When you live in higher altitudes or often visit places that experience winter most of the time during the year, wearing contact lenses could pose several risks to users. From the occasional dry eye syndrome to frozen contact lenses, one can never be to prepared for any kind of unforeseen winter-related drama. Although it’s kind of rare for contact lenses to completely freeze, they can still be pretty salvageable when defrosted at a room temperature environment. This is only one of the many ways to save frozen contact lenses. Curious to know more? Read on to discover other remarkable ways on how to revive frozen or unfreeze contact lenses.
Table of contents
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
First of All, Can Contact Lenses Freeze?
The answer for this falls between yes and no.
You must first bear in mind that there’s no way that contact lenses can magically freeze in your eyes, no matter how low the temperature drops. The tears released from your tear ducts as well as your cornea are good enough to provide the heat and warmth that your contact lenses require to function properly.
However, you may notice grittiness and irritability as you progress further into the winter season. It’s also important to know that human eyes have a 35c temperature whereas contact lenses can function just as well in cold temperatures below -10c.
On the Other Hand
It’s quite likely for contact lenses to freeze on a cold winter’s day. However, it can happen when they are kept lying outside in colder spaces for several days.
Generally, contact lenses are stored in saline solution made from water and salt. The heavier the salt content, the lower the freezing point goes. It’s actually the same concept as when people pour salt on to the road to make sure that the snow melts faster, ensuring a smoother road or path for us to be on.
Salt also prevents water molecules from turning into ice. Saline solution has a freezing point of -10c. That’s why it’s super important be very careful when traveling with contact lenses, especially in sub-zero temperatures.
My Contact Lenses Froze During Transit! How Can I Save It?
Have no fear, help is here!
We all know that the cold winter breeze from the outdoors and the dry indoor air from central heating may further aggravate dryness. How can you solve such a problem? Using rewetting drops and keeping yourself hydrated at all times can absolutely do the trick. You could also invest in a humidifier to add moisture into the air.
Perhaps, you could also consider getting yourself a pair of silicone hydrogel lenses during the winter months. They are made from materials that help retain moisture in your eyes. This is due to it containing as much moisture as hyaluronic acid does.
Here’s Another Alternative
Instead of defrosting the contact lenses by placing the package in a heated setting, try bringing it to room temperature gradually and naturally. The contact lenses can be used once the solution melts and the contact lenses start floating again. However, frozen contact lens solutions will not deteriorate the quality of contact lenses. Here’s a handy tip – when traveling, be sure you keep your contact lenses close to your body when you’re not wearing them. The temperature of your body will effectively keep it warm.
Let’s Conclude
Contact lenses should work just as fine during winter as they do during the summer or any other season. If it freezes, it’s super easy and straightforward to revive frozen or unfreeze contact lenses. Just be sure to take necessary precautions and you’ll be good to go!
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