But even if it looks unsightly to you, it’s time to bring back the glasses, especially if yours are currently under dusty boxes of high school memorabilia in the closet.
Although you may not feel immediate pain from opening your eyes underwater, this does not mean that your eyes are clear of any damage. “There is no safe body of water where you can open your eyes underwater and not have the risk of infection or irritation or redness,” he says Danielle Richardson, ODoptometrist in Los Angeles, California.
Even if you’ve trained yourself to see underwater without goggles since you were a kid, experts strongly recommend using them every time you splash around in some water. Ahead, they describe the risks to your eyes and what to do if your eyes are exposed to these water sources, particularly if you wear contacts.
What are the dangers of opening your eyes underwater?
Opening your eyes to untreated water, such as that of lakes, rivers, ponds or the ocean, is not recommended unless you are wearing eye protection. It can leave you with eye irritation, redness, dryness, and even blurred vision, Dr. Richardson says. You can develop an eye infection, such as conjunctivitis, from bacteria, viruses, sewage, or leftover pollution floating in water.
No matter how clean and clear the water looks, the danger is very real and very present. All water sources, including tap water, contain an amoeba called Acanthamoeba, he says Diane Hilal-Campo, MDboard certified ophthalmologist in Oakland, NJ and founder of twenty/twenty beauty. Acanthamoeba can cause an eye infection called acanthamoeba keratitis, which is rare but can lead to permanent vision damage or blindness.
Ocean water has the added feature of having a higher salt concentration compared to your tears, which means your eyes can feel stinging and irritated by it, says Dr. Richardson. There is also the risk of mild corneal abrasions from suspended debris such as sand.
What about the pools? If they are disinfected and cleaned regularly, does that mean you don’t have to worry about the possibility of infections? Not exactly. Although the microbial load may be lower in a pool treated with chlorine and, sometimes, bromine, the risk is not completely eliminated, according to Dr. Richardson. Not only that, but chlorine itself can be very irritating to your eyes and cause redness.
“You never know exactly how much chlorine is in a pool. It could be overchlorinated or underchlorinated,” says Dr. Hilal-Campo. “Even if it’s at the ideal chlorination level, some people’s conjunctiva — the thin membrane that protects your eye — is still irritated and they have allergic reactions when they open their eyes.”
This can happen even if your skin doesn’t have an allergic reaction, so it’s best not to risk it. The allergic reaction is characterized by swollen eyelids, redness, burning, blurred vision and/or discharge – no fun at all!
Additionally, if people have peed in the pool, that can change the pH of the pool to be more acidic, which can “burn and really irritate your eyes,” says Dr. Hilal-Campo.
How to swim underwater with your eyes open safely
Both Dr. Richardson and Dr. Hilal-Campo stress the importance of wearing goggles whenever you plan to do an activity that involves opening your eyes underwater. It’s “the only way to comfortably and safely open your eyes underwater,” says Dr. Richardson. Eyewear has come a long way since the ’90s, with options incorporating UV protection or eye prescriptions, Dr. Hilal-Campo adds.
If you don’t plan on submerging your face underwater at all, it might be okay to go without goggles. But you should prevent water from splashing or rubbing into your eyes as strictly as you can, and make sure to rinse your eyes with the proper method afterward if water sneaks in, Dr. Richardson says. (More on that below!)
“There is no safe body of water where you can open your eyes underwater and not risk infection or irritation or redness.” —Danielle Richardson, OD
What to do if you *really* need to open your eyes without glasses
Dropped something to the bottom of the lake and you can feel it with your toes just not cut it? If really must look underwater without glasses, aim to do it in the shortest possible time. This is what Dr. Richardson advises her clients who are surfers or who participate in water sports.
If you’re ever in a situation where droplets may have gotten into your eyes, “the recommendation is to use a preservative-free artificial tear afterward to flush the eyes,” says Dr. Richardson. These tear drops can be bought without a prescription at an over-the-counter pharmacy. “You definitely want to make sure you’re using them to wash away anything that’s there, provide lubrication, and re-hydrate the eye.”
Dr. Hilal-Campo advises using preservative-free artificial tears once every hour, for about six hours. Any irritation, redness, blurring, or dryness from opening your eyes underwater tends to go away after using artificial tears, Dr. Richardson says. But if any irritation persists after using it for six hours, make an appointment to see an eye doctor. Tips differ if you were wearing contacts. In this case, see an eye doctor as soon as possible if you notice irritation, redness, cloudiness or discomfort.
What if you don’t have artificial tears on hand — can you just rinse your eyes with clean water? “All kinds of water, the kind you drink and the kind you swim in, can have bacteria in it, so you want to make sure you’re using something that’s made and designed specifically for the eyes so you can eliminate that risk of bacterial contamination.” , says Dr. Richardson.
What to consider if you wear contacts
Contact lens wearers are at higher risk of infections, according to Dr. Hilal-Campo. “The contact lenses themselves will change the ocular surface, and wearing them every day makes your eyes a little more susceptible to infection. Additionally, contact lenses can become impregnated with any bacteria or chlorine in the water, or they can float out of your eye,” he says.
If you plan to do a water-based activity with contact lenses, make sure you wear daily disposable lenses so you can dispose of them immediately after exiting the water. You have to remove the lenses even if you diligently wore glasses on your eyes the whole time. And if you notice that your eye is red, irritated, or cloudy, talk to your eye doctor as soon as possible to make sure it’s not a vision-threatening infection, Dr. Richardson advises.
The essence
No body of water is safe enough to open your eyes with confidence, no matter how clear it looks. Even water sources that are disinfected pose a risk to your vision and eye health from the use of chemicals. It’s time to dust off the glasses you bought years ago, fulfill those intentions of using them, and start snapping, locking, then swimming.
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