Wearing contact lenses on airplanes can worsen dry eye and damage the cornea, according to expert advice drawing attention.
According to a recent New York Post report, ophthalmologists agree that people should refrain from wearing contact lenses on airplanes.
Priya Mathews, an ophthalmologist and director of the Center For Sight's Cornea and Ocular Surface Disease Center, warned, "The cabin air is very dry, so wearing lenses for long periods can make the eyes feel dry and cause a sensation of a foreign body." She added, "It can cause redness and pain, and in severe cases, create microscopic scratches on the cornea."
She continued, "If the flight is short or you don't plan to sleep on the plane, wearing contact lenses is fine, but on long-haul flights, wearing glasses may be safer."
Mathews further explained, "When the cabin's dry air combines with a lack of oxygen, lenses are more likely to stick to the eye's surface or cause corneal damage." She said, "It can also become a fatal cause that raises the risk of infection during travel."
Another ophthalmologist, Arjan Hura, said, "Sleeping while wearing lenses significantly increases the risk of eye infection." He added, "If your eyes are already red or irritated, if you have light-sensitivity symptoms, or if you have a pre-existing eye infection, you should definitely wear glasses [on the plane]."
If wearing lenses is unavoidable, hygiene management must be strictly maintained. When handling lenses in an aircraft restroom with poor sanitary conditions, hands must be washed thoroughly, and using tap water to clean lenses is prohibited. "It's important to secure the proper contact lens solution and to make a habit of replacing the solution each time," Dr. Hura added.
