Contact Lenses & Winter - good combination?

solesouljoy

Hi all...

I've never been to a country with snow and winter before. I'll be going to Srinagar, Gulmarg, Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Amritsar in December and I was wondering if I should bring my contact lenses with me.

Is it advisable to wear contact lenses during winter time in India? Especially in Gulmarg where it's snowing... Will it be too dry for my eyes and my contact lenses?

Thanks

machadinha

You'd be very unlucky (or lucky, depending on your view ) to witness any snow here; when it snowed in Varanasi some years back it made the international headlines.

Dust is a concern though, friends of mine always carry an extra pair of glasses (another thing is plastic glasses easily scratch under those conditions, so glass ones are more commonly sold on the plains, or so I found). Wearing lenses and being on the road, taking them in and out on say a night train can be a hassle, so the same friends prefer wearing the type you can wear for prolonged periods. (From a fellow heavily bespectacled guy, but not a lenses fan )

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solesouljoy

i mean snow in gulmarg. i was intending to go skiing there
i think glasses get in the way of skiing? no?

thanks for the fast reply

brownboy66

you'll be fine. You would have to be into some seriously sub zero temperatures before contacts become a problem (i.e - the "OMG I can feel my eyeballs freezing" type of thing). Maybe one of the regular Canadians IMers can comment - and no I'm not suggesting anything about the beautiful land of Canada!

Make sure you have plenty of saline eye drops however, since if conditions are dry then your eyes/ contacts are going to dry out anyway. Also good for the dust - but since your a regular contacts wearer - you know that anyway.

happy travels

dhans

You'll have more problems with the air pollution than with your contacts. Always carry spare lenses and glasses though. Consider buying one-day lenses for the trip. Maybe a bit expensive at home, but well worth it travelling.

Hans

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brownboy66

forgot to add - plentiful supply of lenses, solution, etc here. Guess it depends where you are - but no problems with polution, dust, etc - here in Delhi. Having eye drops on hand, however, is always a good idea regardless of whether or not you you wear contacts or otherwise.

Casey

I live in Canada and have never had problems with contact lenses because of the temperatgure here. It often drops down to -30 degrees here and I have never heard anybody mention contact lens problems. When I travel I often just wear my glasses for other reasons (much easier on trains or a tendancy for naps in the afternoon).

nikkidesai

I wear glasses and was really hoping to do the contacts thing. I hear that sunglasses are good to bring (avoiding male stares, bright sunshine, etc.) and would probably prevent the dust-in-the-eyes deal also. I am worried, however, about the cleanliness of it all. I'm a really clean person and need to wash my hands well before handling them. Would this be an issue?

wonderwomanusa

India does have soap and water -- sometimes even warm water.

And since you might have to fool with your lenses when away from those things, you might also carry a small bottle of hand sanitizers. India has that, too ...

brownboy66

yes - soap and water are in plentiful supply! But I understand your concern about cleanliness while handling contacts - all too easy to get eye infections if you aren't careful. As WW mentioned - the little bottles of hand sanitising gel that evaporate while you clean your hands are excellent. And don't forget saline eye drops.

I've often wondered about that. The first time I was in -20 weather and I could feel my eye balls start to glaze over...very weird - so was just wondering if contacts would be a problem. But back to the original post - unlikely to be an issue unless someone was planning a very high journey indeed.

Casey

I think that eyewear, kind of like money, works well when you have a variety of options. Before I went to India the first time I got a couple of free pairs of weekly disposables to try from my optomitrist. This way, if I ruined a pair I had another. I also had an option if my glasses broke and I needed to get by until I got another pair.

Brownboy66: The cold temperature doesn't bother my eyes in Canada, but a really cold wind, the kind that makes your eyes water, now that's not fun. I generally wind a scarf around my head, walk backwards and hope for the best.

gautam

use shades / sunglasses when wearing lenses. It should be sufficient to protect you from glare from the snow + dust. And as the rest suggested, keep eye drops handy

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brownboy66

so how do you stop yourself bumping into things if you're walking backwards?? Yes - very off topic - but now its got me wondering whether or not all the mountain climbers who go to the Himalayas all have 20/20 vision. How would you take care of your contacts at that altitude?

machadinha

Fantastic image!