Wearing Contacts While Traveling

It is important to remember to follow your normal lens care guidelines whenever you travel so that you are able to remain comfortable and preserve your good eye health. Many people deviate from their regular schedule and daily regimens when traveling away from home because they are in a different environment and are following a completely different daily schedule; however, your trip will be much more enjoyable for you if maintain your daily contact lens cleaning and storing regimen.

While traveling, it is a good idea to keep your contact lens care products nearby.

You should always plan to take along…

• At least one bottle of solution
• A clean case
• A pair of glasses
• An extra pair of lenses (in case one is torn or lost)
• A copy of your eye care practitioner’s contact information

Although following your normal cleaning and disinfecting regimen is always the best route to go, you might consider speaking with your eye care practitioner about switching to daily disposable lenses if you will be traveling to a location where basic hygiene may be difficult on a regular basis.

If you are traveling by plane…

Keep in mind that the air in plane cabins and airports does tend to dry out eyes and can make wearing contacts uncomfortable. To avoid this remember to keep your body and eyes hydrated by drinking water throughout your trip. You should also consider carrying rewetting drops with you to ensure that your eyes and lenses remain moist.

You should consider packaging a small bottle of solution in your carry-on and pack a larger bottle or two in your checked luggage. Most sample bottles of contact lens solution are small enough to meet the TSA regulations for liquids to be stored in carry-on luggage; however, it is always a good idea to check with the airline or TSA prior to your trip.

If you feel that you cannot spare the space needed in your luggage to pack large bottles of solution, check to see if your usual solution is available for purchase at your destination. Keep in mind that the brand you use may not be available at your trip destination and that choosing a different solution upon arrival could lead to an unpleasant trip if you are intolerant to the solution that you are able to find. For more information about using the lens care products recommended to you by your eye care practitioner read Commonly Used Contact Lens Care Products.

While you are at your destination…

• Try not to over wear your lenses – While on vacation or a business trip, your daily schedule is often drastically different from your normal routine and may lead you to wear your contacts for extended periods of time. Try to remove your contacts each day before they begin to irritate your eyes.
• Refrain from swimming with your contacts in – Microorganisms thrive in tap water, swimming pools and natural bodies of water and can cause discomfort and even lead to an infection if they come in contact with your lenses. Remove contacts prior to swimming or participating in any water sports.
• Avoid sleeping in your lenses – It can be easy to call it a night without following your normal nighttime routine while your on a trip, but it is important to remove your contacts each night (unless of course you have extended wear lenses) to prevent irritation and discomfort.
• Don’t forget to pack sunglasses – Although contact lenses do protect your eyes from some UV rays, you should still wear sunglasses if you will be in the sun for prolonged periods of time.

If you feel that you need to re-acquaint yourself with the best practices for handling your contact lenses before you leave for your trip, review Proper Contact Lens Care and Contact Lens Basics.