Caring for your eyes can be a daunting task depending on where you are traveling. In certain developing world countries, you may not have access to the same products you do at home. If you are camping or spending significant time in rural areas, you may have to deal with factors like dirt and dust that can further complicate matters. Finally, travel can involve some unusual schedules and long days. You may go more than a day without sleep and without access to “standard” bathroom facilities.
None of this means that you must avoid travel if you have glasses or contact lenses – it just means you need to be a little more thoughtful when it comes to planning. In this post, we will suggest some tips to help you do so.
Bring extra of everything
Buy extra contact lens solution and bring at least one extra pair of glasses with you. If you are familiar with your destination or you have done sufficient and reassuring research, you don’t need to go overboard with back-up supplies. In other cases, however, you should be prepared for anything. Finally, be aware of liquid restrictions if you are a carry-on-only passenger. You may have to divide lens solution into smaller 3oz. bottles.
Go to the optometrist before you leave
This will ensure that you have the latest prescription, but it may also have additional benefits. Your optometrist may have specific advice to offer depending on your destination. Give yourself enough time – at least several weeks – before your trip so that any changes to your prescription can be made.
Take care of your eyes and your contacts once you’re on the road
Standard practice like washing your hands before touching your contacts is even more important on the road. You may find yourself in a different environment, with a different set of microbial life than you are used to at home. If you are traveling with daily lenses, your life will be a lot easier, but if you’re not, make sure to take your lenses out and clean them every day. Finally, if your eyes become irritated with your lenses in, take them out and use glasses until the irritation subsides. Trying to ride it out will only result in further misery.
If you travel with glasses or contact lenses and you have any tips or experiences to share on travel eye care, please leave them in the comments below.
Photo credit: Flickr user Schtumple
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