This Summer Don't Forget the Sunscreen… and Leave the Contact Lenses at Home?

Is it safe to swim with contacts? It's the question many contact lens wearers find themselves asking when they hit the water this summer. Now lens wearers can learn the answer to this question from a new article – Can You Swim with Contact Lenses? – on AllAboutVision.com.

The FDA recommends that contact lenses shouldn't be exposed to water of any source, as explained in AllAboutVision.com's new article. Viruses and microbes can thrive in water and attach to contact lenses, causing eye infections or irritation. In extreme cases, swimming with contacts can lead to potentially sight-threatening conditions, such as corneal ulcers.

In addition to harboring microbes and viruses, water can make soft contact lenses tighten on the eye and rigid gas permeable lenses dislodge from the eye altogether. Swim goggles can help protect contact lenses from contaminants and reduce the risk of lenses dislodging from the eye.

"For those who choose to swim while wearing soft contacts, daily disposable contact lenses are the safest option," says Gary Heiting, OD, AllAboutVision.com senior editor. "Daily disposables can be discarded immediately after swimming and replaced with a fresh pair of lenses."

Contact lens alternatives and what to do if water gets in your eyes also are discussed in the new article, which is one of more than two dozen Contact Lens FAQs on AllAboutVision.com.

Online since 2000, AllAboutVision.com is an independent resource providing consumers with hundreds of pages of trustworthy, up-to-date information on vision correction and eye health. The site is a National Gold Sponsor of Optometry Giving Sight and is certified by the Health on the Net Foundation. It is expected to serve more than 17 million unique visitors this year.