Swimming with contact lenses

theoretica

Depending on her optician, they might well give her a few pairs of dailys free to try out.

terra_ferma

theoretica wrote: »

Depending on her optician, they might well give her a few pairs of dailys free to try out.

That would be handy

sillyvixen

part of my job is teaching people to insert and remove contact lenses - my line on wearing lenses for swimming is they absorb water from the pool, chlorine and any thing else in the water (yes we all know people pee in the pool, does not need mentioning). i taught a man a few weeks ago, who asked about swimming and i rolled out my usual line and he mention a few days ago he had seen his first UFO in the pool (unidentified floating object) - he will not be using lenses for swimming.

Herongull

I wouldn't dream of swimming with contact lenses even with goggles, as no goggles are completely waterproof. Prescription goggles are only a few £ more than regular ones, so would anyone take the risk? I can't believe the OP would even consider suggesting this to her daughter.

Prescription goggles are a compete non-brainer, like wearing car seatbelts.

I am thinking of getting daily disposable contacts to wear for a couple of days per week (depending on what I'm doing) and specs the rest of the time. Would it be safer to avoid wearing them for (say) 48 hours before I plan to swim?

One of the risks of swimming is the water (and its microscopic fauna) getting onto the contact lens or the interface between the lens and the eye, but another risk relates to very minor symptomless cornea abrasion and scratches from contact lenses making it more vulnerable to infection.

If I avoid contact lens wear for 48 hours before swimming, would that reduce thi risks significantly? I believe these sort of minor undetected abrasions can heal very quickly

vegasvisitor

Just want to also say it's a very bad idea to wear contacts when swimming. I know someone who got acanthamoeba from doing this, went through a few years of pain and ops, a failed cornea transplant and not worth trying another. Still having problems years later requiring more surgery. Not to mention a lot of pain over the years. I'd never heard of it till she told me, but I don't wear contacts so I'd never thought about it.

Shame for those with bad eyesight who need some sort of option.:(

freyasmum

terra_ferma wrote: »

how much cheaper, assuming regular swimming?

How regular is regular?

2 months worth of lenses = roughly 60 pairs.

60 pairs / 3 x weekly swimming = 20 weeks.

So, less than half a year to ensure that she is able to continue seeing properly, and without pain. A poster has already said that she's had her goggles for about 20 years - which would be less than 0.02 pairs of lenses for each swim.


I have extended wear lenses and am not too far off your daughters prescription. I haye going swimming because I either have to use my ears to find my child or spend the whole time trying to stay at the side of the pool with mt eyes half shut, almost wanting to punch anyone who even so much as makes a mink-wave

I didn't realise that prescription goggle were so affordable - and they don't need to be absolutely perfect. It's a no brainer to me

Ivana_Tinkle

I've been wearing contacts for 20 years, prescribed by at least 10 different opticians as I've moved around a lot, and never once been told not to wear them in the shower or when swimming. Obviously I won't do it again after reading this thread but I'm completely freaked out that I've never been warned of the dangers before. Are these warnings a recent thing or have I been very unlucky at choosing opticians over the years?!

AbbieCadabra

i've been wearing contacts for about 4 years, i don't actually remember if my 1st optician warned about the risks, but i only stayed with them for the trial period. have been with costco since then & it's always strongly stated by them.

terra_ferma

Ivana_Tinkle wrote: »

I've been wearing contacts for 20 years, prescribed by at least 10 different opticians as I've moved around a lot, and never once been told not to wear them in the shower or when swimming. Obviously I won't do it again after reading this thread but I'm completely freaked out that I've never been warned of the dangers before. Are these warnings a recent thing or have I been very unlucky at choosing opticians over the years?!

I don't think you have been particularly unlucky, my daughter has seen many opticians over the years (small independent ones and large chains as well), and nobody has every mentioned it, only about not rinsing with tap water.
Now that I know more, thanks too this thread, I'm surprised they never even mentioned using goggles (which is the official advice from the NHS and BCLA), but unfortunately like in every profession some are more knowledgeable and thorough in their work than others.

GlasweJen

The advice from the college of optometrists is no water period. They also scrapped the advice of cleaning contact lens cases with boiling water after a few infections were caused by not airing the case and that's why a lot of opticians give contact lens wearers silver lined cases that don't need sterilised.

The infections I've seen were Acanthomeba keratitis but I've seen some pretty nasty non contact lens related infections too - most worrisome one was an STI that she'd contracted working at a sexual health clinic, she washes her hands better now.

As for my "shouldn't be wearing contact lenses" I do refuse to prescribe lenses to people with persistent non-compliance issues, covers me from being sued.