Summary: Contact lenses aren’t designed with the same specifications as goggles. Wearing them while swimming can result in an infection.
One of the biggest dangers of wearing contact lenses is not knowing when to take them off. In some cases, contact users will wear their lenses while swimming thinking that their eyes will naturally fend off the chlorine and other particles in the pool. Understandably so, this logic is false. You are risking a serious infection and could potentially damage your eyes.
Bacteria
Not only are swimming pools filled with large amounts of chlorine, but they’re also infested with bacteria and germs. Whenever you’re about to go swimming, always remember to take off your contact lenses at all times. The same thing applies to taking a shower, make sure your lenses stay away from water unless it’s a solution.
The Risks Involved
When you are exposed to the different types of minerals and chlorine within a swimming pool, your contact lenses will naturally lose their effectiveness and start to dry up much faster than you are accustomed to. If you are using dailies from Lens.com for example, you can easily toss them after use. However, your standard contact lenses that are designed for weeks will not be the same once you put them on. This is because the only liquid that they should be exposed to is a contact solution that your eye doctor recommends.
Also, be sure not to try and clean your contact lenses with sink water. Although it may seem clean, it’s still teeming with bacteria and minerals that are not meant for your contact lenses. This could pose a serious threat to your eyes and could even damage them in the process. Moreover, you’ll be spending additional money on another online order of contact lenses.