Swimming with contact lenses ought to be avoided whenever possible to help prevent bacterial contamination of your eye. Swimming with contacts can result in eye infections, inflammation and possibly sight-threatening conditions such as a corneal ulcer.
Can You Swim With Contacts?
The FDA recommends that contact lenses ought to not be exposed to any type of water, consisting of tap water and water in swimming pools, oceans, lakes, jacuzzis and showers.
Water can be the home of countless viruses and unsafe microorganisms. Among the most severe is the Acanthamoeba organism, which can connect to get in touch with lenses and cause the cornea to end up being infected and swollen. This condition, called Acanthamoeba keratitis, is connected with wearing contact lenses while swimming and can cause long-term vision loss or need a corneal transplant to recover lost vision if not dealt with early enough.
If water gets in your eyes when swimming, you ought to eliminate, tidy and sanitize your contact lenses as quickly as possible to decrease your risk of eye inflammation and infection.
Proper contact lens care lowers further the opportunity of contamination. Keep in mind to replace your contact lens case a minimum of every three months and constantly follow your optometrist’s recommendations.
Swimming with contacts can irritate as well as damage your eyes. Wearing swim goggles is a safer way for you to see plainly both above the surface and undersea.
Stiff gas permeable (GP) contact lenses ought to never be used while swimming, as they are most likely to dislodge from your eye. While soft contact lenses are most likely to stay on your eye when swimming, they are porous and can absorb chemicals and bacteria, increasing the risk of eye inflammation and infection.
Also, fresh water and water in swimming pools can cause soft lenses to tighten up on your eyes, causing considerable discomfort.
Getting water in your eyes when swimming likewise washes away the natural tears that lubricate your eyes and can intensify existing eye conditions such as chronic dry eyes.
If you do decide to swim with contact lenses, daily non reusable lenses are the best option. They are suggested to be used and gotten rid of after a single use, removing the have to tidy and disinfect them.
To be safe, it’s a good idea to discard daily disposable lenses right away after swimming, wash your eyes with rewetting drops or synthetic tears approved for use with contact lenses, then change the lenses with a fresh pair of day-to-day disposables.
If you use daily disposables for periodic wear, they provide good worth for cash when comparing the cost of contact lenses.
Always call your optometrist right away if you experience extended eye inflammation or level of sensitivity to light after wearing your contact lenses in water.
See also: Can I Put Contacts in Water?
Can You Swim With Contact Lenses While Wearing Goggles?
If you’re going to swim while using contact lenses, the best method to lower your risk of eye irritation and infection is to use waterproof swim safety glasses.
In addition to securing your eyes from waterborne contaminants, swim safety glasses lower the risk of your contacts removing from your eyes.
Prescription swimming safety glasses are another excellent choice. Prescription goggles are tailor-made to remedy your refractive mistake, just like spectacles or contact lenses, enabling you to see plainly underwater without any of the dangers related to swimming with contacts.
Some brand names of swim goggles can be found in ready-made prescription versions as well. While they may be an option for you or your children, they do have downsides. For example: they don’t right astigmatism; they come in only the most typical prescription powers; and both lenses have the same prescription, while many individuals’s eyes do not.
An included advantage of using swim safety glasses is that you can pick UV-protective goggles to prevent sun damage to your eyes.
LASIK Eye Surgery And Other Alternatives
Many individuals, specifically those with a very active, sporting lifestyle, decide to correct their myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) or astigmatism with LASIK laser eye surgery and bid farewell to glasses or contact lenses.
LASIK and other types of refractive surgery — such as PRK and LASEK — reshape the cornea utilizing a computer-controlled laser beam, enabling light entering the eye to be appropriately focused onto the retina for clear vision.
LASIK surgery has an exceptional safety profile, and many people achieve 20/20 or better vision without glasses or contact lenses after a LASIK procedure. However, as with any other surgery, the threats and complications of LASIK have to be thoroughly considered prior to you go through the procedure.
Another option is orthokeratology, or ortho-k — a non-surgical method to temporarily fix your refractive error and decrease your dependence on glasses or contact lenses. Ortho-k uses specially developed and fitted contact lenses that improve your cornea, so you can see clearly even after you get rid of the lenses. The lenses generally are used at night while you sleep, negating the need to wear glasses or contacts at all while you’re awake.
Your optometrist or a sports vision specialist will be able to encourage you on your best eyeglasses alternatives for swimming and other activities you take pleasure in.
I constantly use my contacts throughout the day in Cuba. I just close my eyes when going under water and make certain not to rub my eyes when I bring my go out of the water. I simply keep my eyes squeezed shut for 30 seconds or so, simply pat dry your face when you get to your towel. I seldom wear my contacts at home, just for snowmobiling, or swimming. So after I get to my room to shower for dinner, I usually take them out for the evening and use my glasses. I wear disposables and haven’t lost a set yet. They are good for a month, but after a week of swimming I usually throw them out. I swim at the beach and in the swimming pool.