I tried a search of topics and didn't see this question.

In places like Mexico and India where we're told "DON'T DRINK THE WATER!" what do you do with contact lenses? I have to wash my hands before I take them out every night, but if I can't trust the water to drink it, how can I trust it to touch my eye? What solutions have you all come up with? Do I wash with bottled water? Should I get month-long continuous wear lenses (though I'm afraid of my eyes drying out)?

There is no way that I can just abandon contacts completely. I am severely near-sighted and glasses give me a headache. So I do have to wear contacts, and I do need to take care of them.

you answered your own question - use bottled water
And I recomend dailies - no fuss, no cleaning, no solutions - just ditch them each night - simple

To be honest, I've traveled to many places where I was warned to not drink the water — and I wear contact lenses. I washed my hands and handled my contacts. Never really thought about the consequences; however, nothing happened. Whether I was lucky or otherwise, I'm not sure. I'm not even sure whether bacterial or parasitic agents that cause gastro problems would cause problems for your eyes.

If you do decide to try continuous-wear lenses, I recommend Night & Day. I don't find that they dry my eyes out. In fact, I can barely feel them in there. I often go the whole month without taking them out, or else I'll take them out for just one night halfway through. YMMV, of course.

One thing though... They've come out with some new ones that aren't nearly as comfy. The new ones are called Air Optix Night & Day, and they come in a flat box. The older, better ones are just called Night & Day, and the box is, well, boxier. Some of the online places still have the old ones in stock, but I'd call to make sure, because some of them just haven't updated their websites.

Cool. Going to have to try those out. I have dailies and after 12 hours they are unbearable! And God forbid I take a nap with them in!

Thanks for the recommendation, Jon. I'll ask my eye doctor about Night&Day when I see him next week.

"Soaking your lenses in fresh solution overnight 'reconditions' the lenses so they'll retain moisture better, which means you'll be able to wear your lenses longer with less discomfort. Discomfort is the main reason people stop wearing contact lenses, so if people just took better care of their lenses, they'd be much happier."

I don't know if this is actually effective, but in those kinds of places, i wash my hands in the sink, dry them thoroughly with a lint-free towel, and then actually rinse my fingers again with saline, letting them drip dry a little.

I'm not usually a fan of the Purell / antibacterial hand stuff but when it come to handling contacts in unfriendly hot humid sketchy water areas, I relent and use it. Boiling your contact case every once in a while might help as well, or washing it in anti-bac soap.

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