With its incredible health benefits, swimming truly is a great activity to help stay in shape! However, did you know that in some cases, swimming can pose certain risks to your eyes? Here are some of these risks and how you can protect yourself against them. If you already trust your proficiency on the subject, test your knowledge with our swimming eye health quiz below. If your curiosity is piqued, continue reading this article to learn how you can protect your eyes the next time you go swimming. 

EYE INFECTIONS

When it comes to eye health, the most significant danger is the eye infection. This is oftentimes caused by bacteria contained in the water. Often appearing as Conjunctivitis, the possibility of an infection is increased in warm waters, such as in a spa, where bacteria can breed more easily. More serious eye infections, such as Acanthamoeba Keratitis, can actually lead to vision loss.

That being said, this type of infection is partly associated with wearing contact lenses. If you wear them, be sure to remove them before going swimming to reduce the risk of infection. For a more permanent fix, Cliniques Michel Pop offers solutions to get rid of your contact lenses such as All-Laser Lasik, PRK with HD Technology, Intraocular lenses allowing you to significantly reduce the risk of infection.

DRY EYES

When spending an extended period of time in the pool, your eyes can become very inflamed and dry. This can cause a lot of discomfort and make your eyes vulnerable to fluctuations in vision and burning sensations similar to  having grains of sand in the eyes.

To minimize the risk of dry eyes when swimming, we recommend that you rehydrate your eyes regularly with lubricating drops when you feel they are becoming dry. Want to learn more about the dangers of dry eyes and how to protect yourself from it? Read our article on the topic.

UV RAYS

The sun’s rays are another source of potential eye hazard. Indeed, this is because the sun’s UV rays are reflected in the pool water and can be even more harmful to your eyes even if you don’t get them wet. The effects of UV rays on your eyes should not be taken lightly: they pose one of the most dangerous risks to your eye health. For example, UV rays can cause keratitis (cornea inflammation) and can lead to premature cataracts. Furthermore, they facilitate inflammation and dry eyes as detailed above. 

All of these risks are increased in the water, so it is important not to think of the water as a protection against UV rays. To learn more about the impact of UV rays on the eyes and how to protect yourself against them by choosing the best sunglasses, we invite you to check out our guide on the matter.

TO LEARN MORE: 

To learn more about the eye conditions discussed in this article, check out our guides on dry eyes and UV rays. To take the plunge and reduce your risk of infections at the pool this summer by getting rid of your contact lenses, check out our articles on All-Laser Lasik, PRK with HD Technology, and Intraocular Lenses