For a lot of us, summertime means many trips to the pool, but once we dive in, we should take a peek at what we should be doing to protect our eyes while we are cooling off underwater. In the end, you want to enjoy and not come out of the pool with an injury or an eye disorder.
Invest In A Good Pair Of Goggles
Maybe you have felt a burning, stinging sensation once you opened your eyes submerged in a swimming pool? That sting isn’t in the chlorine itself, but a chemical called chloramine.
FYI: Chloramine forms when the chlorine in the swimming responds or reacts with grime, urine, and other types of oil present in the swimming pool.
That might sound pretty gross, however, the chlorine is the thing that kills harmful germs and leaves it safe to swim. Chloramine only induces a mild temporary irritation for most people’s eyes, but you can stay away from the sting (and shield yourself from eye injuries) by wearing goggles.
Make sure to pick goggles which fit well so that they can form a fantastic seal over your eyes. It is possible to also get prescription goggles so that you may enjoy those underwater sights if you wear eyeglasses or contacts!
Try to Skip The Contact Lenses When You’re Swimming
Why buy prescription goggles when you could simply wear non-toxic goggles on your own contact lenses? This may seem like a logical solution, but it includes dangers. There are a lot of microorganisms that enjoy swimming as much as we do. Chlorine kills many of these but not all, and we don’t need those little critters anywhere close to our eyes.
There isn’t much to be worried about if we are swimming with no contact lenses, but when we do use them, they could act as Petri dishes, trapping germs like acanthamoeba from our corneas and providing them the perfect warm, wet space to multiply. These germs can cause harmful infections and even permanent blindness, and they reside in the cleanest bodies of freshwater.
Another danger with contact lenses is they simply are not designed for underwater wear. They may fall out and get lost, and soft contact lenses may shrink when exposed to water, which makes the cornea tightened, causing irritation. When you go to the pool, you’re better off making your contact lenses at home and trading away between goggles and eyeglasses.
If you love swimming, then you must keep a few tips in your mind:
Utilize Gel Tears: Got dry eye? Help safeguard your picture by placing in synthetic tears–known as gel rips. Check with your ophthalmologist drops.
Stay Hydrated: Do not forget to drink lots of water. Staying hydrated is a significant part of maintaining your eyes moist and moist.
Use Eye Drops: Use over-the-counter lubricating eye drops prior to and after swimming to maintain the tear film eyes and balanced comfy.
Keep those eyes secure and enjoy your summer swimming!