Contact Lenses
Before leaving for your trip, you should discuss any questions you have about
your contact lenses with your eye care professional. I have sucessfully worn
hard, gas-permeable contact lenses for over 30 years and can offer some
practical advice on this subject.
Should I wear contact lenses on the flight?
I have new contact lenses and cannot see well with my old
prescription glasses.
Can I get contact lens solution in foreign countries? Can I get
my favorite brand?
Can I get replacements made if necessary?
Should I wear contact lenses on the flight?
The air in the aircraft is very dry, and I have found that my eyes get
uncomfortable wearing contact lenses on flights lasting any more than about two
hours. Therefore, I am in the habit of taking out my contact lenses and storing
them in their case before the flight. Shortly before landing, depending on the
circumstances, I may insert them so my vision will be at its best when I arrive.
I never sleep in my contact lenses, so it's best to remove them so I can
sleep when I feel drowsy.
If you have extended wear contacts, consider removing them if your eyes get
dry or tired from the low-humidity aircraft air or your own travel fatigue.
I just got contact lenses and cannot see well with my
old prescription glasses.
This is a common complaint of new contact lens patients. The corneas of your
eyes have become shaped to the inside of your contact lenses, thus changing your
prescription. Ask your doctor about getting new prescription lenses that are
better suited to your new vision requirements. Then, you can put your glasses on
and see very well immediately after removing your contacts.
Can I get contact lens solution in foreign countries?
Can I get my favorite brand?
Most countries do have contact lens solution available. If you plant to visit
a developing Third World country, you are well advised to bring enough of your
own solution for the duration of your trip. The solution available on the market
may be counterfeit or not up to the standards you are accustomed to.
I have had a hard time finding contact lens solution in some places, notably
Germany. I had to go to an optical shop and could not simply buy it in a
health-and-beauty type drugstore as I do in the United States. I was able to buy
my usual brand, however. Be forewarned, therefore, to search for replacement
supplies well in advance of need.
Contact lens solution does not come in refillable bottles, which makes sense
as the solution must remain sterile. Therefore, this an exception to the usual
rule of taking small, refillable bottle of toiletries. After one trip where I
ran out of solution from a small "travel-size" bottle and had a tough time
getting more, I now pack a full-sized bottle of contact lens solution.
My "usual" brand that I use while at home comes in a flip-top bottle, which
is convenient in my own bathroom. On the road, however, I try to avoid anything
in a flip-top bottle as the tops can be dislodged easily during the trip. Just
before leaving, I buy a new bottle of contact lens solution in a screw-top
bottle and take that on my flight.
Can I get replacements made if necessary?
Yes, but you'll need your prescription. Ask your eye professional for a
prescription for your contacts as well as your glasses and take those with you,
just in case.
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08/09/2003
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