Swimming With Contact Lenses? A Practical Eye-Safety Guide for Sensitive Skin
Before swim practice, you may think about goggles and the skin around your eyes. If you wear contact lenses, plan for your eye health too: an itchy eyelid and an infection on the surface of the eye are different problems and need different care.
Keep water away from lenses
The CDC recommends removing contact lenses before swimming or showering. Water from pools, lakes and even taps is not sterile. A microorganism called Acanthamoeba can cause a serious corneal infection, and other germs can cause problems too. The point is not that every swim causes an infection; it is that keeping lenses away from water reduces an avoidable exposure.
Contact-lens wear is common. A 2018 CDC report estimated that about 45 million people in the United States wore contacts. That estimate is a population count from the report, not an estimate of infection risk in swimmers.
| Moment | Safer plan |
|---|---|
| Before entering water | Remove lenses before swimming, using a hot tub or showering, and store or discard them as directed for your lens type. |
| For vision in the pool | Ask an eye-care professional about options such as prescription swim goggles; ordinary goggles do not make water exposure risk-free. |
| If lenses touch water | Remove them as soon as possible. Follow CDC and eye-care guidance about discarding or cleaning and disinfecting reusable lenses before wearing them again. |
| If your eye becomes painful or red, or vision blurs | Remove the lens and contact an eye-care professional promptly; tell them about water exposure. |
Keep eyelid care and eye care separate
Eyelid eczema, irritation from a goggle seal and a corneal infection can coexist or be confused. Do not put a face or body moisturizer into your eye, on a contact lens or underneath the lens. Ask a clinician for specific guidance before applying any product to irritated eyelids or near the eye. New light sensitivity, eye pain, discharge or vision changes deserve prompt eye assessment.
Carry backup glasses, wash and dry your hands before handling lenses, and use fresh lens solution according to the product’s directions. Never rinse or store lenses in tap water. Review our articles on goggle-related eyelid irritation and eye symptoms that need attention.
Dr. Arsy Hydration Recovery Moisturizer #003 is a fragrance-free cosmetic moisturizer for dry, sensitive and eczema-prone skin. Follow the label; it does not replace medical treatment.
Sources and further reading
- CDC: Keep water away from contact lenses.
- CDC: Preventing contact-lens-related eye infections.
- CDC MMWR: Corneal infections and contact lenses.
Educational information from Dr. Arsy; not a diagnosis or individual medical advice. The researchers and organizations cited do not endorse Dr. Arsy products.