Is it OK to swim while wearing contact lenses?

Pool water can cause discomfort due to chlorine. It is best to avoid swimming with your contact lenses on because it exposes your contacts to bacteria and other microorganisms in the water. These can adhere to your lenses and place you at risk of eye infections.

If you do swim with your lenses, you should wear goggles with a firm seal. If you don’t wear goggles, the contact lenses may float from your eyes. They may also absorb the pool water, one consequence of which may be that they adhere quite firmly to the eye. If this occurs, it is advisable to leave the lenses alone for 10-15 minutes until your natural tears have replaced the water in them, before trying to remove them. You should then disinfect them immediately afterwards.