Why You Absolutely Shouldn’t Swim In Your Contacts

Contact lens wearers know the logistical challenges that can come with situations like travel or spending a night out. Another area where contacts can complicate things? Swimming.

Experts say you shouldn’t swim with your contacts in your eyes, but should people with poor vision be forced to navigate the pool, lake or ocean unable to see or to splash around in their glasses?

Just how bad is swimming in your contact lenses? HuffPost asked eye health experts to break down the risks involved and what you should do instead.

What happens if you swim in your contacts?

“It is bad to swim in your contacts,” Dr. James Kelly, an ophthalmologist and founder of Kelly Vision, told HuffPost. “Water ― whether from a pool, ocean, lake or hot tub ― contains bacteria, fungi and parasites that can get trapped under your contact lenses, increasing the risk of serious eye infections. The most concerning is Acanthamoeba keratitis, a rare but potentially vision-threatening infection that can cause severe pain, corneal ulcers and even blindness.”

Bacteria like Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens are other sources of swimming-related infections, as are adenoviruses.

“A contact lens acts like a ‘sponge’ soaking up these organisms and chemicals and keeping them on the surface of the eye for as long as the contact lens is worn,” explained Dr. Thomas J. Stokkermans, an optometrist and medical writer and reviewer at All About Vision. “Contact lenses and contact lens cleaners can cause small erosions on the surface of the eye that allow microorganisms to penetrate the surface of the eye more easily.”

As you swim (or shower), these microorganisms can attach to your contact lens.

“They can then infect the cornea ― the clear membrane on the front portion of the eye ― and cause an ulcer, a serious infection of the eye that can lead to a scar or can even perforate the eyeball,” Stokkermans said.

Without prompt treatment, you might also experience permanent vision loss.

It’s bad enough to consider developing a painful infection that might blind you, but what makes a situation like Acanthamoeba keratitis even worse is how difficult it can be to diagnose and treat.

“Sometimes in the early stages, it can look like many other things, which makes diagnosis hard, so patients usually present to us when it’s very, very late stage after they’ve gone through multiple providers,” said Dr. Masako Chen, an ophthalmologist at New York Eye & Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. “You have to find the cornea specialist who is familiar with this, which can be challenging even in major cities and much harder in rural areas.”

If the infection has gotten really bad, she noted they might have to do a corneal transplant to replace the whole cornea, then other follow-up surgeries afterwards.

“Acanthamoeba treatment is also very difficult because there are a couple of medications that are available, but they’re not common so can be difficult to come by sometimes,” Chen added. “You might have to go to a compounding pharmacy and pay out-of-pocket for medications. There are also medications that cornea specialists agree that patients should be on, but they’re not available in the U.S. So sometimes they have to go to Europe to obtain it or hopefully have a friend there who can help you.”

In addition to these logistical challenges, experts and patients have said that Acanthamoeba keratitis is one of the most painful eye conditions you can experience.

“I’m sure there are people out there who say, ‘Well I swim in contacts, and it’s totally fine,’” Chen said. “But I think those people were just lucky. I know from what I’ve seen that it’s just not a good idea and not worth the risk.”

There are other concerns besides infections.

“Water can cause soft contact lenses to swell and change shape ― which may cause the lenses to stick on the eye and cause corneal abrasions and irritation,” said Dr. Ella Faktorovich, an eye doctor and founder of Pacific Vision Institute.

Basically, contact lenses sit on the tear film, which is the protective layer of clear fluid (or tears) that covers the surface of the eye. The tear film has a particular salt concentration or osmolarity, so exposing contact lenses to water with a different osmolarity can lead to discomfort and damage to the eye’s surface.

“Lenses warp from exposure to water that has a different salt concentration of the tear film, so they will not conform to the shape of the eye,” Stokkermans explained. “Contact lenses are designed to match the shape of the cornea so that they do not move excessively or adhere to the eyeball. Chlorinated or seawater can change the shape of the contact lens causing it to fit poorly.”

The disinfectants commonly found in pool water can also pose problems. For instance, chlorine or bromine might soak into your contact lenses and irritate your eyes, causing redness and blurriness.

“When these disinfectants bind to nitrogen in sweat and urine, disinfection byproducts [DBPs] are formed such as trichloramine,” Stokkermans said. “DBPs are a common cause of eye irritation, especially when wearing contact lenses.”

Although tears naturally wash some of these chemicals out of your eyes, he explained that doesn’t happen as well with contact lenses, which soak up the chemicals and allow them to constantly irritate the eye’s surface.

Contact lens loss is another concern around swimming with them in your eyes.

“Chlorinated or saltwater can cause lenses to float out of your eyes,” Kelly said, adding that hard contact lenses like rigid gas permeable and scleral lenses are more likely to dislodge from the eye.

But what if you wear goggles?

You might wonder if you can help protect your eyes by wearing proper goggles to keep water away from your contacts.

“One study, done in 2011, looked at this question and found that goggles do reduce the risk of infection when wearing contact lenses,” Stokkermans noted.

It’s important to make sure your goggles fit properly and form a tight seal around your eyes to prevent water from getting in. However, several of the eye doctors who spoke to HuffPost emphasized that even with goggles, swimming in contacts is still not a good idea.

“Wearing tight-fitting, waterproof swim goggles can reduce the risk of water exposure, but it’s not foolproof,” Kelly said. “Water can still leak in, and any contamination trapped under the lens still poses a risk.”

So what should you do instead?

“If you frequently need vision correction while swimming, prescription goggles are the safest alternative,” said Dr. Maria Montero, the associate director of clinical services at Orbis Flying Eye Hospital. “Most importantly, everyone’s eyes are different, so it’s always best to follow your eye care professional’s advice and reach out to them with any questions.”

You can purchase these special swim goggles through your eye doctor or directly from online vendors with your valid prescription. These vendors typically offer a range of standard lens power options, so you just have to look at the sphere number on your prescription (typically something like -4 or +2).

If your prescription isn’t the same for both eyes, you could purchase two pairs and swap out lenses. Alternatively, you could place a special order for your exact prescription through an eye care professional. This avenue might be more expensive, however.

“There are some people with super high prescriptions, and the goggles are too expensive or aren’t made in those prescriptions,” Chen said. “But there are options for them too. You can have refractive surgery, which would be Lasik or PRK, or this newer version called SMILE.”

“Make sure that the pools, hot tubs and showers you use are adequately disinfected,” Stokkermans said. “The presence of ‘pink mold’ or the invisible presence of microorganisms and DBPs in inadequately maintained pool and hot tub water increase the risk of eye irritations and infections.”

What about hot tubs?

“Hot tubs, steam rooms and saunas, like pools, are full of bacteria, and the warm water provides an ideal environment for microbial growth, increasing the risk of eye infections,” Kelly said. “Hot tubs, in particular, are known for harboring bacteria like Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acanthamoeba, both of which can cause serious eye infections.”

Lounging in a hot tub without submerging your face carries fewer risks than putting your head underwater while soaking, but there are still potential concerns.

“Even if you don’t dunk your head, small splashes or steam condensation can introduce bacteria or parasites to your eyes,” Kelly said. “If these microorganisms get trapped under the lens, they can cause infections.”

In addition to water droplets from splashes and evaporating water, touching your eyes with wet hands can be a problem as well.

“If you accidentally rub your eyes with wet hands while wearing contacts, you can introduce contaminants from the water,” Kelly said.

He noted that the steam and humidity can also dry out your contact lenses, “making them stick to the cornea and feel uncomfortable.” The warm, humid environment makes it harder to remove your contact lenses safely as well.

“The steam from hot tubs may potentially cause the contacts to swell on the eye, increasing the risk for corneal abrasions and irritation,” Faktorovich added.

What should you do if you get pool or hot tub water in your eyes while wearing contacts?

“If you get water in your eyes while wearing contact lenses, remove your contacts as soon as possible to reduce the risk of infection,” Montero advised.

If you wear daily disposable lenses, discard that pair after you remove them. Consider wearing your glasses for the rest of the day or grab a fresh pair of contact lenses after you attend to your eyes.

“If you are wearing two-week or monthly replacement lenses, make sure to disinfect them thoroughly,” Stokkermans said.

Use proper contact lens solution ― never tap water ― to rinse your reusable lenses.

“Flush your eyes with sterile saline or artificial tears to help remove any contaminants,” Kelly recommended.

Lubricating eye drops can help soothe irritation as well. Once you’ve determined your vision and eyes appear OK, then you can put in that fresh pair of contacts. But pay attention to any issues that arise, especially if you notice a gray or white spot in the colored part of your eye.

“Monitor for symptoms like redness, pain, light sensitivity or blurry vision ― these could indicate an infection, and you should see an eye doctor immediately,” Kelly said.

As you go about your life otherwise, know that you can lower your risk of bacterial buildup by wearing daily disposable contact lenses or rigid gas permeable lenses as well as engaging in good cleaning practices.