UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hi All,

I haven't posted in a very long time. Just wanted some advice. I wear Scleral lenses

I am due to fly in the next couple of days and just wondering if anybody wears their contact lenses whilst flying? I have always taken them out when entering the aircraft and was able to read/watch with glasses during the flight. Im unable to use glasses now plus I'm due to have a graft in one eye next month so making life a little more difficult.

Also, does anyone were googles over their eyes, wearing contacts and swim?

Would really appreciate your thoughts and advice.

Thank you

Hi Jigs
I don't wear sclerals but I've certainly done short flights (up to 3 hours) in rgps. And I would have thought eyes in rgps would be more prone to drying out than in sclerals. Might be different for a long flight. And I never learned to swim, but if you put goggles and swimming into the search on this forum, you'll find people who do that.
And sll the best for your graft - let us know how it goes.

If you can manage don't wear sclerals for swimming especially if you are likely to get your face wet! There is a risk of infection under your scleral even in chlorinated swimming pools. Equally you don't want any chlorinated water trapped under your scleral. So if you must, make sure you take them out and clean them.

I have flown long-haul and always take them out on boarding. As well as drying out I suspect the reduced pressure may increase the discomfort too.

You will need to think through the logistics of solutions and saline and where you are going to take them out. I found a small towel on the at-seat tray was safest and better than the plane WC! Just get on with it and ignore any I inquisitive passengers!

Hopefully after the graft you'll be in better place.

I wore sclerals (both large and mini) over a 15 year period but no longer do so for tolerance reasons.

The biggest issue I had with wearing them on short haul flights is that I often struggle to stay awake. As a result there are times where I did wear them for the duration of a flight, fell asleep with them in and regretted it. Towards the end of my scleral wearing days I made sure to remove them prior to any short haul flight and not long into a long haul flight.

These days I am piggybacking an RGP and am usually flying with my 3 year old so there's no opportunity to fall asleep on a short haul flight. I continue to remove them before sleeping on the night time long haul flights I take.

The advice from the Association of Optometrists is:

"It’s safer not to swim in contact lenses at all; if you absolutely have to, the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) advice for swimmers is to use daily disposable lenses with a well-sealed pair of goggles or mask and discard the lenses immediately after you finish swimming"

Further details can be found here:

https://www.aop.org.uk/advice-and-suppo ... 20swimming

Lia

Many thanks to all who have put me right. Please ignore my original response!

I'm afraid I'm a bit rogue! When I had corneal lenses I always wore them for swimming (no goggles) & never lost one! Now I have Sclerals and still do swimming and aqua classes and again never had a problem. And that's over a time span of 57 years & still going. As we all know, everyone is different and I think you have to find out what works best for you - this is usually by trial and error.

Except the issue isn't losing a lens but, as the link from the Association of Optometrists Lia posted explains, the danger of eye infections if bacteria get trapped behind the lens. Those waterborne infections can be blinding, which is why we're also told never to use tap water to rinse a contact lens.

Dear All,

Thank you all so much for your messages.. Much appreciated.

I think the consensus is not to wear for flights/swimming (which I have been doing) but I thought I could get another answer... never mind.

I will keep you posted on my graft.

Kind regards,

Jigs