We know it’s the season of festivity, weddings, and vacation; and we all want to run away from home to some place new and fresh to take a break from everyday activities, or to attend a wedding. Not everyone has the opportunity to do so, and so if you do, consider yourself lucky! But, amidst all the excitement and thrill, there suddenly comes up this one small yet important hurdle – your dry eyes! What do you do? You don’t want to stay back, and your dry eyes won’t let you go. Do you quit and sit back home to take care of your dry eyes? We’ll say “NO”! Don’t let your dry eye keep you from having fun! But yes, don’t even ignore the condition; it may cause trouble. You need to thus be well prepared for your Dry Eye while planning to travel.
Problems while travelling
Whether you are going by car for a long period of time, or via train or flight, both the indoor air conditioning and outside pollution can take their toll. With an open window in your car or train, the outside pollution can cause immense problems to your eyes. And, in a closed environment like an airplane, the pressure controlled environment and lack of moisture can cause flare-ups, leading to itchy, watery, and irritated eyes. To make it worse, your new destination may also cause discomfort to your eyes, with a new environment and new climate. We don’t mean to scare you, but we are only stating the facts that you may have to encounter. And, we also bring to you relief by helping you know what all you can do to fight these bitter facts.
Staying prepared
Drink lots of water – You eyes need at least 50% of moisture content to give you the least comfort. Whether the surrounding air provides you that or not, make sure to drink plenty of water to provide the eyes with internal moisture. Moreover, dehydration can accelerate your Dry Eye symptoms, so drink lots of water and other healthy fluids before, during, and after travel.
Use eye drops – Low humidity in airplanes and high pollution in train or car routes can make it discomforting for your eyes. So, carry along eye drops that can help keep your eyes moist and free from pollution, even when tear evaporation can significantly increase. Eye drops will also help if your destination has a dryer climate or a space with low air circulation.
Do away with your contacts – Wearing your contact lenses while travelling if you have Dry Eye is a big “No”! Uncomfortable environments while travelling can cause trouble to your contact lenses, thus making your dry eyes even worse. Similarly, y ou must also avoid all kinds of eye makeup, cosmetics, hair sprays, and perfumes.
Use a humidifier – Carry along a pocket-sized humidifier and use it at appropriate times to keep the surrounding air moist, humid, and comfortable for the eyes.
While the above tips are the simplest to follow, if you still want professional advice, you can always count on Arohi Eye Hospital for the best consultation and Dry Eye treatment in Andheri West. Here, specialist doctors will provide you with the right medications, eye drops, and therapies to help you cope up with dry eyes.
Dr. Shradha Goel
Dr. Shradha Goel, Chief Surgeon at Arohi Eye Hospital, is a renowned Phaco-LASIK surgeon with over 10,000 surgeries to her credit. She earned her MBBS from Grant Medical College, Mumbai, and a Master’s in Ophthalmology from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal. As a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Dr. Goel specialises in LASIK, refractive errors, and cataract treatments.