Drinks you should Avoid Consuming if you are a Contact Lens Wearer

Everything that you take in habitually affect your entire body system. Your status of health can be predicted for after five years based on the food you consume now. Eating healthy- leafy green vegetables, beans, citrus fruits & staying hydrated is the key to staying young forever. Did you read about “caffeine, tobacco and alcohol” in the healthy food list? Of course no. Since these products leave deleterious effects on human health, they should be avoided when possible. Smoking, high intake of caffeine & taking rounds of alcohol are some of the major causes of dehydration that make contact lenses irritable and leave your eyes dry.

Also Read: [How Smoking Affect Contact Lenses]

Keeping your eyes moist and hydrated is essential if you wear contact lenses daily for vision correction. Tears facilitate contact lens adoption by helping them float smoothly over cornea. When there is no enough tear production, eyes become dry and tolerance of contact lenses is significantly reduced.

Smoking, Pills & Alcoholic Drinks

It is an established fact that smoking is injurious to health. From destroying your lungs, to kidneys & other vital organs, it also attacks your eyes. Smoking makes your eyes dry, promotes corneal infiltrates & introduce corneal damages. Alcoholic & Caffeine drinks further take you towards remorse. Besides making your eyes dry, high intake of caffeine makes you feel restless, heavy and cause headaches. On the other hand, alcohol rushes a sudden desire to doze off. Alcoholic drinks make you dizzy that alone is a threat if you wear contact lenses- sleeping or napping in contact lenses is strictly prohibited by experts.

Some medications such as birth control pills may also make it uncomfortable to wear contact lenses. Talk to your doctor if this happens.

Though temporary dryness is relieved by using eye drops compatible with contact lenses, it is ingenious to develop healthy food habits. As per doctors, for every cup of caffeine and alcohol; you should consume an additional cup of water to keep yourself hydrated. Take 2 liters of water every day to keep your eyes functioning properly. It detoxifies, promotes swift blood circulation & above all keep your tear chemistry balanced so that you continue to enjoy wearing your favorite colored contact lenses. 

Should I Continue Wearing Contact Lenses in Cold or Flu?

Certain medications such as anti-allergenic and birth-control pills lay adverse effect on contact lens tolerance. Although; influenza virus is nothing to panic about, continuing to wear your contact lenses whilst you cough, sniff or suffer from a runny nose brings discomfort & prolonged flu duration.

Also Read: Does Medication Affect Contact Lens Tolerance Negatively?

When you catch cold; it is time to give your eyes a break from contact lenses. It has often been observed that during cold you are prone to rub your eyes because of itchy sensation. Furthermore, wiping off runny nose and then inadvertently rubbing your eyes with same soiled hands facilitate bacteria accumulation over contact lenses which can be a source of bacteria transmission and deposition over your corneas.

Contact lenses should be avoided during influenza’s seasonal attacks for two reasons. Former reason deals with unhygienic practices where as the later one deals with “Poor-production” of tear-film. The tear film or tear-chemistry is disturbed when you are sick that therefore encourages the quick evaporation of tear-film. This turns eyes drier and induces stinging sensation along with corneal scratches or abrasions.

You do not need to avoid contact lenses throughout the flu period; you only need to observe caution. Wear your circle lenses only when it is too crucial to avoid them. If circle lenses are not functional in your life and just cater to serving your fashion needs; you should completely halt wearing these contacts. Do not help yourself spread the virus. Practice hygiene when handling contact lenses & observe a break for first 3 days!