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Quick Overview of Travel-Related Ocular Complications

In order to save you some time, we made a short list of travel-related ocular conditions.

Photo by Mathieu Stern from Unsplash.com

While the majority of people love travelling and it offers us unique relaxation and refreshment like no other leisure activity, there is a high percentage of people that get anxious in an unmanageable level, due to the list of preparations that need to be made, but mainly due to their uncontrollable fears for not being able to correspond appropriately to an emergency and face a non-predicted health situation.

Truth is, this is not a frequent scenario, however chances of small inconveniences, like small injuries, infections, allergic shocks are always possible and it’s definitely not worthy to miss out all the joy of frequent travelling in the fear of some unpredictable events.
Having a safety plan is always something wise, especially if you’re travelling with children. The other way is to think in extent of things that could go wrong, and acknowledge by yourself, that handling the situation isn’t high demanding.

In order to save you some time, we made a short list of travel-related ocular conditions.

1. Dry Eyes

The simplest condition out of them all, that can occur anywhere any time, that just has increased possibility when we are travelling. Dry/air-conditioned environments (like airplanes) and low humidity in general causes dryness that can also result to blurry vision. How to recognize it? Sandy or burning sensation, redness, itchiness, and sensitivity to light are the most dominant symptoms. What you can do to prevent it on time is blink often, keep hydrated, use sunglasses and finally use-drops if needed.

2. Contact lens related issues

Using contact lens demands high hygiene, something that can be easily not done properly when we are travelling, as it’s related to our destination and the existent hygiene conditions of our accommodation. We recommend avoiding wearing them while swimming and absolutely having a spare of glasses with you. On the other hand, the solution to solve such a problem once and for all, is to visit a consultant eye surgeon and discuss with him any permanent solutions for your eye health.

3. Allergic conjunctivitis

When we travel to a new place, we forget that for our body it may not be so easy to instantly adjust and function in the same way as before. Eyes are a very sensitive vital organs and change of location is connected with different air consistency and flora. Exposal to allergens such as pollen, pet dander, grass or specific trees and flowers, and above all air pollutants, may trigger an allergy. Redness, itching, redness and swelling of the conjunctiva are obvious indications to try some cold compresses on the area, or search for antihistamine eye drops.

4. UV Radiation Damage

The risk of UV radiation damage to the eyes is increased during travel days, because it’s more possible for us to travel during the summer period, when the sun rays are more intense. Looking at the sun directly may be an obvious cause of this condition, but not the only one. That’s why you should always wear your sunglasses, the ones the guarantee 100% protection from all types of UV rays, but also a hat at least during the peak 10 a.m. – 4 p.m hours and seek shadow. The prevention steps are quite simple proportionally to the unwanted damage results, which vary from photokeratitis to more long-term conditions, as cataract. 

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Your "not that regular" all-around gal, writing about anything, thus everything. "There's always more to discover... thus write about," she says in between - GASP! - puffs. And so that's what she does, exactly. Write, of course; not (just) puff.

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