Ah, travel! The perfect opportunity to escape, discover and create memories. For your next trip, we've compiled a few practical tips for contact lens wearers. Whatever your travel destination, you'll need some essential items. First and foremost, your contact lenses. If you wear soft contact lenses, don't forget to check the expiration date, and take along an extra pair of monthly lenses if the date falls during your vacation.
Tip 1: What do contact lens wearers need to know before flying?
It's advisable to remove contact lenses when flying. The air inside the plane is very dry and contributes to the drying out of the eye, making contact lenses uncomfortable to wear. If you wear monthly contact lenses, we advise you to keep a pair of contact lenses and a case filled with cleaning solution in your hand luggage. Monthly lenses are much more difficult to replace, so keeping them with you in case your checked baggage is delayed or lost is important. Wearing glasses while travelling remains the best solution to avoid all these measures.
Tip 2: Choose 1-day contact lenses for travel
1-day contact lenses are the most hygienic lenses on the market. You only need to put them in and take them out once. 1-day lenses are ideal for travel: no messing about with a lens cleaning solution. No more cases in the bathroom. Moreover, the risk of damaging a 1-day contact lens is minimal. The result? Healthy eyes and clear vision.
1-day contact lenses are discarded at the end of the day and replaced with a new pair the next day. So, if you lose a lens while you're on vacation, there's no need to panic - you just replace it, which is impossible with monthly lenses. Disposable contact lenses are also recommended for holidays in developing countries, where hygiene and daily lens care can become problematic. By using disposable contact lenses, you reduce the risk of eye infections by avoiding the use of lens cases and cleaning solutions.
Tip 3: Follow hygiene advice
Ensure you follow hygiene advice when cleaning your contact lenses, wherever you are. Washing your hands before handling your lenses, whether putting them in or taking them out, is essential. It's also a good idea to regularly replace the lens cases with new ones, usually supplied with cleaning solutions. And for those who forget to take their lens care solution on a trip, putting your lenses in a glass of water is strictly forbidden. In that case, there's only one thing to do: throw them away and wear your glasses instead!
Are you going on a trip? Ask your IRIS professional for advice on how to experience better vision on your next adventure.
