Most of the people rely on prescription contact lenses for vision correction. Unlike glasses, they remain unaffected by meteorological changes; for instance, they are less likely to fog like glasses do. With prescription contact lenses you have better peripheral vision so you are able to see sharp & clear. Unfortunately, in smog even prescription contact lenses that are otherwise the handiest mode of vision correction seem to fog up & get hazy. Smog, as obvious is a kind of severe air pollution where smoke & fog combine together with poisonous gases. This state hinders breathing which erupts a chain of diseases including eye & ear allergies. Patients with vision imperfections must take special measures to be able to keep seeing clearly with prescription contact lenses. Read below to find out how you can continue wearing prescription contact lenses whilst preventing your eyes from the possible risks of infections.

• Always wash your hands with soap & water before handling your contact lenses.
• It is advised in your best favor to avoid going outside & stay indoors when possible.
• Wear a mask to prevent inhaling the poisonous air pollutants as much as possible.
• Wear protective glasses with prescription contact lenses.
• Keep lubricating your eyes with over the counter artificial tears & resort to redness relief eye drops when needed.
• Switch to daily & monthly disposable contact lenses whenever there are seasonal breakouts.
• Disinfect your prescription contact lenses with a strong multipurpose solution. Rub & rinse contacts every day at night to get rid of stubborn protein debris & pollutants.
• When in doubt, take out. Never rub your eyes when wearing contacts as it may cause corneal abrasions.

In 2008, British Olympians wore red contact lenses to focus in smog of China. According to goal keeper Beth Storry, it was easier to see the ball in hazy conditions with red contacts in eyes. Contact lenses need a healthy tear film to keep your eyes comfortable. Unfortunately, smog depletes tear film that is composed of three layers i.e. water, oil & mucus. Water for moisture, oil to prevent quick evaporation of the tears & mucus to help spreading the moisture evenly. Therefore, when the tear film is disrupted due to smog; it becomes painful to continue wearing prescription contacts.

Experts emphasizes to focus on maintaining a healthy tear film. To retain moisture level it is mandatory to use pharmaceutical eye drops that don’t only lubricate your eyes but also clean prescription contact lenses while you are wearing them. Have you had any infections due to contact lenses in smog? What advises do you have for others to battle against environmental pollution that obscures vision?