If you wear contact lenses, you should already know how important it is to maintain good hygiene in order to avoid possible eye infections. It’s well known that the improper wearing of contact lenses can lead to serious health complications. New wearers often ask their ophthalmologist many questions about the care of contact lenses including, ‘Can I swim in my contacts?
Contact Lens Care
Eye doctors caution contact lens wearers to handle their lenses carefully, using clean hands, and cleaning them only with the required solution. Despite this knowledge, some still put themselves at risk and suffer serious eye infections because of it. This is especially the case with younger users who are simply not informed about some of the risks associated with contact lenses, such as wearing them while swimming.
Can I swim in my contacts?
Contact lens should not be exposed to water of any kind, and that includes water in swimming pools, lakes, oceans, even tap water. Swimming with contact lenses is not allowed, because it can put your eyes at risk for infection.
The water is home to bacteria and other harmful irritants that can easily get trapped between the lenses, and the eyes. Acanthamoeba keratitis is one of the infections that can be caused by exposing contact lenses to water. Acanthamoeba occur naturally in water from various sources. In severe cases, people have been known to lose their sight, because they failed to take out their contact lenses before swimming.
Visit your eye doctor to learn more about keeping your eyes healthy while wearing contact lenses. Patients in Washington DC, and northern Virginia, can contact New View Eye Center, Reston, VA. Call 703) 834-9777 today, and schedule an appointment with Dr. Jacqueline Griffiths.