A summer of swimming in the pool? To protect the eyes, contact lenses are forbidden when diving and it is better, even for non-lens wearers, not to go underwater with your eyes open, because they can get irritated due to the chlorine. These are the recommendations that come from ophthalmologists, who recommend goggles for the swimming pool, which also exist with graduated ones.“ Chlorine – notes the doctor Muriel Schornack, della Mayo Clinic – it is a rather powerful disinfectant and can cause damage to the cells of the outer layer that protect the cornea”. Occasionally opening your eyes underwater may not cause any problems, but doing so on an extended basis can cause harm.
“The eye – notes Schornack – becomes red, irritated. One can become photophobic or sensitive to light. The vision could be slightly blurred and the eyes will feel irritated or even could cause pain”. “The swimming pool – adds the professor Teresio Avitabile, president of Siso– it’s a far from clean place. The water may even appear clear, but it isn’t really clean, even in proportion to the number of people who immerse themselves in it. Chlorine is a disinfectant, but it is also a chemical irritant to the eyes. Which can create irritation of the conjunctiva and also of the cornea.
However, the most important thing is that swimming in the pool with contact lenses is absolutely forbidden, as many do. In fact, a protozoan can nest in fresh water which can cause devastating effects on the eye. Is called Acanthamoeba and the pool is its habitat: if a contact lens wearer swims in a pool and the lenses have created a small abrasion on the epithelium of the cornea, the most superficial layer, this opens the door to the entry of this protozoan which, with its structure and chemicals can enter the deep layers of the cornea and once lodged it is very difficult to eradicate”.
In some patients, corneal transplantation has been achieved or, in extreme cases, the loss of the eye permanently. “Acanthamoeba infection, of which about 800 cases a year are estimated in Italy – underlines Professor Vincenzo Sarnicola, member of the Siso board of directors – it is a difficult infection and no drugs, there are only galenic ones. Next spring we will probably have the first, from an Italian company. The earlier the therapy is started, the better the effects. But the problem is that the clinical picture, which can be mistaken for that of conjunctivitis, is not well known by the majority of emergency departments. For this reason it is useful to promptly consult an ophthalmologist in case of persistent problems, specifying that you have taken a dip in the pool with contact lenses”.
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