert optometrist in Mississauga,Ontario.

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Are Eye Exams important ?

Clear and healthy vision plays a primary role in every part of your life, which is why preventive eye care is so critical. What you may not know is that many common eye diseases and vision conditions do not cause symptoms at the beginning. It is only when these disorders, such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration, progress to a later stage that problems appear. Unfortunately, that is also when vision damage has already occurred and treatment has a less positive prognosis. In contrast, when eye disease is caught early by an eye exam, your eye doctor can treat it immediately – before there is any irreversible vision loss.

Along with inspecting for eye disease, Dr. Hwang will also check your vision during an eye exam in our La Jolla office. Vision does not generally stay the same throughout all stages of life. We will verify that your current vision prescription is accurate to ensure that you receive the most appropriate vision correction, including eyeglasses, bifocal/multifocal, and contact lenses.

Sheridan Optometric Centre Eye Clinic and Eye Exams in Mississauga, Ontario

Many eye diseases can be quickly and easily diagnosed during a comprehensive eye exam. If you were diagnosed with an eye disease, such as Cataracts, Glaucoma, Macular degeneration, Diabetic retinopathy, or Dry eye, you may be overwhelmed by the diagnosis and confused about what happens next. Will you need medications or surgery – now or in the future? Our Mississauga eye doctor has prepared the following answers to your questions about eye disease.

What to Expect During Your Eye Exam

We treat every patient who enters our Mississauga, Ontario, eye care center as a unique individual. That means you will benefit from the specific tests and procedures you need, depending upon your age, health condition, visual symptoms, and the judgment of our eye doctor.

In general, a complete eye exam begins with taking your case history and asking questions about your lifestyle requirements. We will then assess visual acuity, binocularity, color vision, peripheral vision, and ocular health. Your eye doctor may also use tonometry (puff test or blue light) to measure intraocular pressure, which is a screening procedure for glaucoma. Depending upon the results of all of these tests, we may perform additional procedures using the latest technology, such as digital retinal imaging and OCT scans.

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What to Expect During a Pediatric Eye Exam

Children are not simply little adults. That means they have different visual needs and risks than adults. As they grow, they may develop vision problems that could compromise learning and development. Only a comprehensive pediatric eye exam can detect these conditions. That’s why the American Optometric Association advises kids should have their eyes examined at six months old, at three years old (unless diagnosed with a vision condition that requires an earlier examination), and again before starting elementary school (age 5-6). If no vision correction or therapy is needed, follow-up eye exams should be scheduled every one to two years. Our eye doctor is highly qualified and experienced at performing specialized eye exams for kids in the Mississauga area.

During your child’s eye exam in our Sheridan Optometric Centre practice, we will evaluate the following functional vision skills:

Visual acuity
Eye teaming/Binocularity
Focusing ability/Accommodation
Hand-eye coordination
Visual perception skills

Ocular health is the foundation for clear vision, and our optometrist will also examine the inner eye tissues, as well the tissues around the eye for any abnormalities. If necessary, we may use dilating eye drops to obtain a sharper view.

Find an eye exam near you!

Now that you are aware of all the reasons to have regular eye exams and what to expect during your appointment, we hope you’ll contact us to schedule a visit to our welcoming Mississauga optometry practice!

Call Sheridan Optometric Centre on 866-948-8849 to schedule an eye exam with our Mississauga optometrist. Alternatively book an appointment online here CLICK FOR AN APPOINTMENT

Just in case you missed them, here are some of our previous blog posts :

3 Benefits of Anti-Glare Coating

Treating Vision Problems Lowers Risk of Falling in Seniors

Top 5 Tips for Managing Eye Allergies This Spring

What You Should Know about Diabetes and Your Vision

Do I have Eye Allergies?

Know the symptoms of seasonal eye allergies and how to get rid of this pesky problem

As the weather warms, flower buds are opening, and your neighbors are dragging their lawnmowers out for an annual spring tune-up. And suddenly you find a need to rub your itchy, red, and sore eyes constantly. Yep, it’s that time of year again – the time that seasonal allergies blossom with the trees.

Nasal symptoms of seasonal allergies, like a runny nose and sneezing, usually get all the attention, but actually, eye allergies (your eye doctor may call it “allergic conjunctivitis”) are pretty common – affecting millions of people in the US. Grass allergy and pollen in the eyes are the primary cause of eye irritation. What’s the best treatment? And how can you get rid of your eye allergies?

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Eye exam to diagnose eye allergies in Mississauga, Ontario eye doctor’s tips on how to recognize and relieve allergies.

The ocular symptoms of your seasonal allergies are caused when your body’s immune system becomes sensitized and overreacts to an environmental trigger that’s really harmless. That trigger, called an allergen, makes contact with antibodies in your eyes – and these cells respond by releasing histamine. Histamine and other natural chemicals cause tiny blood vessels in your eyes to leak, which can lead to redness, itchiness, burning, inflammation, and watery eyes. The symptoms can range from mild to severe enough to interfere with your clear vision. Rest assured – eye allergies are not dangerous, as annoying as they can be.

However, these symptoms alone are not enough to blame seasonal allergies. All of these signs are not unique to eye allergies and could point to several different eye diseases. That’s why a precise diagnosis is imperative! Our Mississauga, Ontario eye doctor will perform a comprehensive evaluation of your eyes to identify the cause of the irritation.

Sheridan Optometric Centre Eye Clinic and seasonal allergies in Mississauga, Ontario

Avoid your trigger to get rid of eye allergies

Grass allergy and pollen in your eyes are the most typical triggers for seasonal eye allergies, often called hay fever. Since that’s the case, you’re probably wondering how you can possibly avoid these widespread allergens. Before you lock yourself in your room and wait for the seasons to change, our eye doctor recommends:

Keep windows closed when the pollen count is high. Use a/c in your home, office, and the car in order to clean the air around you.
Do not rub your eyes! This spreads the pollen (and irritation!) all over.
When you are outdoors, always wear glasses and sunglasses to keep pollen out of your eyes. Don’t wear your contacts! Contact lenses can exacerbate eye allergies because they are a great surface for pollen to cling to and pile up.
When you return indoors after being exposed to seasonal allergens, rinse your eyes with saline drops.
Clean your floors with a damp rag, instead of sweeping with a dry broom that pushes any pollen that’s settled back into the air.

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What’s the best treatment for eye allergies?

Some of the symptoms can be managed with nonprescription drugs, especially if your eye allergies are mild. Try using artificial tears to keep your ocular surface clean. Decongestant eye drops may also help, however, it’s not a good idea to use these for more than a few days since they can worsen your condition with prolonged use.

What about antihistamines for red eyes and seasonal allergies? Antihistamine eye drops, mast cell stabilizer eye drops, corticosteroid eye drops, and NSAID eye drops are accepted short-term treatment for eye allergies. Because these are all prescription drugs, you will need to visit your eye doctor (and possibly an allergist too) to determine which medication is most suitable for you. Some non-sedating oral histamines may also be effective at relieving your symptoms, but they can dry out eyes – thereby making the irritation worse. If your seasonal allergies are extreme and get in the way of functional living, immunotherapy allergy shots or tablets may offer long-term relief.

Are seasonal allergies disrupting your life?

Visit Sheridan Optometric Centre for more tips on how to enjoy clear and comfortable vision in Mississauga, Ontario, all year-round! Call Sheridan Optometric Centre on 866-948-8849 to schedule an eye exam with our Mississauga optometrist. Alternatively book an appointment online here CLICK FOR AN APPOINTMENT