Millions around the world enjoy the comfort and convenience that comes with wearing contact lenses, but weather and environmental conditions such as climate, air quality and lighting too can play a significant role in determining contact lens comfort and safety. For those wearing lenses, it can impact whether they experience dryness, irritation and discomfort, or not. These environments can include dry climates, extreme temperatures, pollution, UV radiation, and the list goes on. Let’s take a look at how changing environmental factors affect wearing contact lenses and what more you can do to make sure that your lenses feel comfortable and safe in all types of climates.

Dry Climates: A Challenge for Contact Lens Wearers

Probably the most challenging conditions for contact lens wearers are dry climates, which can dehydrate the eyes, causing discomfort, irritation, and possible complications if left unchecked.

Effects of Dry Air on Eyes and Lenses

In arid-zone or desert climates, the natural tear film that coats the surface of the eye evaporates faster than normal due to the low humidity of the air. This leads to conditions such as dry eye syndrome, which causes symptoms such as itching, burning, redness and a gritty feeling. This is particularly uncomfortable for contact-lens wearers because the lenses derive their lubrication and comfort from the moistness of the eye.

Preventive Measures

When wearing contacts, dry climates have greater effects; here are some suggestions to lessen them:

Use of Artificial Tears

Periodic use of soothing, preservative-free artificial tears or rewetting drops may be necessary to keep the eyes properly moisturized and the films between the lenses free of discomfort.

Stay Hydrated

Drinking water to ensure proper hydration will also help ensure proper moisture levels in the eyes.

Humidifiers

If you live in a dry environment, keeping a humidifier in your home or place of work can make your surroundings friendlier to your eyes.

Proper Contact Lens Materials

Lenses today especially designed for dry eyes, such as silicone hydrogel lenses, retain moisture better and work well in dry climates.

Temperature Extremes: Heat and Cold

Both hot and cold extremes of the weather can impact on the comfort of your contact lenses, and at the extreme can even impact on the integrity of your lens material.

Hot Environments

If one goes to high temperatures, such as a summer heatwave or places where sunlight is particularly intense, eye moisture can evaporate faster and cause the same dryness and irritation that desert dwellers experience. Also, if one is unprotected to extended UV, the damage can increase the risk of cataracts or macular degeneration.

Yet they aren’t as easily ruined by high heat since, once on the eyes, they don’t get hot. On the other hand, heating contact lens cases to dry them, or leaving lenses in the heat for long periods, such as in a car on a hot day, can degrade the material.

Cold Environments

On the other hand, cold environments have their own unique challenges. Although a human eye might adapt well to cold weather, the presence of wind and freezing temperatures can dry the eye out the way a dry climate does. Wearing lenses, a sudden exposure to extreme cold, or wind may also lead to a few moments of temporary blurriness or discomfort. Additionally, low indoor humidity caused by cold environments also adds to the dryness.

Protection Against Temperature Extremes

These are the preventive measures that you can do on your contact lenses if you’re going in places with hot and cold temperatures:

Avoid Overheating Lenses

Do not place the contact lenses or the lens cases in hot environments such as over a radiator or near a well-heated oven. Avoid exposing them to direct sunlight or placing them in a hot car.

Use UV-Blocking Contact Lenses

Using contact lenses with built-in UV protection, as well as sunglasses, is a good idea if you are outdoors in the sun for long periods of time.

Wind Protection

What’s more, when it’s cold and windy, wearing glasses or goggles creates a barrier that can help prevent windburn on the eyes.

Pollution and Air Quality

Air pollution, whether from smog, smoke, dust, or chemicals, can severely impact eye health and contact lens comfort. For wearers in urban environments or areas with poor air quality, the presence of airborne particles can irritate the eyes, lead to redness, or even increase the risk of eye infections.

Effects of Polluted Air on Contacts

Airborne fine particles might settle on the surface of the eyes, forming a layer on contact lenses that causes discomfort, irritation and a feeling of a foreign body. Pollutants can also alter or undermine the normal function of tear film, thus decreasing its ability to lubricate and protect the eyes, which may lead to:

  • Dryness
  • Irritation
  • Blurred vision

Preventive Strategies

These are some precautionary tips you can take to prevent your contacts and eyes from getting damaged from air pollution.

Regular Lens Cleaning

If you wear your lenses in a polluted environment, you will also need to clean them regularly and stick to an excellent hygiene routine so you remove any particles that may have become trapped on the lens during the day.

Use Protective Eyewear

Wearing sunglasses or other protective eyewear can reduce the degree to which your eyes are exposed to airborne pollutants.

Consider Daily Disposable Lenses

Daily disposables are a good choice for people who live in heavily polluted environments, too, as they eliminate the need for daily lens care and offer eye protection against irritation or infection that could result from pollutants accumulating on lenses.

UV Radiation

Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause significant damage to the eyes over time, leading to cataracts, pterygium, and other eye diseases. While most people are aware of the importance of protecting their skin from UV rays, many forget that their eyes are just as vulnerable.

UV Protection

Although not all contact lenses protect against UV rays, many of today’s contacts come with UV-blocking capabilities. These lenses filter out the harmful rays, but they don’t do it alone. To get proper protection, you need to wear sunglasses, too, because contacts cover only part of the eye.

Preventive Measures for UV Exposure

These are some precautions you can take to avoid these UV radiations and protect your eyes :

UV-Blocking Lenses

Go for lenses with UV protection. If you’re a sun-worshiper, you’re better off with ones that provide UV protection than those that don’t.

Sunglasses and Hats

Wear sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat with the lenses. These offer the best defense against UV radiation.

Indoor Environments and Digital Screens

Comfort problems often occur for those who spend a lot of time indoors and in especially air-conditioned, heated or very screen-filled environments.

Effects of Artificial Air on Lens Wear

Moreover, air-conditioning and heating systems often reduce indoor humidity, which can cause dry eyes and make it uncomfortable to wear contact lenses. Leave the lenses in too long, and they’ll become dry.

Screen Use and Eye Strain

Intense use of digital screens increases eyestrain and dryness because people blink about half as often when looking at screens as they do at objects at a distance. Fewer blinks evaporate the tear film more quickly, drying out the eyes – and the lenses.

Solutions for Indoor Environments

Are you among those people who prefer staying indoors? Well, if you are, then these are some of the things you should practice to save your contacts:

Maintain Proper Humidity

If you live in a dry area, use a humidifier to keep your home humidity balanced, especially in the winter or in air-conditioned spaces.

Take Breaks

After every 20 minutes of using a screen, try to look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. The 20-20-20 rule is your friend.

Hydrate

Drink water constantly through the day. This way the eyes would remain well hydrated. The better it is to keep them hydrated, the lesser are the incidences of having dry eyes.

Artificial Tears

Limit screen time and use lubricating eye drops as needed throughout the day, especially when working long hours or in environments with dry air, to help alleviate symptoms of dry eyes and maintain eye comfort.

Enjoy Wearing Contacts, No Matter Where You Are

Environmental factors like a dry climate, extreme temperatures, environmental pollutants, UV radiation, even indoor environments can all have a negative effect on the comfort of your contact lenses and compromise their effectiveness – but you can take steps to minimize the effect of these factors and still enjoy wearing your contact lenses comfortably, wherever you are.

Choosing the correct lens material for your eyes and environmental conditions and keeping your eyes well-moisturized, protecting your eyes from environmental factors and maintaining correct lens hygiene and care can all help to ensure that your contact lenses remain comfortable and safe to wear even in a dry, polluted and challenging environment.