As we (supposedly) move into summer, many of us will have holidays and trips abroad planned. But how do you continue to look after your eye health when travelling to different climates and flying over 30,000 feet in the air?
Below we list 9 tips to keep in mind.
Travel Tips For Healthy Eyes
Bring Sunglasses
To protect your eyes from harmful radiation, bring sunglasses that have 100% UV protection, especially if you plan on going to a destination with high level of UV rays. Destinations with high levels of UV include Thailand, Sri Lanka, Australia, and Mexico.
🕶️ See our sunglasses range here
Stock Up on Eye Drops
Frequently suffer from dry eyes and irritation? Aeroplanes exacerbate these problems by having low levels of humidity. Visit your opticians or local pharmacy to stock up on eye drops to last the entire duration of your holiday. Flying can cause further eye issues including hypobaric hypoxia. This is where you develop minor swelling around your eyes due to the low pressure and the reduced oxygen levels in the aeroplane cabin. Whilst not harmful, these changes can lead to temporary vision fluctuations and mild discomfort. To counteract the dry cabin environment, use lubricating eye drops or artificial tears.
👓 Visit your local DI Blow Opticians branch to stock up on eye drops
Remove Contact Lenses on Long Flights
When wearing contact lenses for long periods of time, you can be more prone to developing conditions such as conjunctivitis, keratitis, or corneal neovascularisation. We advise, especially on long flights, to remove contact lenses. The symptoms of some of these conditions might sounds minor, but the long-term effects can cause serious and irreversible damage to your eyes.
Take Contact Lenses Out if you Plan to Sleep
If you plan on catching some Zs on the plane, remove your contact lenses. Sleeping in contact lenses restricts the amount of oxygen that reaches your corneas, which can cause long-term damage to the surface of your corneas. This damage will impact the ability to regenerate fresh cells, leading to an increased risk of eye infections.
Pack Extra Solution for your Contact Lenses
Ensure you have enough contact lens solution to last your entire holiday. You shouldn’t be cleaning your contact lenses with water as water is not sterile. Water can also contain bacteria that can end up causing eye infections.
Bring a Spare Pair of Glasses and/or Contact Lenses
Only taking one pair of glasses or contact lenses when travelling far from home is a risky move. Remember to bring a backup should yours become broken, damaged, or lost.
👓 Learn about the contact lenses we supply here
Keep Drinking Water
Regularly drinking water and staying hydrated helps your eyes to maintain a healthy tear film which lubricates and protects the eyes.
Change Device Settings to be Easier on your Eyes
Screen time does your eyes no favours. Make the most of your devices accessibility settings by adjusting font size, contrast, and screen brightness to give your eyes an easier time. You can also utilise an anti-glare screen protector to ease the effect on your eyes.
Relax and Enjoy your Holiday!
Looking after yourself is important. Give yourself and your eyes a good chance to relax and recharge. D.I Blow will always be here for you when you get back.
Book yourself in for a regular eye test with D I Blow and find out how we can help you.
