Jakarta, ThedailyID — Wearing contact lenses during long flights can make your eyes dry and uncomfortable. Low humidity inside aircraft cabins can also increase the risk of irritation and damage to the eye’s surface.
Valerie Kattouf, an Illinois-based ophthalmologist, warned that wearing contact lenses for hours during a flight can worsen dry-eye symptoms. As a result, travelers may experience discomfort and occasional blurred vision.
“Cabin air has much lower humidity, which can draw moisture from contact lenses and make the eyes even drier,” Kattouf said, according to Fox News on October 11.
The warning follows a woman’s account of developing serious vision problems after a long journey. According to the New York Post, as cited by Fox News, she wore contact lenses during an 11-hour flight from Greece and throughout a journey lasting about 24 hours. She also wore them while swimming and showering.
Several days after arriving, she developed eye pain and sensitivity to light. Her vision also deteriorated. Doctors diagnosed her with a corneal ulcer, a wound on the clear front surface of the eye.
She used prescription eye drops for several weeks. However, a small remaining wound continued to cause blurred vision in part of her visual field.
Dry cabin air is not the only concern for contact lens users. Sleeping during long flights can also increase the risks associated with wearing lenses.
“People often sleep during long flights, and this increases the risks associated with contact lens use,” Kattouf said.
When contact lenses lose moisture, they can become harder to move across the eye’s surface. Moreover, removing an extremely dry lens may damage the corneal epithelium, the eye’s outermost layer. This damage can cause significant irritation and affect vision.
However, the woman’s case involved more than wearing contact lenses during a flight. She also wore them while swimming and showering. Therefore, the flight alone cannot be identified as the cause of her eye problems.
To reduce discomfort, Kattouf recommends bringing prescription glasses on long journeys. Travelers can wear glasses throughout the flight or switch to them before sleeping.
“Wearing glasses during long flights is better for eye health and helps maintain comfortable contact lens use in the long term,” she said.
For passengers who continue wearing contact lenses, single-use artificial tears may provide extra lubrication. However, users should choose suitable products and follow their instructions carefully.
