Whether you’re traveling locally or abroad, travel rules, restrictions, and travel conditions affect contact lens wearers. So before you pack your camera or your swimsuit, take care of your contact lens prescription first. These must be up to date, and in case of an emergency, bring backup eyeglasses. Remember the following important travel tips for contact lens users.
Bring Your Contact Lenses Prescription
In case you lose your contact lenses or damage them while traveling, bring your contact lens prescription with you and place this in a separate but accessible bag. You may notice numbers in your prescription; these are contact lens prescription numbers that are recognized all over the world. This way, you can order new contact lenses no matter where you are.
Don’t Forget All Your Lens Care Gear
To avoid the hassle of buying your contact lens accessories, have your ready days before your departure. Instead of using plastic contact lens cases, use disposable leak-proof contact lens cases instead.
Have spare contact lenses, especially HD contacts, in case you lose or damage the ones you have. You may not use all the supplies you’ll bring, but at least you are safe no matter where you are headed. You must also bring your own contact lens cleaning solution and more about this in the next tip.
Beware Of TSA Rules When Travelling
We had to include contact lens cleaning solution tips here to prevent confusion. Yes, you can bring your preferred contact lens solution but beware of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) rules when traveling with liquids like contact lens cleaning solutions.
TSA will allow you to carry contact lenses inside your carry-on and your checked bags. You are only allowed to take 3.4 ounces or less of liquid, and this includes cleaning solutions, colognes, perfumes, shampoos, and lotions. You must place contact lens cleaning solutions in small clear containers and place all containers with liquids in a clear quart-sized plastic bag like a sandwich bag before placing the bag inside your carry-on bags. The amount of fluids placed inside the checked bag is not restricted in amount.
So when you’re flying, use a travel-sized plastic container for a small number of contact lens cleaning solutions in your carry-on luggage and a larger bottle in your checked baggage. If you want, you can divide the solution into small travel bottles, but make sure to carry enough to last until the end of your trip.
Remember Good Hygiene Practices
No matter where you’re headed, wash your hands thoroughly and dry them before you touch your contact lenses or your eyes. Always remove your contacts daily and clean these with a contact lens cleaning solution before keeping them. The contact lens case should also be washed with the contact lens cleaning solution. Do not use plain water or tap water to clean your contacts. Remove your contact lenses before you go to bed.
Precautions As You Enjoy The Water
Never wear your contacts in the water. Don’t wear them if you plan to swim at the beach, do laps at the pool, or if you plan to engage in any water sport. The risk of getting fungal or bacterial eye infections increases when you wear your contacts while in water.
But if you want to wear contacts while in water, switch to daily disposable contacts so you can throw them away after swimming with them. Wear goggles so water can’t get in your eye. And if you forget that you’re wearing contacts as you play or swim in the water, throw your contacts away. This should be done even if you’re not wearing disposable daily contacts.