Swimming in CLs

Optician reports on new advice for contact lens wearers who swim

Any contact lens wearer who is even moderately ametropic will be aware of the problems posed by a visit to the swimming pool or beach.
Keep the lenses in and losing them is a constant worry. Take the lenses out and cleaning and storage in often unhygienic surroundings is a major concern. Add in a couple of children to watch over and the problem soon becomes a nightmare.

Recent research into swimming and eye infections shows that practitioners should consider this issue. Contact lens wearers are often advised simply not to wear their lenses while swimming or only to swim if goggles are also worn. Yet studies have shown that they may need more detailed advice, including instructions on lens care, if infection is to be avoided.

The Australian and New Zealand Microbial Keratitis Study looked at the rate and risks of microbial keratitis (MK), collecting information from 30,000 households and all optometrists and ophthalmologists in the two countries. The study found that inappropriate handling of lenses while swimming was among the factors associated with an increased risk of infection.

The Australian experience also shows that this is not a problem confined to traditional hydrogels or to extended wear. One of the study's authors, Associate Professor Fiona Stapleton of the Vision Co-operative Research Centre in Sydney, explains that the first case series of infections among silicone hydrogel (SiH) lens wearers in Australia reported swimming in three of the four cases, which included daily and extended wear users.

These cases prompted the research group to include detailed questions on swimming habits in their epidemiological studies - not only how often contact lens wearers swam, but where they swam and how they looked after their lenses both during and after swimming.


CARE CAMPAIGN

Based on the findings of these studies, Vision CRC launched a 'Take Care with Contacts' campaign on safe contact lens use and developed a more detailed patient information card on swimming and contact lenses that was distributed to patients and also made available on the web.
The card warns contact lens wearers that there have been a number of recent reports of wearers having eye infections after swimming, and advises: