Swimming with contact lenses

terra_ferma

My daughter wants to start swimming, but she is worried because she wears contacts and thinks the chlorine could irritate her eyes.
Also she's heard about a bug that can cause blindness. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2191190/I-swam-contact-lenses--Im-blind-eye.html

What do other people wearing contact lenses swim at all, and if so what of they do to protect their eyes?
(glasses wouldn't work for her, and without contacts her eyesight would be too bad to swim safely, prescription goggles look interesting but not for now as she is only giving it a try as she's never done it before)
The information I found online is rather worrying.

PS I would like to know what other people do, my daughter will get professional advice from her optician, this is just to hear about other people's experience and also the costs involved, I know we are not supposed to get medical advice here

cazziebo

My optician advised against lenses for swimming. However, I'm like your daughter - I'd be a danger without them and glasses aren't practical. I don't swim often enough to shell out for prescription goggles.

I use daily disposables when I go swimming. I take them out as soon as I come out the pool (have to, my eyes are usually stinging).

WillowCat

Have swum and scuba dived for years with contact lenses, would never have occurred to me to not use them.

If she's concerned, why not wear them with non prescription swimming goggles?

terra_ferma

wow that was quick, you must have been watching while I was typing..
goggle are an option, but on the internet they say they are still not safe enough....
(she's an adult by the way, but she asked me to ask 'on your forum where people know everything', I always talk about how much I learn on MSE )

daily disposable look like a good option too

RuthnJasper

I'm a contact lens wearer. I didn't used to have much problem swimming, though on occasions I did experience some eye irritation. I kept my lenses in and got an ordinary pair of goggles from a sports shop; worked a treat.

I shouldn't worry about the online stuff too much; generally it appears more scary than it actually is (especially anything the Daily Mail has to offer). The internet can be great for these types of advice, though if one inputs any kind of symptom or risk into the search engine, I could almost guarantee that the word "cancer" will be lurking somewhere in the top five results!.

It's perfectly reasonable to be concerned, however. You could always check with the British Swimming Organisation - http://www.swimming.org/britishswimming/. They should be able to provide some impartial and sensible advice.

Best wishes OP - I hope your daughter really enjoys her swimming. x

got-it-spend-it

I must be very lax as I am a contact lens wearer and always swim with my lenses in. I've never given it a lot of thought to be honest! Never had any problems though, and I pride myself on never believing anything published in the Daily Fail

michelle2008

I agree!! Have been swimming for twenty years with contacts in - some times with goggles, sometimes without. No problems yet!

purpleshoes_2

I swim with contacts in, never had a problem, dont want to swim in glasses and dont like goggles.

Nicki

I read an article in the Lancet about acanthamoeba more than 20 years ago complete with pictures, and wouldn't ever swim in contacts! This isn't a Daily Mail invention, any more than the article today about Jason Manford makes testicular cancer a Daily Mail invention.

Suggest you ask your opthalmologist when you pick up your next prescription about it, rather than just dismiss it because you happened to first hear about it in a national newspaper!

Is this a scientific enough paper about the risks for sceptics?

http://www.journalofoptometry.org/en/how-could-contact-lens-wearers/articulo/13188766/

littlegreenparrot

I always wear disposable contacts when swimming, as I wouldn't be able to without them, however I wouldn't wear them without goggles.
They also get taken out afterwards and replaced with glasses.
I've been told by opticians before that's ok.

Personally, I think if I'm following the usual hygiene rules for contacts, then I'll take the risk.
If she's really worried I'd recommend ringing the optician/popping in to see someone and asking.

I've always felt the physical/mental health benefits I gain outweigh the possible risks.

suki1964

Any ophthalmologist will advise you not to swim or shower with contacts in unless you wear googles

This is also the advice of NHS direct.