Is it safe to wear contact lenses while cooking?

The root of this rumor is whether or not contacts can melt on your eye if you look at something hot, such as a stove, in an oven or a grill. Fortunately, that cannot happen. A temperature high enough to melt your contacts would already be giving you severe burns before it did anything to your contacts. It’s just an unsubstantiated rumor. However, while you don’t have to worry about your contacts melting, cooking with contacts does present some unique challenges.

If you’re cooking with onions, get ready for the tears. Everyone knows that cutting onions makes us cry, but few consider how annoying that can be while wearing contacts. While it won’t cause any lasting damage, the added liquid in your eye can make your contacts much looser. In some cases, they may even fall out! There are few worse feelings than blinking and noticing your contact has fallen out. Not to mention the near irresistible urge to rub your eyes is that much worse with contacts in.

Speaking of rubbing your eyes, be very careful when cooking! What is already irritating to your eyes can be even worse when wearing contacts. Be sure to wash your hands after dealing with pepper, spicy foods or other things that can get in your eyes. If you start to feel irritation, be sure to wash your hands and take your contacts out immediately. Simply follow the typical Dos and Don’ts of wearing contacts.

When it’s all said and done, cooking with contacts is exactly the same as cooking without. In fact, it may be slightly easier, as glasses sometimes fog up when you open a hot stove. It all depends on preference. And at Contacts Direct, we have the right pair of contacts for you. Whether you’re dealing with dry eyes, wearing contacts for long periods of time, or debating the advantages of daily vs monthly contacts, we can help. Contacts Direct is the perfect place to find your next contacts. Visit our website to learn more, or order your next set of contacts today!