Does swimming harm the eyes? Swimming is a popular activity in the summer, but public swimming pools can be crowded and if the water quality is poor, bacteria, viruses, and chemical components that are not promptly cleaned can be harmful to the skin and eyes.
Does swimming harm the eyes?
When swimming, prolonged contact between the eyes and water can easily lead to invasion of bacteria, viruses, and irritants in the water, causing eye diseases such as conjunctivitis, swimmer's eye, and allergic reactions.
Swimmer's Eye
Swimming can cause conjunctivitis, mostly because patients with conjunctivitis bring the virus into the water and then invade the eyes through the water.
The initial symptoms of conjunctivitis are not obvious, only a slight foreign body sensation and a small amount of discharge. As the condition progresses, these symptoms gradually become significant, with an obvious foreign body sensation, inflammation, burning sensation, increased discharge, and redness of the eyes. In severe cases, it can cause entropion, eyelash, corneal ulcers, photophobia, tearing, increased irritation, and foreign body sensation, and even visual impairment.
Prevention and treatment measures: Do not swim in water with poor cleanliness; wash the eyes with clean water immediately after swimming, and then instill a small amount of chloramphenicol eye drops; if you have mild conjunctivitis, you can instill 0.5% chloramphenicol eye drops or apply erythromycin eye ointment; if the condition is severe, seek medical treatment promptly.
Swimmer's Conjunctivitis
Swimmer's conjunctivitis is a common acute infectious eye disease, mainly caused by invasion of follicular viruses into the eyes, and the main mode of transmission is when people with conjunctivitis and non-gonococcal urethritis enter the swimming pool and bring the virus into the water, which then invades the eyes of healthy individuals. Swimmer's conjunctivitis spreads quickly and fiercely, and can infect swimmers in the area within a few days.
The symptoms of swimmer's conjunctivitis mainly include redness, itching, aggravated conjunctival congestion, continuous water-like and mucous secretion, and obvious irritation symptoms. In the early stage, there is no visual impairment. Within a few days after the conjunctivitis subsides, punctate keratitis can occur, accompanied by photophobia, eye soreness, blurred vision, and other symptoms.
Prevention and treatment measures: When swimming in natural waters, choose clean areas and avoid swimming in polluted waters; when swimming in a pool, it is best to wear goggles and choose a swimming pool with sanitary facilities such as circulation filtration and dust disinfection and good water quality; rinse the eyes with clean water after each swim, and instill a small amount of chloramphenicol eye drops; if infected with eye diseases, immediately stop swimming, apply erythromycin eye ointment, and instill chloramphenicol eye drops.
Swimmer's Eye
Swimmer's eye is an allergic eye disease caused by long-term contact of the eyes with water and chemical substances such as chlorine, chlorine gas, and copper sulfate used in water purification.
Symptoms of swimmer's eye: When swimmers' eyes come into contact with water, they experience redness, itching, and discomfort. In severe cases, the eyes may also have a stinging pain. The symptoms usually disappear after about thirty minutes after swimming.
Should you keep your eyes open while swimming?
It is better not to.
When swimming with your eyes open, the increased contact between the eyes and water increases the chance of invasion by bacteria, viruses, and chemical substances, leading to eye diseases. Therefore, it is recommended that swimmers use swimming goggles to reduce and prevent the occurrence of eye diseases while swimming.
