Best Age of Fitting for Contact Lens Success

Doctor & Associates Ophthalmologists shared some thoughts about a common question parents ask about fitting children with contact lenses-“What is the best age to get my child fit with contacts?”

Fitting Children with Contact Lenses

Sometimes parents wonder what the best age is to fit their children with contact lenses in order to give them the most successful and safest wearing experience. Researchers reporting in Eye & Contact Lens: Science and Clinical Practice  studied differences  in current symptoms, compliance, ocular health and adverse events between current successful long–term contact lens wearers fit as children or as teenagers. They found that successful contact lens wearers fit as children are no more likely to report previous contact lens–related adverse events, problems with compliance, decreased wearing time, or worse ocular health than those fit as teenagers amd suggest that parents should not rely on age as a primary determinant in fitting children with contact lenses, but should rely on their eye doctor’s recommendations and evaluation of their child.

If you or someone you know has questions or would like to learn more about fitting children with contact please feel call Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment and we will be happy to make recommendations about your kids and the best age to fit them with contacts.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice with offices at

129 Kings Highway North, Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and 148 East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851.

Avoiding Eye Problems with Halloween Contact Lenses

Doctor & Associates cautioned about the use of decorative contact lenses for Halloween in order to avoid potentially serious eye problems. The Food and Drug Administration,  regulates all contact lenses as medical devices that require a prescription and proper fitting by an eye care professional. Even someone with perfect vision would still require an eye exam and a prescription in order to wear any kind of contacts, including cosmetic lenses. Some websites advertise decorative contacts as if they were fashion accessories or toys with attractive packaging in order to draw teens and young adults, especially girls. The problem is not that people use decorative, noncorrective lenses-but that they buy the contacts without a prescription through unlicensed vendors on the Internet or at flea markets and specialty shops.

Changing your eye color or turning your eyes into a devilish or ghoulish look can be fun but can also lead to serious vision threatening problems. Buying over-the-counter contact lenses exposes you to huge risk including scratched corneas, pink eye and more serious types of blinding infection as a result of a corneal ulcer.

Federal law classifies all contact lenses as medical devices and restricts their distribution to licensed eye-care professionals. Illegal sale of contacts can result in civil penalties of up to $11,000 per violation.

The safe and effective use of contact lenses-whether decorative or not-requires proper fitting and education about their care to prevent the potential for serious eye  problems from becoming a reality. If you or a friend would like to learn more about contact lenses of any type including decorative contacts please call Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice with offices at 129 Kings Highway North, Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and 148 East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851.

Fuchs Dystrophy Severity & Risk Factors

“As a corneal specialist Fuchs’ Dystrophy is an eye problem I frequently get called upon to diagnose, rule out or treat,” commented Leslie Doctor, M.D. “Additionally, I provide education and counsel to Fuchs’ Dystrophy patients about their prognosis, risks and progression so they can have realistic expectations,” she explained.

Information About Fuchs Dystrophy

Fuchs’ Dystrophy is a type of corneal disease that affects the inner most layer of the cornea-the endothelium. Fuchs’ Dystrophy is slowly progressive and can be found in both eyes and is slightly more common in women than men. While it is possible to observe Fuchs’ Dystrophy in people in their 30’s and 40’s, it usually does not compromise vision until people are in their 50’s or 60’s. The endothelial cells are responsible for pumping water out of the cornea and helping to maintain the corneal transparency. While the reason is poorly understood, in Fuchs’ Dystrophy, the endothelial cells die, which make the endothelium less efficient in its pumping activity. This results in the cornea swelling and distorting vision.

Researchers reporting in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science studied the effects of smoking, and other risk factors, on the development of advanced Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) and on central corneal thickness (CCT). As predicted, being female increased the odds of developing advanced Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) by 34% and smoking increased the odds by 30%. Besides reporting that smoking was associated with an increased risk of developing advanced FECD, diabetes was also associated with increased in corneal thickness-reflecting greater risk of corneal swelling.

If you or someone you know has questions or concerns about cataract surgery, air travel and flying please feel free to call Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice with offices at 129 Kings Highway North, Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and 148 East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851.