Swimming whilst wearing contact lenses should always be avoided in order to prevent possible bacterial contamination of your eyes. Swimming with contacts can result in eye infections, irritation and potentially sight-threatening conditions such as a corneal ulcer.
Government bodies recommend that contact lenses should not in fact be exposed to any kind of water, including tap water and water in swimming pools, oceans, lakes, hot tubs and showers.
Water can be home to countless viruses and dangerous microbes. One of the most serious is the Acanthamoeba organism, which can attach to contact lenses and cause the cornea to become infected and inflamed. Acanthamoeba Keratitis is associated with wearing contact lenses while swimming and can cause permanent vision loss or even require a corneal transplant to recover lost vision if not treated early enough.
Wearing non-prescription swimming goggles or a diving mask whilst wearing contacts will of course allow you to see clearly both above the surface and underwater but if any water at all gets in your eyes you risk eye irritation and infection.
Rigid Gas Permeable (GP) contact lenses should never be worn in or around water as they are likely to dislodge from your eye. While soft contact lenses are more likely to remain on your eye when swimming, they are porous and can absorb chemicals and bacteria, increasing the risk of eye irritation and infection.
Fresh water and water in swimming pools can cause soft lenses to tighten on your eyes, causing significant discomfort and getting water in your eyes also rinses away the natural tears that lubricate your eyes and can worsen existing eye conditions such as chronic dry eyes.
AQUAVIZ Prescription watersports masks provide a safe option for whenever you are in or around water. Our prescription masks are custom-made to correct your vision using your regular eyeglass prescription, enabling you to see clearly in or around water without any of the risks associated with water and contacts.
Of course some brands of swim goggles come in ready-made prescription versions but these do have significant drawbacks. For example: they don't correct astigmatism; they come in only the most common spherical prescription powers; and both lenses generally have the same prescription, while most people's eyes do not.
Two other added benefits of wearing AQUAVIZ prescription masks are that they also provide UV protection to avoid sun damage to your eyes and can also prevent dry eyes if you’re spending long periods in hot or windy conditions at the ocean
