Warning: Don’t Swim with Contact Lenses

I know, it’s strange to think that a geek might not look good in glasses. Unfortunately, there are some out there and in today’s society, that’s ok! You can correct your vision covertly with the wonderful advent of contact lenses. However, it seems that we’ve gotten a little bit lax in this generation with our eye hygiene. And that can have pretty serious consequences.

Did you know that swimming with lenses on is not recommended by opticians. Why? Because a creepy amoeba can literally burrow into your eye and damage your eye sight.

The amoeba that affected this girl is actually pretty rare, but has fast-acting and severe consequences. However, there is also a more common bacteria called “Psuedomonas bacteria” that also lives in water and can destroy your sight in 24-36 hours. Thinking “it’s so rare, it’s likely never going to happen to me” could very well land you in hospital and possibly leave you blind!

It’s astounding that most young people aren’t aware that you increase the danger to your eye by being lax with contact lens hygiene. Apparently infections from these sort of bacteria is on the rise with those under 50. With cheap online contact lenses options, people aren’t getting the education about lens hygiene that they should be getting at point of sale.

The fact is, when you are exposed to water while wearing your contact lenses, whether it be in a pool, the sea or even in your shower, if there happens to be a parasite in the water, it can easily lodge itself between the contact lens and your eye, allowing it to burrow into your eyeball. Obviously you should never wash your contact lens under tap water.

These parasites can also come from your contact lens case. If you haven’t replaced it in a while, tiny cracks can form in the case where micro-organisms can thrive. This is considered the “biggest culprit”. You’re actually meant to change your lens case every month. I always wondered why they gave you a case every time you bought new liquid. Now I know.

So in summary, if you wear contact lenses:

  • Never swim with them.
  • Never wash them under tap water.
  • Take them off when you shower.
  • Replace your contact lens case every month.

Better to be semi-blind while you have fun in the pool than run the risk of being permanently blind the rest of your life right?

[Via Daily Mail | Photo Credit]