Eye Care Recommendations For Travelling

Summer holiday season is upon us, but just because you’re taking a break doesn’t mean your eyes are. Protecting your eyes whilst travelling, especially on aeroplanes, is super important to having long lasting, top-quality vision.

Here are some top tips and important things to consider when travelling:

1) Bring extra glasses and/or contact lenses

There’s nothing worse than being miles from home and unable to see the sights you set out to see. Accidents happen on holiday too, so remember your backup glasses or an extra pair of contact lenses should you find yours broken, damaged, or lost.

2) Remove contact lenses on long flights

Leaving contact lenses in your eyes for long periods of time can lead to potential health risks such as conjunctivitis, keratitis, and corneal neovascularisation. Whilst some of these might have minor sounding symptoms, the long-term effects can cause serious and irreversible damage to your eyes.

3) Stock up on eye drops

Aeroplanes have low levels of humidity which can lead to eye dryness and irritation. Make sure to bring enough eye drops to last the entire duration of your holiday. Cabin pressure is typically lower than at sea level, which can cause minor swelling around the eyes, known as hypobaric hypoxia. This is caused by reduced oxygen levels and can affect both the cornea and the retina. These changes are not harmful, but they can cause temporary vision fluctuations and mild discomfort on your flight. You should stay well-hydrated and use either artificial tears or lubricating eye drops to counteract the dry cabin environment.

If you are heading to a drier climate, use lubricating eye drops to avoid irritation and keep your eyes moist.

4) Take contact lenses out to sleep

It might be tempting to sleep on the plane to make time pass quicker but, before you do, remove your contact lenses! Sleeping with your contacts in restricts the amount of oxygen that reaches your corneas, causing long-term damage to your cornea’s surface and impacting the ability to regenerate fresh cells, increasing the risk of infection.

Using a sleep mask? Use a clean and comfortable eye mask during rest periods to protect your eyes from light and potential irritants. Ensure the mask fits well and does not apply excessive pressure on the eyes.

5) Pack solution for your contact lenses

Never clean your contact lenses with water instead of solution. Water is not sterile and may contain bacteria that can cause eye infections. Bring enough solution to keep your contacts clean and safe.

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6) Drink lots of water

Staying hydrated means maintaining a healthy tear film which lubricates and protects the eyes.

7) Adjust device settings to be easier on the eyes.

Staring at a screen the entire flight duration isn’t doing your eyes any favours. Adjust your screen brightness, change the font size, contrast, and make use of an anti-glare screen protector to ease the effect on your eyes.

8) Bring your sunglasses

If you’re going to a destination with high levels of UV rays, wear sunglasses with 100% UV protection to protect your eyes from harmful radiation.

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9) Finally: Don’t ignore changes to your vision whilst travelling!

Blurred vision can be an early warning sign of diabetes, a stroke, or a hypertension crisis.

Take a proactive approach to your eye health by booking an eye test with Opticare Opticians today.

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