Question for long time contact lens wearers

[TellerTuesday]

I've been pondering this for a few weeks but really interested on hearing from others.

I have worn contact lenses for around 20 years. Started with monthly ones and have had daily disposables for the last 10 years plus.

DD has just started using them. When she was having the 'training sessions' etc she was told how important it is not to swim in them, to take them out before washing her face etc, I have honestly never been told this.

When I first started wearing them, I am convinced that they were marketed as more convenient than glasses because you could swim in them and so on, even seem to remember an advert on the tv for lenses with a swimmer.

I've had yearly contact lens checks at the opticians and nobody has ever told me that I shouldn't be getting my face wet with them in. The lady in specsavers looked aghast when I said this. I put mine in on a morning and keep them in until late evening, swim with them in (although I don't actually go underwater) but now I'm worried I need to stop and it would take some major adjusting to.

Just wondered if any other long time wearers had totally missed this, did the guidance change at some point and I just wasn't aware? A quick google strongly advises against getting the face wet when wearing them but it's something I'd never thought about as I'd been doing it for years.

Contact lens wearer for 30+ years. I usually wear monthlies. I've bought daily disposables so I can bin them after swimming, snorkeling, etc. on holiday. Just not worth the risk. I saw a documentary about 10 years ago that the tap water in London has a higher concentration of the parasite due to the number of times it gets recycled so it's not just swimming that's potentially an issue.

My mum has been wearing contacts since the 70s (the type you take out, wash them in a solution and put them back in the next morning).

She never swims in hers (she goes swimming every week), and takes them out before washing her face.

I've worn them for about 20 years and I can't remember if I was told at the start, but I've since heard (probably when taking DC to opticians) not to swim or shower wearing them.
I very very rarely go swimming but I wear them because otherwise I'd feel too blind. But I wear them for showers all the time!

I’ve worn them for 30 years and was told not to swim in them because the bacteria in pools can cause eye infections if they att h to the lenses. However I also can’t wear them in the water because they don’t work - how does anyone manage this??

I’ve only been told this in the last year or so, heard about it from MN before my optician ever mentioned it.
I do wear contacts when swimming with the kids as my vision is -6.5 so otherwise I wouldn’t be able to see them. I’ve bought dailies for this and wear goggles then dispose of the dailies straight afterwards.

I’m really bad at remembering to take them out before I shower though as I’ve had 30+ years of wearing them in the shower without knowing you shouldn’t 😳

Prescription lens goggles. Surprisingly cheap.

This is frightening! I've been wearing contacts for nearly 20 years and I've never heard of it. It does make sense though, swimming pools are grotty things and I used to get an ear infection after each pool visit as a kid. Good thing I rarely swim because I'm crap, thanks to the aforementioned ear infections.

The shower thing is going to be annoying though.

Anyone else have a sore eye after reading this?

Psychosomatic pain is real!

I just use daily disposables as a solution to this issue. Swim and then get a fresh pair.

When we started dd on contacts, I told them we wanted dailies.

I think it’s been a more recent thing as I have likewise worn them for nearly 40 years…however when you have done 40 yrs of showering, swimming in them , even rinsing them with water or spit when out and about and you get something on the lens, it does make you a little gung ho about the risks!!!

spit when out and about and you get something on the lens

@Myserenebird123 are you serious? You really do this?! 😳

Funnily enough, this came up on my Instagram yesterday! There was a woman having a corneal transplant after contracting this and going blind in one eye. She had been using contacts previously for over 20 years with no problems - until then this happened.

I've done this too! What option do you have if you rub it out, or get something in your eye and you have nothing else to hand, and you need to drive??

So my question is .... You swim or shower and get water in your eyes, you have taken your lenses out, when you put them back in, or put a new pair in ,doesn't that trap potential bacteria behind them in your eye juice? Whereas if you have them in, they are actually providing a barrier to your eyeballs. Just a random question!!

I’ve worn them for 20+ years. I’ve always known im not meant to get them wet. Either by swimming or showering in them but I always have. Can’t see without them!

yes i wish i was more organised and took eye drops out with me everywhere, is that what other people do as surely all people get stuff in their eyes at times....I'm not sure which would be considered worse by an optometrist, spit or water!

I told my optician that I swam with them. She wasn't very happy but said that if I put a fresh pair in after swimming, it should be fine. The danger is microorganisms getting trapped under the lens.

Hey @TellerTuesday not rtft so apols if I repeat.

I have also worn lenses for many years. A few years ago I woke in the night with agonising pain in my eye. Went to A&E where I was told it was an eye infection and at one stage they thought it was really serious (like, could blind me). Luckily it wasn't that (! never be happy when a specialist says "we had a meeting about you") and it healed OK.

So - at the time I wore monthly disps and I too used to swim in them (with goggles on) - all the medical staff told me I must never do this again. This was about 10 years ago btw. I switched to dailies which are the absolute BOMB I love them so much - and ofc I chuck any possible infection at the end of the day. I never swim in them. Or shower in them. Or wash my face with them in.

So to anyone on the thread who does swim in them - even with goggles - and even if you chuck them straight after - don't!

If you swim without goggles and they are monthlies so you are washing and reusing them - definitely don't!

Yes @Gazelda the eye infection is agony isn't it! I woke up and it just got worse till I had to beg DH to take me to A&E.

Really have no wish to repeat that. If I put a lens in now and it's a bit gunky or there seems to be anything on it al all I take it out and bin, wash hands and start again. I always always have spare lenses on me.

Wrt to swimming blind - my scrip is -3 so not too bad I guess. But I gather scrip goggles are amazing.

The rain!!??
I walk everywhere and run in the rain. Of course I'm going to get some rain on me when I run in them.
At this rate I'll cancel my contacts and just wear glasses for driving and be blind the rest of the time. It'll save me £30 a month.

Been wearing them 40 years and this has been mentioned right from the start, mainly with reference to cleaning them without water but also swimming mentioned. Although the ones I have now are licensed for sleeping in so that would mean showering in them, I do shower in them very occasionally but always keep the water off my face and just use a flannel.

Been wearing gas permeable ( hard) lenses for 40 years. I remember when soft ones became more popular and bring gold you shouldn't swim or shower.

Realistically can get away with much more in GP's. They are also so much cheaper, last longer and obviously none of the daily/ monthly packaging.

For all of you who like swimming, prescription goggles start at less than £20.

For proper swimming I have prescription goges which aren't perfect as I am -12 in glasses and have only found goggles down to -10 but they are OK. Messing about with kids - wear glasses. Same for swimming in sea or lakes if just paddling about.

Shower just do without and hold bottles up to my nose to check which is shampoo or conditioner. Shaving legs would be done with glasses on but I rarely need to. I keep an old pair in the bathroom for wearing between bathroom and bedroom and around the house.

Rain and sweat - I try and wipe my forehead as much as possible to stop water getting in my eyes.

Taking a lens out whilst out and about. This used to happen sometimes due to grit and dust when I wore RGPs but since switching to soft monthlies it hardly ever does. However I keep full strength glasses, a contact lens case and a small (travel, about £3) bottle of solution in the car just in case. Once I've opened the bottle it comes into the house to be used up and I replace it in the car with a new one. This is handy if I want to go swimming on the spur of the moment too (i keep my swimming kit in the car boot anyway).

Oh and on one occasion when I got dust in an eye at a friend's house without my kit I used cooled boiled water.