Many people have turned from glasses to contact lenses for a variety of reasons. However, the extra care contacts require sometimes makes people shy away from wearing contacts while traveling. Or, worse, travelers end up not caring for their contacts correctly while on the trip. Fortunately, you can take your contacts with you on your vacation and enjoy your trip! Just be sure to follow a few key pointers recommended by optometrists and the Centers for Disease Control.
Keep your contacts clean:
Do not let your contact care habits take a vacation when you do! Just because you are traveling doesn’t mean your contacts should stay in your eyes longer than normal or that you should forego normal care. Be sure to always wash your hands with soap and water before touching your lenses. Be sure to use contact solution and not other liquids for storing your contacts. And, clean your lens case and change the solution daily. The CDC recently published a study showing that contact wearers aren’t doing these things enough, and such neglect can lead to all kinds of nasty eye infections. The last place you want to deal with eye problems is on vacation!
Be security conscious:
The TSA has very strict rules regarding liquids. Nothing more than 3.4 oz may go in a carry on. If you have a small bottle of solution that you would like to keep on your person on the airplane, be sure to place it in a clear bag that can be removed for examination by security officials. Other countries, like the United Kingdom, have similar regulations. Another option is to simply forego bringing any solution and purchase a small bottle when you arrive, or pack the solution in your luggage.
Swimming is fun! Amoebas are not:
Just like at home, swimming with contact lenses is not the best idea, and it is especially not a good one if you are visiting a less developed country. If you normally shower with your lenses in, consider removing them if you are in a location where drinking water from the tap is not suggested. And, be sure to wash your hands with bottled water in these locations to avoid incidental contamination. Amoebas and other water-borne critters can cause all kinds of problems.
Always have a backup:
If you do run into any problems with your contacts, be it an infection or even a ripped lens, be sure to have a backup plan. Bringing an additional pair or two of lenses will help you out if something happens to the ones you are currently using. Have a pair of glasses with you as well, since you never know when you might need them. Finally, bring a copy of your prescriptions for glasses and contact lenses. These numbers are recognized globally and will be useful in case anything does happen.
If something happens, seek help!
Red, painful, or light sensitive eyes can be a sign that something has gone wrong. If you experience these symptoms, remove your contacts immediately. It could just be something minor, but you are better off not risking it. To be safe, put the lenses in their case, and wear your glasses until you see an eye professional. It is possible that you may have to travel a long way for help as eye doctors may not be as common as you would expect in your destination. In the end, though, it is better to make a three hour trip to be told things are okay rather than to end up having a more serious problem with your vision.
Do you use contacts when you travel? What have you found to be the most effective methods to handle them as you vacation or travel? Comment below or on the Passport Health Facebook page and let us know!
Thanks for these tips! I’m traveling to Europe next week, so I’ll make sure I’m careful with my contacts. I’ll make sure to bring a small container of contacts solution so that I will be allowed to bring it on the airplane. Does Europe have the same type of solution that I could buy there?
One of my least favorite things about traveling is using my contact lenses. I love wearing them on all of my hiking adventures. However, because a lot of my vacationing includes water it is tough to have them in my eyes. Are there lenses that do well under water?
Thanks for the tips! I was a bit worried about trying to carry some contact solution past security when I have to fly next week. Keeping no more than 3.4 oz in a clear bag that can be removed for examination seems like a great tip. That will allow me to take it with me on the plane while still being able to catch my flight on time.
This are some awesome tips for traveling with contacts! I always forget to keep my contacts clean or bring my cleaning solution with me. Just the other day I went camping and forgot to bring my contact lens kit with me. I was so annoyed because they started to irritate after a while. What’s the best way to get my lenses out when they roll in the back of my eyes?
It is important to care for your contacts, especially when traveling. I’ve heard of bad things happening to people who don’t take their contacts out when swimming. Always be sure to do so since you never know what could be living in the water. I always remember losing a contact and going throughout the day being able to see out of one eye. It’s a bummer that I didn’t have a spare pair of contacts since you never know when you’ll need them!
I don’t think that people really give it a second thought when traveling with contacts. Whenever I travel, I usually don’t. For me, the most important part is to keep them clean. Depending on where you go, you might want to wash your hands for quite a bit before touching your eyes. Also like you said, seek out help immediately if you are having problems with your eyes and contacts.
Having a back up pair of contacts could be very helpful while traveling. I recently found out that I need glasses or contacts, and I travel a lot for business. I’ll have to keep these tips in mind while overseas in-case of any mishap.
My wife just got contacts for the first time and is getting used them pretty quickly. We are going to be traveling soon though and she is worried about how they are going to hold up. This article has some good points that I think can help us figure this out and keep them in good shape.
Taking care of prescription contact lenses while traveling can be difficult, but it’s necessary. You need to be able to see, and you probably don’t want to cause an issue in your eye. If you do though, as the article says, get help immediately!
Thanks for the article! I was surprised by the suggestion to not wear contacts when swimming or showering, especially when on vacation in undeveloped countries. Washing your hands with bottled water before putting in or taking out your contacts to avoid germs reaching your eyes. I went on a trip to Mexico and though the water can be kind of safe to drink I was a little apprehensive about letting the water and germs get near my contacts. I really appreciate the advice you have given, and I will be applying these tips in the future.
I’ve always worn glasses but am upgrading to contact lenses in a few weeks just in time for my family vacation. Thanks for the idea about having a backup just in case something should happen to the first. Hopefully, I can have enough solution on hand to help me keep my contacts clean at all times.
This is some really good information about contact lens care when traveling. It is good to know that it would be smart to have a backup pair. I know that I always forget to get extra pairs of lenses. So, it might be smart for me to get a few extra ones as well.
For a tourist person or a person who love adventure is there any contact lens that need not remove from eye while doing such adventurous activities.
When I travel, I am always worried that something could happen to my contacts and I will injure my eyes by wearing them. Your information that amoebas could infect the lenses if you swim with them in is really helpful. I think that I will stick with glasses for travel. The only issue is that I have not gotten a new glasses prescription for the past 7 years, so before I go on vacation I’ll have to find an optometrist.
My sister wanted to make sure that she’ll be able to see well without her glasses. It was explained here that she should not wear her contacts when she goes swimming. Moreover, it’s recommended to hire professionals for quality contact lenses.
I have been considering getting contact lenses for my upcoming wedding in May, but with traveling out of the country the following day, I wasn’t sure if they would be practical. Your information that I should keep a small bottle of contact solution in a carry on and a larger bottle in checked baggage is very helpful. With that in mind, I am sure that I will be able to keep any future contacts hydrated and safe during travel.
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The solution to the most difficult thing I have got here as it really is a very tough task to carry contacts while travelling and I faced the same issue when I was travelling but now will bokkmarrk this post of your so as to never ever forget it.