Tips To Make Wearing Contact Lenses In The Winter More Comfortable

How To Stay Comfortable While Wearing Contact Lenses

Stay Hydrated
Drinking water helps your whole body stay hydrated, including your eyes. Drinking 8 cups of water a day will keep your eyes hydrated, making it more comfortable to wear your contact lenses. Remember that water is the best source of hydration and coffee and alcohol, although liquids, actually dehydrate you. It’s recommended to have one glass of water for every glass of coffee or alcohol you have.

Wear Sunglasses
You might not think to grab your sunglasses when you head outside on a winter day, but sunlight is just as bright and UV rays are just as strong in the winter as they are in summer. In winter, light and UV rays also reflect off of the snow so you have multiple angles of UV exposure at once. UV-blocking sunglasses will protect your eyes from UV rays, but they will also keep the wind off of your eyes. This helps to prevent your contact lenses from becoming dry and it helps to keep your eyes comfortable in winter.

Use A Humidifier
Cold air holds less moisture than warm air. This can cause very low humidity levels in cold provinces, especially those that are landlocked. Even in your home the dry winter air can irritate your eyes if you wear contacts. To help keep your contacts comfortable at home, use a humidifier to help bring back some moisture into the air.

Use Eye Drops
A simple but effective way to improve the comfort of wearing contacts is to use eye drops or rewetting drops specifically designed for contact lenses. Make sure you use contact lens-specific drops so that they work effectively.

Take Breaks
Your eyes need some time without contact lenses. Make sure you never sleep with your contact lenses in and that you don’t wear them for more than 16 hours at a time. If your eyes still feel uncomfortable while wearing contact lenses in the winter, and you’ve tried all of the listed tips here, it may be time to switch back to eyeglasses. This doesn’t need to be a permanent change, but it might help your eyes feel better to wear your eyeglasses occasionally in the winter. You can try wearing your eyeglasses twice a week to give your eyes a break from contact lenses but it can also be helpful to switch to your eyeglasses for a few weeks to make sure your discomfort is caused by wearing contact lenses in winter and not by dry eye syndrome (DES).

Contact Lenses Care In Calgary
Whether you wear contact lenses for the convenience or the look, you don’t have to give them up just because of the dry winter air. To make sure your contact lenses are comfortable, request a contact lens fitting during an eye exam and make sure that you are properly caring for your contact lenses by speaking with an optician. At Specs in the City, our staff will help you determine which contact lenses are best for your lifestyle and we will make sure you know how to care for your contact lenses while avoiding uncomfortable dry contact lenses in the winter. To speak to a Specs in the City Optician or to schedule an eye exam, call 1-403-252-2020 or fill out the online contact form.

FAQ

Q: Should I get daily or monthly contact lenses?
A: This will depend on your lifestyle, your budget, and any past eye discomfort while wearing contact lenses. To help choose, read Deciding Between Monthly And Daily Contact Lenses.

Q: Can I rinse or wash my contact lenses with water?
A: No. Even distilled water may contain germs. Always use a sterile or disinfectant solution sold at a reputable pharmacy. In the same vein, you should never swim or bathe while wearing contact lenses. 

Q: Can I still wear contacts if I suffer from dry eye syndrome?
A: Yes, but your optometrist may require you to switch contact lenses and solutions to ones that will not irritate your eyes while wearing them. Your optometrist may also recommend wearing daily disposable contact lenses to reduce eye irritation. You may be required to wear your eyeglasses more often to prevent possible irritation from occurring with long-term wear of contact lenses. To learn more about wearing contact lenses with dry eyes, read Have Dry Eyes And Wear Contacts? Here Are 5 Rules You Need To Always Follow.