While we often meticulously plan our leave schedules and holiday itineraries, we often don't think to include eye care in our travel preparations.
Among frequent travellers, dry eyes are one of the most common complaints, according to eye specialists we spoke to.
Said specialist in ophthalmology Dr Jovina See, a senior consultant at Shinagawa LASIK Centre: "The most common problem is dry eyes, especially from flights or travel to cold, windy places. With travel being so common and often essential to work nowadays, we see this condition throughout the year."
Dry eyes also make frequent travellers prone to cornea infections, said Shinagawa's medical director, Dr Lee Sao Bing. This is especially if they wear contact lenses and use them for a longer period than recommended by their eye-care practitioner.
Eye specialists told TODAY that exposure to sun, sand and sea during an adventurous vacation can be harmful to the eyes, if you have certain eye conditions or have undergone eye surgery.
Before you jet off, learn how to have an eye-healthy vacation.
Wherever your travel destination, preservative-free eye lubricants are a must-bring essential. According to Dr Lee, you can use them as frequently as every half an hour. Eye drops with preservatives can only be used up to four times a day.
"Preservative-free eye drops are great not just for dry eyes, but also when any foreign objects enter your eyes, for instance, for use when you travel to dusty places," said Dr See.
A pair of sunglasses with a UV400 rating is also useful for blocking harmful UV rays and reducing eye dryness. Opt for the wraparound types for more protection, added Dr Lee.
Due to a low humidity of between 5 per cent to 20 per cent in the cabin during a flight, dry eyes is a common eye condition experienced by air passengers, said the doctors.
Re-circulated air in the plane also dries the surface of the eyes, making them uncomfortable, irritable and sore. To overcome this, Dr Lee advised: "Reduce the amount of time spent watching videos or playing games on the video console, use lubricant eye drops if needed and to keep hydrated by drinking more water and avoiding alcohol."
According to the doctors, it is safe to travel by air after Lasik surgery, as long as you stick to your prescribed eye medication and eye drops.
If you have undergone an eye surgery, ask your doctor when it is safe to fly.
As a rule of thumb, Dr Lee said it is safe to fly a day after most eye surgeries, including Lasik. However, this is not the case for those who have undergone a procedure where an eye bubble is inserted into the eye such as during retinal detachment surgery.
"The earliest our patients have travelled after Lasik is after their post-op day-one visit at our clinic. The pressure on the airplane does not affect the cornea flap," said Dr Lee.
If your holiday plans include lots of sun and water activities, take heed.
Never swim with your contacts on, warned Dr Lee. This increases your chances of cornea infection, which can lead to blindness, especially if you're swimming in lake or sea water. Certain bacteria found in pool or Jacuzzi water can potentially cause blinding eye infections.
Use powered goggles or a face mask for swimming or diving.
For those who have undergone Lasik eye operations, it is safer to wait one week before you jog, two weeks before you swim in the pool and one month for sea activities and contact sports, advised Dr Lee.
Besides protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays with a good pair of sunglasses, Dr See also advised wearing a cap to block out sunlight.
Hanging out all day on the ski slopes can be even more devastating to your eyes than a sunny, beach holiday. The doctors explained this is because harmful UV rays reflecting off snow - especially at high altitudes - can cause painful sunburn of the eyes or snow blindness.
"The eye sunburn may be temporary or it may lead to complications. Just like for sunny weather, long-term exposure to ultraviolet radiation in snow conditions can lead to eye problems such as cataracts or pterygium (white overgrowth in the eye)," said Dr Lee.
Be sure to wear protective eyewear with the UV 400 label - which blocks off 100 per cent of harmful UV rays - and polarised sunglasses to reduce glare from surfaces such as snow, water and glass.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|