As the school season ends and summer begins, your children will be going off to summer camps and the travel season will be in full swing. Here are some contact lens wear and care tips to keep your family’s eyes healthy all season long.

01 | Do Not Use Water with your Contact Lenses

You should never expose your contact lenses to any type of water such as tap, distilled, lake, and bottled water. Some water sources may have the potential to harbor bacteria and viruses living in it. The acanthamoeba organisms can be found in popular summer destinations such as lakes, sea water, swimming pools and hot tubs. The Acanthamoeba organism can attach to your lenses and cause irreversible damage to your eye. This type of infection  can be very difficult to treat. Only use non-expired, sterile contact lens solution on your lenses. And always wash your hands with clean, drinkable water before handling your lenses.

02 | Purchase a Travel Kit for Contact Lenses

Never transfer solution into a smaller container. With all the liquid restrictions for air travel, it may be tempting to transfer your solution to a smaller bottle, but this can affect the sterility of the solution. Make sure your kit contains, travel size solution, mirror, contact lens case, and contact lens rewetting drops.

03 | Consider Daily Disposable Contact Lenses

If you love your current planned replacement lenses and don’t want to switch entirely over to daily disposables, speak with your doctor about prescribing a small supply of daily disposable for the summer months. This will increase the ease of travelling with contact lenses. They require no cases or solution, and you don’t have to worry about sterility because you put in a fresh pair each day.

04 | Don’t Leave Home Without Your Contact Lens & Spectacle Information

Should you have a problem with your contact lenses or your eyes while on vacation, make sure to carry your contact lens prescription, spectacle prescription and your doctors information with you. That way, if you need to see a local optometrist, your complete prescription information will help with your care as well as communicate with your doctor to provide continuity of care when you return home.

05 | Pack an Extra Pair of Eyeglasses

You may run into a situation where you can not wear your contact lenses. Even if you’re one of those people who wouldn’t dream of being seen wearing your glasses, it’s a good idea to take your eyeglasses with you on your travels. If you visit a new location, you may introduce new allergens to your eyes—from pollen in the air to pet dander in a relative’s home. Having a spare set of glasses can help. If you don’t need them, great. But if you do, you’ll be glad you have them.

We hope these simple tips will help reduce any contact lens mishaps especially when so many families are travelling during the summer months. Happy Travels!