1Wear SunglassesHero Images / Getty ImagesWhen you wear contact lenses, your eyes may feel sore after exposure to the sun, sand, and wind all day long.Wearing sunglassesin the summer can help make your eyes feel relaxed and comfortable. Sunglasses are designed to protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays that come from the sun.Just make sure they are UV protection lenses.And there’s an extra reason to wear sunglasses when you have your contact lenses in. Contact lenses need adequate lubrication to function properly. Exposure to wind can significantly dry your eyes and contact lenses. Wearing sunglasses while wearing your contact lenses provides a protective barrier from the drying effects of the wind.
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Wear SunglassesHero Images / Getty ImagesWhen you wear contact lenses, your eyes may feel sore after exposure to the sun, sand, and wind all day long.Wearing sunglassesin the summer can help make your eyes feel relaxed and comfortable. Sunglasses are designed to protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays that come from the sun.Just make sure they are UV protection lenses.And there’s an extra reason to wear sunglasses when you have your contact lenses in. Contact lenses need adequate lubrication to function properly. Exposure to wind can significantly dry your eyes and contact lenses. Wearing sunglasses while wearing your contact lenses provides a protective barrier from the drying effects of the wind.
Wear Sunglasses
Hero Images / Getty Images
When you wear contact lenses, your eyes may feel sore after exposure to the sun, sand, and wind all day long.
Wearing sunglassesin the summer can help make your eyes feel relaxed and comfortable. Sunglasses are designed to protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays that come from the sun.Just make sure they are UV protection lenses.
And there’s an extra reason to wear sunglasses when you have your contact lenses in. Contact lenses need adequate lubrication to function properly. Exposure to wind can significantly dry your eyes and contact lenses. Wearing sunglasses while wearing your contact lenses provides a protective barrier from the drying effects of the wind.
2Wear Contact Lenses With Built-In UV ProtectionWarchi / E+ / Getty ImagesCertain brands of contact lenses have an ultraviolet-blocking tint embedded in the lens design. UV-blocking contact lenses are not a substitute for a good pair of high-quality sunglasses, but they definitely will reduce the UV rays your eyes are exposed to.Plus, combining UV-blocking lenses with sunglasses is a super easy way of doubling up on UV protection.Keep in mind, however, that wearing contact lenses alone without sunglasses will not protect your eyelids from skin cancer.
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Wear Contact Lenses With Built-In UV ProtectionWarchi / E+ / Getty ImagesCertain brands of contact lenses have an ultraviolet-blocking tint embedded in the lens design. UV-blocking contact lenses are not a substitute for a good pair of high-quality sunglasses, but they definitely will reduce the UV rays your eyes are exposed to.Plus, combining UV-blocking lenses with sunglasses is a super easy way of doubling up on UV protection.Keep in mind, however, that wearing contact lenses alone without sunglasses will not protect your eyelids from skin cancer.
Wear Contact Lenses With Built-In UV Protection
Warchi / E+ / Getty Images
Certain brands of contact lenses have an ultraviolet-blocking tint embedded in the lens design. UV-blocking contact lenses are not a substitute for a good pair of high-quality sunglasses, but they definitely will reduce the UV rays your eyes are exposed to.Plus, combining UV-blocking lenses with sunglasses is a super easy way of doubling up on UV protection.
Keep in mind, however, that wearing contact lenses alone without sunglasses will not protect your eyelids from skin cancer.
3Try Daily Disposable Contact LensesBlurf / Getty ImagesIf you are experiencing a sandy, gritty feeling in your eyes, ask your healthcare provider if you can try daily disposable contact lenses.Daily disposable contact lenses are easy to use. Each day you can insert a brand new, perfectly clean contact lens. At the end of the day, you dispose of the lens. Changing your lenses on a daily basis is often the answer for people with chronic dry eyes orallergies.There are alsocontact lenses made specifically for dry eyes.Once you try daily disposable contact lenses, there’s a good chance you will never go back to your monthly or quarterly replacement lenses. Do you really want to clean and disinfect your lenses every day? And let’s be honest. How many of us are really doing a good job of that every evening? Plus, with daily disposables, you never have to purchase expensive disinfecting solutions. There are so many greatplaces to buy contacts online, having a steady supply shouldn’t be a problem.
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Try Daily Disposable Contact LensesBlurf / Getty ImagesIf you are experiencing a sandy, gritty feeling in your eyes, ask your healthcare provider if you can try daily disposable contact lenses.Daily disposable contact lenses are easy to use. Each day you can insert a brand new, perfectly clean contact lens. At the end of the day, you dispose of the lens. Changing your lenses on a daily basis is often the answer for people with chronic dry eyes orallergies.There are alsocontact lenses made specifically for dry eyes.Once you try daily disposable contact lenses, there’s a good chance you will never go back to your monthly or quarterly replacement lenses. Do you really want to clean and disinfect your lenses every day? And let’s be honest. How many of us are really doing a good job of that every evening? Plus, with daily disposables, you never have to purchase expensive disinfecting solutions. There are so many greatplaces to buy contacts online, having a steady supply shouldn’t be a problem.
Try Daily Disposable Contact Lenses
Blurf / Getty Images
If you are experiencing a sandy, gritty feeling in your eyes, ask your healthcare provider if you can try daily disposable contact lenses.
Daily disposable contact lenses are easy to use. Each day you can insert a brand new, perfectly clean contact lens. At the end of the day, you dispose of the lens. Changing your lenses on a daily basis is often the answer for people with chronic dry eyes orallergies.There are alsocontact lenses made specifically for dry eyes.
Once you try daily disposable contact lenses, there’s a good chance you will never go back to your monthly or quarterly replacement lenses. Do you really want to clean and disinfect your lenses every day? And let’s be honest. How many of us are really doing a good job of that every evening? Plus, with daily disposables, you never have to purchase expensive disinfecting solutions. There are so many greatplaces to buy contacts online, having a steady supply shouldn’t be a problem.
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Wear Eyeglasses Occasionally
Timestopper / Getty Images
Don’t forget to bring your regular indoor eyeglasses if you take a vacation to give your eyes a break. Also, you never know when you might develop an eye infection, which tends to be a bit more common with contact lens wearers.
Photochromic lenses are available that change from light to dark when exposed to ultraviolet rays from the sun. They lighten up once you go back inside.
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Don’t Sleep in Contacts
JGI / Jamie Grill / Getty Images
It is tempting, especially for people with high prescriptions, to leave them in. However, it is not a part of good ocular hygiene.
This is another reason why some people like to use daily disposable lenses. With daily disposables, you could remove your contact lenses, then pitch them into the trash can without a second thought.
Best practice should include washing your hands first before touching your eyes—even before removing your contact lenses.
6Don’t Swim in ContactsThomas Barwick / Getty ImagesDo not ever swim with your contact lenses in. That includes pools, hot tubs, lakes, rivers, or the ocean.Highly chlorinated pools are breeding grounds for acanthamoeba, an organism that is known for causing sight-threatening infections. Showers and hot tubs can harbor this organism as well.Acanthamoeba is found in higher concentrations in stagnant, warm rivers and lakes, but not found commonly in ocean water. Although this type of infection is very rare, wearing contact lenses in the water is a risk factor.
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Don’t Swim in ContactsThomas Barwick / Getty ImagesDo not ever swim with your contact lenses in. That includes pools, hot tubs, lakes, rivers, or the ocean.Highly chlorinated pools are breeding grounds for acanthamoeba, an organism that is known for causing sight-threatening infections. Showers and hot tubs can harbor this organism as well.Acanthamoeba is found in higher concentrations in stagnant, warm rivers and lakes, but not found commonly in ocean water. Although this type of infection is very rare, wearing contact lenses in the water is a risk factor.
Don’t Swim in Contacts
Thomas Barwick / Getty Images
Do not ever swim with your contact lenses in. That includes pools, hot tubs, lakes, rivers, or the ocean.
Highly chlorinated pools are breeding grounds for acanthamoeba, an organism that is known for causing sight-threatening infections. Showers and hot tubs can harbor this organism as well.
Acanthamoeba is found in higher concentrations in stagnant, warm rivers and lakes, but not found commonly in ocean water. Although this type of infection is very rare, wearing contact lenses in the water is a risk factor.
7Use Re-wetting Drops OftenYakobchukOlena / Vetta / Getty ImagesBe sure to use contact lens re-wettingdropstwo to four times per day while spending those long summer days outside. Contact lenses need a very healthy tear consistency to be worn successfully. Spending a lot of time outdoors and out in the sun and wind can make it difficult for your tear film to keep up with the demand.Instilling contact lens re-wetting drops frequently will keep your lenses hydrated, keep your eyes feeling comfortable, and help you to maintain clear vision.Not all eye drop products you may find at your local pharmacy or big box store are compatible with contact lenses. Ask your healthcare provider which type of contact lens re-wetting drops are best for your eyes.
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Use Re-wetting Drops OftenYakobchukOlena / Vetta / Getty ImagesBe sure to use contact lens re-wettingdropstwo to four times per day while spending those long summer days outside. Contact lenses need a very healthy tear consistency to be worn successfully. Spending a lot of time outdoors and out in the sun and wind can make it difficult for your tear film to keep up with the demand.Instilling contact lens re-wetting drops frequently will keep your lenses hydrated, keep your eyes feeling comfortable, and help you to maintain clear vision.Not all eye drop products you may find at your local pharmacy or big box store are compatible with contact lenses. Ask your healthcare provider which type of contact lens re-wetting drops are best for your eyes.
Use Re-wetting Drops Often
YakobchukOlena / Vetta / Getty Images
Be sure to use contact lens re-wettingdropstwo to four times per day while spending those long summer days outside. Contact lenses need a very healthy tear consistency to be worn successfully. Spending a lot of time outdoors and out in the sun and wind can make it difficult for your tear film to keep up with the demand.
Instilling contact lens re-wetting drops frequently will keep your lenses hydrated, keep your eyes feeling comfortable, and help you to maintain clear vision.
Not all eye drop products you may find at your local pharmacy or big box store are compatible with contact lenses. Ask your healthcare provider which type of contact lens re-wetting drops are best for your eyes.
Summary
A Word From Verywell
Try to plan ahead for your summer eye health. Make sure you schedule your eye examination ahead of any vacations so you can make sure you have an adequate supply of contact lenses. Don’t forget your sunglasses and your regular indoor eyewear to give your eyes a break. As a contact lens wearer, you can be comfortable in the hot, windy, sandy, summer. It just might need some special care.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Tips to Stay Safe in the Sun: From Sunscreen to Sunglasses. US Food & Drug Administration. February 2019.UV Absorption with Contact Lenses. American Optometric Association.Urgacz A, Mrukwa E, Gawlik R.Adverse events in allergy sufferers wearing contact lenses.Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2015;32(3):204-9. doi:10.5114/pdia.2015.48071Healthy Vision and Contact Lenses. American Optometric Association.Corneal Infections Associated with Sleeping in Contact Lenses — Six Cases, United States, 2016–2018.Weekly. August 2018;67(32):877–881Contact Lens Risks. US Food & Drug Administration. September 2018.Kading D.A two-week clinical evaluation of the safety of Systane Ultra in contact lens-wearing patients.Clin Ophthalmol. 2010;4:27-32. doi:10.2147/opth.s8079Additional ReadingNichols JJ, Jones L, Nelson JD. The TFOS Workshop on Contact Lens Discomfort. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 2013.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Tips to Stay Safe in the Sun: From Sunscreen to Sunglasses. US Food & Drug Administration. February 2019.UV Absorption with Contact Lenses. American Optometric Association.Urgacz A, Mrukwa E, Gawlik R.Adverse events in allergy sufferers wearing contact lenses.Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2015;32(3):204-9. doi:10.5114/pdia.2015.48071Healthy Vision and Contact Lenses. American Optometric Association.Corneal Infections Associated with Sleeping in Contact Lenses — Six Cases, United States, 2016–2018.Weekly. August 2018;67(32):877–881Contact Lens Risks. US Food & Drug Administration. September 2018.Kading D.A two-week clinical evaluation of the safety of Systane Ultra in contact lens-wearing patients.Clin Ophthalmol. 2010;4:27-32. doi:10.2147/opth.s8079Additional ReadingNichols JJ, Jones L, Nelson JD. The TFOS Workshop on Contact Lens Discomfort. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 2013.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Tips to Stay Safe in the Sun: From Sunscreen to Sunglasses. US Food & Drug Administration. February 2019.UV Absorption with Contact Lenses. American Optometric Association.Urgacz A, Mrukwa E, Gawlik R.Adverse events in allergy sufferers wearing contact lenses.Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2015;32(3):204-9. doi:10.5114/pdia.2015.48071Healthy Vision and Contact Lenses. American Optometric Association.Corneal Infections Associated with Sleeping in Contact Lenses — Six Cases, United States, 2016–2018.Weekly. August 2018;67(32):877–881Contact Lens Risks. US Food & Drug Administration. September 2018.Kading D.A two-week clinical evaluation of the safety of Systane Ultra in contact lens-wearing patients.Clin Ophthalmol. 2010;4:27-32. doi:10.2147/opth.s8079
Tips to Stay Safe in the Sun: From Sunscreen to Sunglasses. US Food & Drug Administration. February 2019.
UV Absorption with Contact Lenses. American Optometric Association.
Urgacz A, Mrukwa E, Gawlik R.Adverse events in allergy sufferers wearing contact lenses.Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2015;32(3):204-9. doi:10.5114/pdia.2015.48071
Healthy Vision and Contact Lenses. American Optometric Association.
Corneal Infections Associated with Sleeping in Contact Lenses — Six Cases, United States, 2016–2018.Weekly. August 2018;67(32):877–881
Contact Lens Risks. US Food & Drug Administration. September 2018.
Kading D.A two-week clinical evaluation of the safety of Systane Ultra in contact lens-wearing patients.Clin Ophthalmol. 2010;4:27-32. doi:10.2147/opth.s8079
Nichols JJ, Jones L, Nelson JD. The TFOS Workshop on Contact Lens Discomfort. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci, 2013.
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