FAQ 10: Showering, swimming etc
Is it safe to shower/bathe/swim/scuba dive/snorkel/water ski/jet ski, etc. while wearing my scleral lenses? What should I do if I accidentally get water in my eyes from rain/snow/water splashes while in the kitchen, etc?
Scleral lenses and any other type of contact lenses should not come into contact with water, whether it is from your tap, bottled water, distilled water, backyard pool, hot tub, the ocean, a mountain stream, river, lake, etc. The American Optometric Association, American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Scleral Lens Education Society, FDA, CDC and the EPA all have warnings about exposing any type of contacts to water. We still have a small amount of tear exchange while wearing scleral lenses. Pathogens exist in water, including chlorinated water, necessitating safety precautions to avoid infections.
The American Optometric Association: “Never use tap water to rinse your lenses as it has been shown to significantly increase the risk of severe ocular infections.”
The American Academy of Ophthalmology: “Do not rinse or store contacts in water (tap or sterile water).”
The Scleral Lens Education Society: “Even tap water can harbor pathogens including Acanthamoeba, the dangerous amoeba that can cause painful, vision threatening eye infections. It is recommended to rinse lenses with sterile saline.”
The FDA: “Do not expose your contact lenses to any water: tap, bottled, distilled, lake or ocean water. Never use non-sterile water (distilled water, tap water or any homemade saline solution). Tap and distilled water have been associated with Acanthamoeba keratitis, a corneal infection that is resistant to treatment and cure.”
The CDC: “Water and contact lenses don’t mix…. Keep all contact lenses away from water…. Throw away or disinfect contact lenses that touch water….”
The EPA: “Don’t use tap water, homemade solutions, and other non-sterile solutions to disinfect and store contacts.”
There have been numerous posts on this topic and if you do a search of this group for acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), you will find many posts. Whether or not you can safely participate in any type of water sports while wearing lenses needs to be discussed with your own eye care practitioners and the decision must be based on each person’s level of risk.
Water from rain and falling snow are not recognized as being problematic but for those who have concerns, use an umbrella or wear a hat or visor to avoid getting rain/snow getting into your eyes. Inadvertent water splashes in the eyes from other water sources while in the kitchen or while doing other tasks is a topic to discuss with your own doctor regarding your level of risks.
If in doubt, remove and clean your lenses.