The dangers of swimming in contact lenses
Swimming is a very popular sport and for most it can be a fantastic all-round exercise for the body. However, there are risks for those that decide to go swimming in their contact lenses.
With the summer holidays now in full swing, many of you will warm to the idea of venturing back into the pool or even into the sea. For some though, salt water or pool water can cause irritation in the eyes, and make them dry and red after swimming.
Swimming related eye sight infections can occur in anyone but those that wear contact lenses are at a much greater risk. Harmful bacteria such as Pseudomonas Aeruginosa and an amoeba known as Acanthamoeba are the most known culprits for causing eye infections.
Contact lenses trap these microscopic critters against the eye, causing miniscule scratches on the eye, and enables the bacteria to penetrate the eyes surface. These types of infections are rare but swimming in contact lenses does greatly increase this risk.
Understandably though you do need to be able to see when underwater which poses a genuine question for swimmers that do wear contact lenses. At the end of the day, wearing your glasses to swim is not an effective solution and whilst its safer not to swim in contact lenses at all, the advice given by the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) is to use daily disposable lenses with a well-sealed pair of goggles or mask and discard the lenses immediately after you finish swimming.
Commenting Lesley Cree said “Using daily disposable lenses is the most common form of protecting your eyes against harmful bacteria when swimming. There are other options though: your optometrist should be able to advise you on prescription dive masks and what goggles to wear should the effects of pool and sea water become too detrimental on your eyesight.”
If you would like a consultation on how to best protect your eyes when swimming please make an appointment with one our friendly members of staff by visiting our practice or calling 0115 933 2999.