Do you frequently travel by airplane or are taking to the skies soon? Here are essential eye care tips for your next flight, penned by our optometrist Dr. Linda Nguyen during her own travels a few months back. These valuable tips will ensure your eyes stay refreshed and comfortable throughout your journey.
1. Bring your spectacles that are optimised for arms length if you plan to be watching airplane screens for a while.
2. If you tend to get dry eyes, your vision and ocular comfort may be affected. Bring your eyedrops and drink water regularly. If all else fails, take some extra blinks to get those eye juices flowing (your tear film).
3. Avoid eye strain in dim lighting by turning on the reading light when doing any visual activities. This can include watching shows, using your phone, reading a book and eating.
4. If you wear spectacles, pack a cleaning cloth. Worst case scenario: if glasses are smudged, wash them under some warm soapy water and wipe with a soft tissue.
5. When sleeping in flight, use an eye mask to block out light. This helps your body produce melatonin to prepare your body for sleep. Remember to close your shade windows too! (Please note, tight eye masks can temporarily cause slight blurring of vision right after use due to the pressure on the front of your eyes.)
6. If you normally wear contact lenses, please consider that you are at a higher risk of dry eyes due to the dry cabin air, therefore wear spectacles for your flight or bring eye drops for regular use.
7. Have short 5-minute breaks from reading or digital screens every 30 minutes and look outside the window or to the other end of the plane if you can.
8. Collapsible spectacle cases are handy for compact storage when not in use.
From optimising your spectacles for screen viewing to combatting dry eyes and preventing strain in dim lighting, these tips will elevate your in-flight experience. Stay refreshed, stay comfortable, and journey with ease!
