If you wear contact lenses, you should keep these tips in mind when planning your summer activities - whether at home in Olathe, Kansas, or if you are on vacation:
- Air conditioning and fans can dry out your eyes. This is even truer if you often suffer from dry eye syndrome. If you’re wearing contacts don’t let air blow directly into your eyes.
- Wear contact lenses with UV Protection. Keep in mind that contacts do not protect all of your eye, just the area that they actually cover.
- Wear sunglasses with UV protection to properly protect your eyes, when you are wearing contacts, and when you are not.
- Wear a hat with a brim, such as a baseball hat to protect your eyes and face from the sun.
- Flying in airplanes can also cause dry and red eyes. Be prepared with eye drops and consider removing your contacts for the duration of the flight.
- Remove your contacts before you go swimming. This is true for the ocean a lake or a pool. A microbe known as acanthamoeba, can get under your lenses and cause irritation and eye infections
- Never use anything other than contact lens rinse or solution to clean your lenses. Do not use tap water!
- Never reuse contact lens solution
- Always remove your lenses if they are bothering you or causing irritation.
If you have any questions or concerns about your contact lenses, do not hesitate to contact our eye doctor. And most importantly, make sure to enjoy the summer!
