Summer is just around the corner where people will spend most of their time under the sun. For people who do not wear transition lenses that can protect their eyes from UV rays, they use contact lenses together with sunglasses. Since the heat from summer becomes unbearable, swimming is a popular outdoor activity that can help you cool off and have fun.
Individuals with perfect vision do not have any problems with swimming because they do not need to worry about their eyeglasses. Swimming can be difficult for people using any kind of corrective lenses such as contact lenses. Many people are curious if it is okay to swim with contact lenses.
Reasons to Keep Contacts Away From Water
Contact lenses allow us to see in a perfect vision while performing our daily activities. It is important to remember that these corrective lenses are not designed for water. As the eye doctor prescribed contact lenses, they mentioned how to care for them which includes guidelines to not cleanse contacts using water.
Water from the pool, tap, lake, or shower is forbidden, no matter what source of water it may be. These sources of water can house microbes, viruses, chemicals, or bacteria that could damage and cause eye problems. Beware that if these microbes get into contact lenses, they stay in the eyes longer. If these happened, you are at risk for eye infections.
Acanthamoeba keratitis is a severe infection that causes you to feel slight irritation or infection. These are the eye-related symptoms you may experience when your eyes are irritated or developing an infection:
- Abnormal redness
- Blurry vision
- Burning
- Discharge
- Discomfort
- Excessive tearing
- Grittiness
- Itching
- Pain
- Swelling
- Increased light sensitivity
Check with your optometrist if you recently went swimming and experienced the following symptoms.
What Should I Do if My Contacts Has Been Exposed to Water?
- Immediately remove the contacts.
- Place the lenses back in the contact case.
- Talk and have an appointment with an optometrist.
- Appear to your appointment and bring contacts with you.
Examination of the eyes will be performed to determine the cause of discomfort and give an appropriate treatment. Make sure to get treated as soon as possible to lessen the risk of developing serious eye problems.
How Can I Protect My Eyes Under the Water
Water activities can still be done without the risk of infection. Prescription goggles are available if you want to swim with corrective lenses. If you are not able to get prescription goggles, you can wear contacts with complete closed goggles. After swimming, rinse contact lenses thoroughly with the solution and wet them with rewetting drops.
Keep your eyes healthy by following the tips mentioned above. Do not risk your eye health for a few moments in the water.
