Should you be wearing your contacts in this smoke? What eye doctor said amid poor air quality

BERKELY, Mich. – Canadian Wildfire has pushed hazardous air quality towards Detroit, that smoke can be dangerous for eye health.

Local 4 spoke to local Christopher Sesi an Ophthalmologist at Shanbom Eye Specialist in Berkely.

Contact lens can trap wildfire smoke particles directly onto the eyeball, long time contact with particles can lead to irritation and discomfort.

Chronic irritation can include those with dry eye syndrome, any with recent eye surgery, blepharitis inflammation disease and those prone to itchy eyes from allergies.

Here’s what doctors recommend contact wearers do

• Avoid wearing contacts, wear glasses instead.
• Avoid outdoors and exposure to wildfire smoke.
• those who cannot avoid exposure are advised to wear sunglasses and glasses with wider frames, including a wraparound frame.
• Use preservative-free eye drops to ride of particles causing irritation.
• Don’t rub or place pressure on eyes after exposure.

Dr. Sesi says to seek help if exposure led to redness of the eyes, a gritter eye feeling, blurry vision, pain and sensitivity or any worsening of eye symptoms.