The Perils of Flying Long-Distance with Contact Lenses
Long-haul flights can be a stressful experience at the best of times. With the risk of jet lag, swollen feet, and missing bags, the last thing you want is to add dry and irritated eyes to your list of grievances. But for contact lens wearers, this is all but unavoidable. Perhaps the only bright side of the situation is being used to the suffering…
In fact, it can often take a friend or family member pointing out the redness or puffiness of our eyes before we even remember that we have our contact lenses in. Of course, the normal solution would be to simply take them out. But if you’re on a 10-hour flight halfway across the world, you may well be wanting to see for at least some of the duration.
But what are you to do when keeping them in could increase your risk of infection? Or leave you rubbing your irritated eyes for the first few days of the holiday? And let’s not forget, those pina coladas you’ll be sipping by the pool won’t do anything to help the dryness and irritation!
Well, we want to help. We’ve created a list of dos and don’ts when it comes to wearing contact lenses on a long-haul flight.
Dos and Don’ts of Flying with Contact Lenses
If you’re wearing contact lenses on a plane, the most important thing to ask yourself is: Do I really need to be?
If you’re not planning to read your book or watch an in-flight film, then the best solution is to simply take out your contacts. You may even be planning to try and sleep through the majority of the flight, in which case, you should definitely remove the lenses! Friendly reminder: You should never sleep in your contact lenses.
It’s not just wearing your contact lenses for a long time that can cause discomfort and even infection. The real problem is when this collides with the inhospitable environment of the plane cabin.
With the average humidity on planes coming in as low as 20%, our skin and eyes can dry out pretty quickly. Combine this with the moisture-sapping effects of contact lenses, and you can have a real recipe for disaster on your hands. You can expect to experience itchy, irritated eyes and even distorted vision as your peepers dry out!
Keep Lubricating Eye Drops at Hand
Thankfully, there are ways to mitigate dry eyes while travelling. Perhaps the best thing you can do (aside from removing your contact lenses!) is to keep a bottle of lubricating eye drops close to hand. Simply apply as instructed whenever you feel a bit of discomfort coming on.
Of course, you’ll want to keep your eye drops with you in your hand luggage – so (for now, at least), don’t forget to pop them in a clear plastic bag with the rest of your liquid items. After all, you don’t need the added stress of having them confiscated at the airport and being unable to replace them at your destination!
Be Mindful When Packing
Speaking of packing your hand luggage, what if you only have hand luggage? For the last two decades, airports have enforced a 100ml limit on liquids stored in your hand luggage. This means you definitely won’t be able to take your large bottle of contact lens solution with you into the cabin of the plane!
For this reason, it’s often a good idea to switch to daily disposable lenses while you are away. Alternatively, you can always head to your local chemist and see if you can pick up an expensive travel-size contact solution.
Remember Your Hygiene Practices!
Finally, when travelling with contact lenses, hygiene is even more critical than usual. Obviously, planes aren’t the cleanest environments in the world. Research shows that the three “germiest” areas on a plane are the overhead compartment, the seat tray table, and (unsurprisingly) the toilet.
In addition to keeping a bottle of hand sanitiser handy, you’ll definitely want to avoid a mid-flight lens change if possible. Touching your eyes with dirty hands can run the risk of infection – a risk that is even higher if you are wearing contact lenses! The best way to avoid this is to only wear contact lenses on a plane if it is absolutely necessary. But if you do have to wear contacts, don’t fall asleep with them, keep your hands clean, and carry a compact mirror to help with any removal or change.
Prevention is the Best Medicine
Travelling conveniently, comfortably, and safely with contact lenses is all about prevention. Of course, the best way to prevent any problems associated with contact lenses while travelling is not to need to wear them in the first place!
Sure, you could switch out the contacts for a pair of glasses during your time on the plane. But let’s face it, glasses have an abundance of drawbacks of their own, many of which can be magnified when travelling. Thankfully, there is another option: Laser Eye Surgery.
You might think this is an expensive solution for dealing with the perils of contact lenses while flying; however, Laser Eye Surgery has the potential to improve almost every other part of your life, too! With all the potential benefits of what is now a fast, safe, and minimally invasive procedure, it would be crazy not to consider it. What’s more, it could even work out cheaper than contact lenses in the long run!
Find out more about Laser Eye Surgery by speaking with one of our friendly clinic coordinators today. Alternatively, Book a Consultation to see if you could be suitable for treatment. We don’t promise it’ll lead to completely stress-free flights, but we’re positive it’ll help.
