It's official—summer has arrived. This past week, a large region of the United States was engulfed by a stubborn heat wave that just won’t seem to quit. The Western part of the country has been especially hard hit as the region suffered through triple-digit temperatures as high as 115 degrees in Las Vegas. Weather forecasters are predicting that the heat wave is headed for the Midwest and the Northeast early next week. As people head to pools, lakes and beaches to escape the scorching temperatures, the heat is not the only danger out there.

According to the New England College of Optometry (NECO), swimming can expose your eyes to various potential hazards, including the following:

Chlorine Irritation
Pool chemicals can cause redness, burning and temporary blurred vision.

Bacterial Conjunctivitis
Also known as “pink eye,” this infection thrives in warm, moist environments.

Acanthamoeba Keratitis
A rare but serious infection caused by an amoeba found in water, particularly in contact lens wearers.

UV Damage
Reflections from water surfaces can intensify harmful UV rays. (See sidebar below)

 
 
Many patients underestimate the impact of water activities on their eye health. NECO stresses that swimmers should use goggles and have a proper post-swim eyecare routine. For contact lens wearers, NECO recommends daily disposables if you must wear lenses while swimming, though it’s best to avoid wearing them altogether.

NECO is encouraging ECPs to educate their patients with these 8 tips for protecting their eyes while swimming:

  1. Wear Goggles
    Quality, well-fitting goggles create a protective barrier between your eyes and the water. If you have dry eye, help protect your tear film by putting in thicker artificial tears—called gel tears—before putting on your goggles.

  2. Remove Contact Lenses
    Swimming with contacts increases infection risk. If necessary, use prescription goggles instead.

  3. Rinse Your Eyes
    After swimming, use clean water to flush out any irritants or chemicals. Splash your closed eyes with fresh water immediately after swimming. This washes chlorine and other chemicals off your eyelids and eyelashes.

  4. Use Artificial Tears
    Lubricating drops can help soothe and hydrate eyes after exposure to water or chemicals. Check with your eye doctor to see about prescription eye drops as well.

  5. Wear Sunglasses
    When out of the water, protect your eyes from UV rays with sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB radiation.

  6. Avoid Rubbing Your Eyes
    This can introduce bacteria and irritants. If your eyes itch, use a clean, damp cloth to gently dab them.

  7. Be Cautious in Natural Bodies of Water
    Lakes and ponds may contain harmful microorganisms. Consider wearing goggles in these environments too.

  8. Regular Check-ups
    Visit your optometrist annually, or more frequently, if you experience persistent eye issues after swimming.



The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) advises swimmers that wearing contact lenses in any type of water—including a pool, hot tub, ocean or lake—puts people at high risk for a corneal infection. Bacteria can grow on the lenses even after just one swim. Because contact lenses sit in the eyes for an extended period of time, the eyes are continuously exposed to chemicals, bacteria, fungi or parasites. That can lead to a painful infection, corneal damage and even loss of vision.

When swimming, skip the contacts altogether, according to the AAO. People can get prescription swimming goggles to help keep their vision clear and eyes healthy in the pool. Patients should talk with their eyecare provider for more information about the different kinds of swim goggles available.

If swimmers are wearing contact lenses in the water, the American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends disposing of them immediately if they are exposed to water.

If patients have any of these eye infection symptoms, they should see an eye doctor right away.

  • Redness
  • Pain
  • Tearing
  • Being very sensitive to light
  • Blurry vision
  • Sensation of having something in your eye
  • Discharge from your eye
  • Eye swelling

   
  Protecting Your Eyes From Harmful UV Rays


While everyone is busy trying to beat the heat at the beach or the pool, it never hurts to remind your patients that exposure to the intense summer sun is at an all-time high this summer. A few eye doctors weighed in on how patients can protect their eyes from harmful UV rays during the summer months. These comments originally appeared on the AOA website in a story titled, The Heat Is On: Ensure Patients’ Protective Eyewear Is, Too. Here is an excerpt from the feature.

Joshua Watt, OD, past chair of the AOA Sports and Performance Vision Committee, said, “A good pair of sunglasses can really help with dry eyes, especially when doing any physical activity outside. The wrapping and coverage of a good pair of sunglasses can really make a significant difference.

“Sunglasses are an especially important aspect to lifelong ocular care, regardless of the patient’s refractive status,” Dr. Watt added. “Protective eyewear is essential when needed and is based on patients’ hobbies, activities and work environment. Most patients do not see it that way and do not understand the importance that the proper eyewear can have on their life, and so it is the doctor’s and associated office team members’ job to help educate the patient on the best recommendations for them given their circumstances and activity levels.”

During the summer months, UV exposure is more intense so wearing protective sunglasses is very important, said Fraser Horn, OD, dean of Pacific University College of Optometry in Oregon. For years, Dr. Horn has worked with student athletes and other amateur athletes.

“The impact of UV on our skin is evident with the possibility of a sunburn, and the same can happen to our eyes,” Dr. Horn said. “A short-term effect can be a type of ‘sunburn’ called a keratitis (inflammation of the cornea), which is essentially where the front of the eye is exposed to too much UV, and it is temporarily damaged.

“This is painful and something that can be avoided. Long-term UV exposure can have an impact with cataract formation and possibly age-related macular degeneration. Combined with wind, this can also cause the formation of pinguecula (analogous to a callous on the mucus membrane that lays on top of the white part of the eye),” Dr. Horn said.

 
Karl Citek, OD, Ph.D., is chair of the AOA Commission on Ophthalmic Standards. Dr. Citek represents the AOA on the Z80 Accredited Standards Committee for Ophthalmic Optics. The committee develops and maintains voluntary American national standards for ophthalmic optics. He also teaches at Pacific University College of Optometry in Oregon.

Here, Dr. Citek offers some important tips to patients to consider when selecting sunglasses:

  • Lens should have 100 percent UV protection.

  • The frames should be contoured, comfortable to wear and fit close to the face and head—not too large and not too small.

  • Alternately, if the front of the sunglass frames is flat and not contoured, the temple arms should be wide enough to help prevent harmful UV rays from getting to the eyes through the sides of the sunglasses.

  • The density of tint should be dark enough to allow the wearer to see comfortably in given lighting conditions.

  • The tint color should not interfere with color vision, especially if wearers will use the sunglasses when driving or participating in other activities for which proper color perception is important.

  • The tint should be polarized to help reduce glare from horizontal surfaces when driving, cycling and during water activities (fishing, boating, etc.).

  • Most importantly, be a discerning buyer. Purchase sunglasses from reputable vendors—premium-brand sunglasses at "bargain prices" may be counterfeit and may not provide the required UV protection. But legitimate low-priced sunglasses can provide the same UV protection as higher-priced models.
“Nonprescription, over-the-counter sunglasses are perfect if a patient wears contact lenses,” Dr. Citek said. “For patients who cannot, or choose not to wear contact lenses, virtually any prescription, including progressive addition lenses, can be made with a sunglass-level tint. But they should choose a frame large enough to fully cover the orbit of the eye, extending to the brow and cheek. For some prescriptions, it may even be possible to provide the correction in a highly curved lens that can fit into a contoured frame,” he concluded.