Sun, sand and sea might be the stuff of holiday dreams, but if you’re not careful, they can turn into a nightmare for your eyes. When you’re away from home, it’s easy to get out of good eye care habits and there are a range of risk factors you need to be aware of. Fortunately, help is at hand. This brief guide talks you through the basics of eye health while traveling.
Photo by: Kurtis Garbutt
Eye Care While Traveling
If you wear contacts, be sure to pack your supplies
Packing for your trip will require a little extra planning if you wear Pure Optical contact lenses for your eye care tips while traveling. If you want to be able to use these vision aids while you’re on vacation, you must take all the relevant accessories with you. For example, if you wear reusable lenses, you’ll need to pack cleaning solutions and storage accessories. If you’re traveling by air and only plan on taking hand luggage, get yourself travel-sized lens solutions that meet airport security rules.
Alternatively, to avoid the hassle of keeping your contacts clean on holiday, you could use daily disposables instead. There are a range of these products available and you can stock up online. For example, Focus Dailies from Feel Good Contact Lenses are designed to offer comfortable use throughout the day and they can simply be discarded at night when you go to bed.
Shield your eyes from the sun
Most of us know how damaging the sun can be to our skin, but the solar rays can also harm our eyes. In fact, long-term exposure to sunlight is known to raise the risk of a particular type of cataract and it can cause growths on the surface of the eye called pterygium. Strong sunlight can also result in a temporary but uncomfortable burn to the eye’s surface, while looking directly at it can scar your retina and cause long-term vision problems. To keep your eyes healthy, don’t glance directly at the sun and make sure you minimize the amount of ultraviolet (UV) rays that reach this part of your face by wearing wide-brimmed hats and using sunglasses with UV-A and UV-B protection. Designs with wraparound lenses are best.
Take care when you swim
Whether you’re planning to lounge by the pool or get stuck into water sports at the beach, don’t neglect your eyes. If you wear contacts, it’s best to take them out when you’re in water to avoid getting infections. Meanwhile, a good pair of goggles can help to keep chlorine and salt water out of your peepers, and it’s possible to get prescription versions if you normally rely on glasses or contacts. Because chlorine and salt water can irritate your eyes, it’s also a good idea to take some soothing drops with you on vacation.
By following suggestions like these, you should be able to avoid any eye health woes while you’re away this sunny season.
