Contact lenses during flu? Yes, but…
A runny nose, cough, itchy eyes, temperature. Flu and colds may, among other things, be unpleasant when using contact lenses. We have prepared a short manual for you to help prevent potential problems.
Do you have the flu? Make sure your hands are clean.
Flu could act as a droplet infection, meaning you could carry the infection into your eyes when manipulating your contact lenses. Learn how to prevent this. During flu season, start using solution with higher disinfection effects and don’t forget to increase you hands hygiene – up to 80% of infections are transmitted by hand.
If you have the flu, before touching your contact lenses, make sure you wash and dry your hands thoroughly first.
During flu season also make sure you don’t put in your contact lenses in public places – it only takes one sneeze or a bit of coughing and even clean hands won’t help you. During a sneeze, droplet infections spread at 200 km/hour.
You can also read our new article about all you need to know about wearing contact lenses in the winter.
Are there any special “flu contact lenses”?
No, there aren’t. However, it is recommended to use daily contacts during an illness (and we agree) which reduces the risk of transmitting the infection into the eye. The most suitable are hydrogel contact lenses which are 78% water and they keep the eye in shape even when flu is at its peak.
My doctor prescribed eye drops when I had the flu. What do I do now?
A suitable solution might be wearing glasses for the time being. If that’s not possible, apply contact lenses approximately half an hour or an hour after using the eye drops. Otherwise, there’s a threat that the eye drops could damage the lens material.
What do you do about your contact lenses in the flu season? Let us know in the comment section. Thank you.
