Swimming in 1-Day Acuvue

Wookiee74 · #1 (**permalink**) 06-03-2008, 04:53 PM

I hear that swimming in 1-Day Acuvue contact lenses is okay because you can just throw them away afterward. Does that mean you shouldn't swim in "non-daily" contacts?

Oigen · #2 (**permalink**) 06-27-2008, 06:18 AM

I would advise against swimming with contact lenses, no matter how they were. It's both dangerous and uncomfortable.

bubble · #3 (**permalink**) 07-01-2008, 02:18 PM

I have tried swimming in various lenses, and because of the chemicals in the pool, I found I got very sore, itchy eyes.

psimonk · #4 (**permalink**) 01-04-2009, 04:18 PM

Yeah, it is best to take the lenses out, the chlorine is really upsetting with lenses in. I've done it before, not with daily lenses, but with monthly, either way, it isn't pleasant.

Wookiee74 · #5 (**permalink**) 10-19-2009, 12:06 PM

Okay, well it sounds like swimming in 1-Day Acuvue contacts is not okay. Thanks for clearing that up for me and my friends on Lens 101.

EYEBIKE1 · #6 (**permalink**) 10-19-2009, 05:15 PM

The main danger of swimming or being in hot tubs with contacts is the possiblity of contracting acanthamoeba-- a amoeba infection of the eyes. It is difficult to treat and may require a corneal transplant. This amoeba is found in water everywhere around you. Samples of well water even have tested positive for it--which is why solution manufacturers recommend rinsing lens cases with contact lens solutions rather than tap water.

Eyeofthetiger · #7 (**permalink**) 10-21-2009, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EYEBIKE1

The main danger of swimming or being in hot tubs with contacts is the possiblity of contracting acanthamoeba-- a amoeba infection of the eyes. It is difficult to treat and may require a corneal transplant. This amoeba is found in water everywhere around you. Samples of well water even have tested positive for it--which is why solution manufacturers recommend rinsing lens cases with contact lens solutions rather than tap water.

Ah yes, good old acanthamoeba. I haven't heard about that for a while.

Keep your contact lenses clean, kid.

Wookiee74 · #8 (**permalink**) 12-02-2009, 03:36 PM

Well, hopefully that picture of the amoeba will help people to remember to throw their 1-Day Acuvue contacts away after--get this--1 day.

Knotlob · #9 (**permalink**) 12-02-2009, 04:39 PM

I used to swim several days/week for 40-60mins - usually in the evening and always wore my yearly contact lenses - but I did wear goggles, as I was sometimes submerged. Swimming pools, if clean and properly maintained, have high concentrations of chlorine or bromine compounds to control bacteria.

Hot tubs, or jacuzzis are we prefer to call them on this side of the pond, are not healthy, as the higher temperatures encourage the breeding of bacteria.

I don't like swimming in fresh water due to the risk of pollution and much prefer the open sea, provided it is clean.

I am aware of this dangerous and unpleasant bacteria acanthamoeba, but I had believed the risk was mainly from cleaning contact lenses in tap water and can lead to blindness within 24 hours. I never use tap water and always sterilise the lenses and lens case for several hours in hydrogen peroxide each night.

It is true that opticians usually recommend not swimming with contact lenses, but I was always told this was because of the risk of loosing the lenses in the water, rather than the bacteria. I used to scuba dive with contact lenses and also water skied (though I did loose a lens one day when I hit the water particularly hard!)

To minimise the risk of bacterial contamination, I would agree that Daily Contact lenses with goggles reduce the risks, or if you can see well enough without (not to have an accident at the poolside) and are prepared to go through the hassle of taking the lenses out, etc. swim without the contacts to be safer.

Unfortunately the acanthamoeba bacteria isn't the only dangerous bacteria in polluted waters and I have read in SCUBA magazines of a diver suffering death after bacteria entered his body via his nasal passage.

knotlob

Zana · #10 (**permalink**) 12-03-2009, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knotlob

I used to swim several days/week for 40-60mins - usually in the evening and always wore my yearly contact lenses - but I did wear goggles, as I was sometimes submerged. Swimming pools, if clean and properly maintained, have high concentrations of chlorine or bromine compounds to control bacteria.

Hot tubs, or jacuzzis are we prefer to call them on this side of the pond, are not healthy, as the higher temperatures encourage the breeding of bacteria.

I don't like swimming in fresh water due to the risk of pollution and much prefer the open sea, provided it is clean.

I am aware of this dangerous and unpleasant bacteria acanthamoeba, but I had believed the risk was mainly from cleaning contact lenses in tap water and can lead to blindness within 24 hours. I never use tap water and always sterilise the lenses and lens case for several hours in hydrogen peroxide each night.

It is true that opticians usually recommend not swimming with contact lenses, but I was always told this was because of the risk of loosing the lenses in the water, rather than the bacteria. I used to scuba dive with contact lenses and also water skied (though I did loose a lens one day when I hit the water particularly hard!)

To minimise the risk of bacterial contamination, I would agree that Daily Contact lenses with goggles reduce the risks, or if you can see well enough without (not to have an accident at the poolside) and are prepared to go through the hassle of taking the lenses out, etc. swim without the contacts to be safer.

Unfortunately the acanthamoeba bacteria isn't the only dangerous bacteria in polluted waters and I have read in SCUBA magazines of a diver suffering death after bacteria entered his body via his nasal passage.

knotlob

Wow. That was, as they say "interesting and informative." Thanks for taking the time to research this and post your message, knotlob.

A couple of questions. You say hot tubs/jacuzzis are breeding grounds for bacteria, but isn't the water too hot for that?

Thank you also for sharing you lens cleaning routine. I hope this post will lead others to be as careful as you are.

Take care.

Knotlob · #11 (**permalink**) 12-03-2009, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zana

Wow. That was, as they say "interesting and informative." Thanks for taking the time to research this and post your message, knotlob.

A couple of questions. You say hot tubs/jacuzzis are breeding grounds for bacteria, but isn't the water too hot for that?

Thank you also for sharing you lens cleaning routine. I hope this post will lead others to be as careful as you are.

Take care.

Hello Zana

I think a warm swimming pool is around 25 Deg C (77 Deg F). Not sure but a Hot Tub is probably at about 45-50 Deg C (113-122 Deg F) (tops) - I don't know what temperatures they normally run. In the Chemical Industry, if you can put your bare hand on a pipe and just hold it there for 10 seconds, then that pipe is at about 60 Deg C (140 Deg F).

Most bacteria tend to die at around 60 -70 Deg C (140-158 Deg F) (we will ignore these special ones which live in the steam jets at the bottom of the world's deepest ocean for now

So, at the temperatures us humans can bear in a Hot Tub, there is likely to be a healthy colony of bacteria, unless the Management of that facility religiously observe the water treatment recommendations and use appropriate dose rates of biocides and disinfectants.

knotlob