Handy Tips for Wearing Contacts on Vacation
If you're one of the 45 million Americans who wear contact lenses, there are probably a few key reasons why you prefer them over eyeglasses.
They won't fog up when you're sipping a hot drink or going out in cold weather, and they often provide sharper vision from all angles. Thereβs also no need for frames, so they can be much more convenient to wear while you're out and about. Of course, you might just prefer them because you feel they're more visually appealing than eyeglasses.
All these benefits make them an excellent option for traveling. Contacts mean you don't need to worry about weather or breakages ruining your glasses and marring your eyesight on your trip. However, using contact lenses on vacation comes with its own challenges. In particular, one in three eyewear-donning Americans are anxious that they'll lose their contacts, and there's also the risk of eye infections if you don't follow the proper care instructions.
Fortunately, you don't need to worry about that if you take the right precautions. Here are some handy tips you can try when wearing contacts on your vacation.
Use Daily Contact Lenses
Single-use or daily contact lenses are arguably the best-suited for travel. Bacteria won't have time to grow on them and transfer to your eyes amid repeated use, which is why people who wear weekly, monthly, and yearly contact lenses are more at risk of developing eye infections. Such "dailies" offer plenty of other travel-friendly benefits, especially if you buy these contact lenses online.
You'll find that brands like Biofinity and Air Optix offer various types to suit your needs, such as moisturizing ones for dry eyes and toric ones to correct astigmatism. You can also get them in packs of 30 or 90 pairs, perfect for even longer trips. That means you don't need to bring contact lens solution, which can take away from your carry-on's precious liquid allowances if you're flying. Perhaps even more crucially, you'll always have a spare pair on hand if you lose the contacts you're wearing.
Bring Eye Drops for Long-Haul Flights
If you need to fly to your dream vacation spot, you'll probably notice how dry the cabin air is. That's because most of it is pulled from outside the plane. At higher altitudes, the air contains less moisture, which is why you may feel like your skin is dry or your throat is parched after you spend some time seated. Your eyes can also feel that dryness, especially if you wear contacts. Since they partially cover the surface of your eyes, they prevent them from getting the oxygen they need to produce enough tears naturally. That can lead to redness, discomfort, and even pain, so pack moisturizing eye drops for your long-haul flights.
Make sure they're labeled as being safe to use with contact lenses and use them whenever your eyes start to feel just a little bit gritty. Consider those like Bausch + Lomb's Boston Rewetting Drops or Theratears' Dry Eye Therapy drops, which are similarly available online and are specifically designed to combat dryness in contact lens wearers.
Don't Mix Contacts with Water
Whether you're washing your face, showering, or going swimming, it's crucial to keep your contact lenses off. Water from both natural and filtered water sources, like seas and even swimming pools, contains microbes that can penetrate porous contacts, infect your eyes, and potentially cause permanent vision loss. If you can still see relatively clearly without your lenses, take them off if you're going swimming or partaking in any other water activity, like rafting, on your trip.
You'll also have options if you have a stronger prescription and need corrective eyewear to see what you're doing, such as Goggles N More's dedicated prescription swimming goggles. You can switch these out for free if they break within a year, or you need to update your prescriptions within nine months after you buy them, so you don't need to worry about damaging them amid your vacation activities or only getting to use them for one trip.
Contact lenses are a great travel-friendly alternative to eyeglasses, and these tips can help you wear them without worry on your next vacation. For more on everything from fashion to travel, feel free to keep browsing our posts here on Gennifer Rose!
