Can You Shower, Swim or Use a Hot Tub With Contact Lenses?

No. The American Academy of Ophthalmology, the CDC and the FDA all say to take your contact lenses out before a shower, a swim or a hot tub. Tap, pool, lake and ocean water can carry germs, including an ameba called Acanthamoeba that causes a rare but serious infection of the cornea.

Can you shower with contact lenses in?

No, take them out first. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) says not to shower, swim, use a hot tub or do anything where water gets in your eyes while wearing contacts. The CDC, the US public health agency, says the same: keep contact lenses away from all water, and remove them before swimming or showering.

The everyday routine is simple: lenses go in after the shower, with clean, dry hands, and come out before a bath.

Can you swim with contact lenses?

No. The FDA, which regulates contact lenses in the United States, says to remove your lenses before swimming, and notes there is a risk of eye infection from bacteria in swimming pool water, hot tubs, lakes and the ocean. Its list of things to avoid with contacts includes swimming in them.

To see well at the pool without contacts, ask your optometrist which options suit your vision.

What about hot tubs?

Same answer: take the lenses out first. The AAO and the CDC name hot tubs alongside showering and swimming, and the FDA lists hot tubs among the risky waters. The CDC notes that Acanthamoeba is also found in swimming pools, hot tubs and drinking water systems.

At the cottage or a hotel, take your lenses out before you get in and store them in their case, in fresh solution.

Why don't water and contacts mix?

Because water can carry germs to the cornea. According to the CDC, Acanthamoeba is an ameba that lives in water, soil and dust. Acanthamoeba keratitis, an infection of the cornea, is rare, but it is most common in people who wear contact lenses and, left untreated, can cause severe pain and permanent vision loss.

The CDC says wearing contact lenses while swimming, using a hot tub or showering may increase the risk of the ameba entering the eye. The FDA adds that tap and distilled water have been associated with this infection, which is hard to treat. It is treated with prescription medication, which is why a quick visit matters.

Can you rinse your lenses or case with tap water?

No. The FDA says not to expose your lenses to any water: tap, bottled, distilled, lake or ocean water. Health Canada says never to clean contact lenses with tap water or saliva.

Only solution touches your lenses. The CDC says to rub and rinse them with disinfecting solution, never to mix fresh and old solution, and to clean the case with solution. The AAO adds to let the empty case air-dry, open. Our article on contact lens care covers each step.

What should you bring to the pool, the beach or on a trip?

Your glasses, your lens case, solution and spare lenses. Those are the supplies the CDC suggests packing when you travel, along with up-to-date glasses in case you have to take your lenses out.

The CDC also reminds travellers to remove their lenses before sleeping, showering or swimming. If you tend to doze off at the cottage after a swim, our article Can you sleep in your contact lenses? explains why nights matter too.

Which signs mean you should call an eye care professional?

An irritated, red eye, pain that gets worse even after you take the lenses out, light sensitivity, sudden blurry vision, unusually watery eyes or discharge. Those are the signs of microbial keratitis listed by the CDC, which says to remove your lenses and call your eye doctor immediately.

The CDC also says not to wear your lenses again until your eye doctor tells you to. Our urgent eye care page explains what to do first.

Where can you get contact lenses fitted in Montréal?

At PrimeVision, 9520 Boulevard de l'Acadie, Suite 222, in Montréal (Ahuntsic), optometrists and a licensed optician work under one roof. The clinic fits silicone hydrogel soft contact lenses and has more than 4,000 frames in store, so you can have up-to-date glasses for pool or cottage days. RAMQ covers eye exams for children under 18 and adults 65+.

Our page on contact lenses in Montréal covers fittings and trial lenses. To choose between the two, read Glasses or contact lenses: which should you choose? And for an up-to-date prescription, book an eye exam.

Sources

• How to Take Care of Contact Lenses, American Academy of Ophthalmology.
• Preventing Eye Infections When Wearing Contacts, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• What Causes Contact Lens-related Eye Infections, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Acanthamoeba Keratitis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• About Acanthamoeba Infections, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Contact Lens Risks, U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
• Everyday Eye Care, U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
• Contact lenses, Health Canada.