Do you wear your contacts when you shower?

[LisaR]

Apparently you aren't suppose too. I never knew this and I have never had an eye doctor tell me otherwise. According to the article, you can get an amoeba infection that way. If my water is that bad, should I really be showering in it period?

Interesting article on how some people care (or don't care for their contacts). Cleaning them in beer?? Really?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/201...t-nobody-cleans-contacts-properly?sc=fb&cc=fp

 

[Uptown Girl]

Never. I had a friend that got an infection that way--HORRIBLE. She had to do these special eye drops every 30 minutes AROUND THE CLOCK for 2+ weeks. She no longer can wear contacts and almost lost her vision.

 

[kimmar067]

....wow, I've never heard of this and I've been wearing lenses for over 30 years! Guess it's a good thing I take BATHS.

 

[java]

Wow! I never knew that either- I always shower with them in- so I don't kill myself shaving my legs. Maybe I should not..... I remember something one eye doctor told me when I first got contacts that I shouldn't put them in as soon as I wake up. He said something along the lines of Give your eyes time to breathe.

 

[Crystal824]

I don't generally wear my contacts in the shower. I've never heard of this issue, but as part of my morning routine, I put my contacts in after my shower.

 

[sam_gordon]

I usually don't. My morning routine is to eat breakfast, shower, get dressed, put contacts in. HOWEVER, there have been times when I've had to skip my shower in the morning for some reason, put my contacts in, then when it was time to shower, left them in.

I also swim with my contacts in. I make sure I keep my eyes tightly closed if I go underwater.

 

[furb & dez]

Putting in my contacts is the first thing I do after I shower. Though I will shower with them if I'm shaving and don't want to hack my beard to shreds.

 

[dodukes]

i do usually but sometimes i take them out if im going to wash my hair...had no idea, ill start being better about it now.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

If I don't wear my contacts I would have to wear my glasses or I wouldn't be able to see anything...my vision is horrible so anything past a few inches is a total blur.

 

[wvjules]

I wear my contacts for days at at time. So, yes, I wear them in the shower.

 

[MrsDuck]

I usually don't unless I'm taking a mid-day shower (rare) and have to be somewhere later that would require me to see something

My contacts usually go in after the shower in the morning.

 

[mrodgers]

And showering or swimming with contacts is clearly a big no-no. That exposes eyes to Acanthamoeba, an organism that commonly lives in tap water and lakes. Some infections have involved contaminated contact lens solution, but other people have been infected by showering or swimming.

How exactly does wearing contacts expose your eyes to this, but not wearing contacts doesn't? I don't open my eyes under water when wearing contacts, nor do I ever open my eyes when I'm showering and the water will be near my eyes (don't like the feeling of soap or shampoo in my eye whether having contacts in or not.) Thus, I would have the same exposure whether or not I was wearing contacts as my eyes are shut.

 

[krcit]

I always shower with my lenses in. I can't see otherwise I have daily wear and put in a new pair every day.


I have the same question as Mr Rodgers. What's the difference between having lenses in or just opening your eyes? Does the lens trap the organisms under them?

 

[Zandy595]

I can't believe only 2% of people who wear contacts, take care of them properly (according to that link). I do everything I'm supposed to do to take care of them. Eyes are pretty important, I'm not going to do anything to mess them up.

I put mine in right after I get out of the shower. I've learned to shave my legs without being able to see them very well.

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

i agree..I have been wearing them for 26 years and always shower in them..I wear -8.5 so if I didn't wear them, I wouldn't be able to see anything.

I did just start taking them out every night because I was getting a scar around my cornea from never taking them out and letting my corneas breathe..just a word of warning to others

 

[Princess_Meghan <3]

I usually don't wear mine in the shower, but every once in a while I do. They always start to fall off because of all the steam, so it's just easier to take them out.

I never knew you could get an infection from it, though.

 

[Uptown Girl]

How exactly does wearing contacts expose your eyes to this, but not wearing contacts doesn't? I don't open my eyes under water when wearing contacts, nor do I ever open my eyes when I'm showering and the water will be near my eyes (don't like the feeling of soap or shampoo in my eye whether having contacts in or not.) Thus, I would have the same exposure whether or not I was wearing contacts as my eyes are shut.

Yes, you have the same exposure but blinking and tears wash your eyes, if this gets absorbed into a contact lens in the shower, the bacteria stays on the contact lens and thus your eye.

 

[kidshop]

The acanthamoeba is in our drinking water!? then we have bigger problems than going blind. that is the brain eating amoeba, so I'm thinking nose plugs are also in order if that is the case!!

Yes, I wear my contacts in the shower.

 

[Coconut36]

No I never did and it had nothing to do with amoebas (and I second the question as to how/why it is an issue only if you wear contacts in the shower but not if you don't??) but simply it wasn't comfortable to do so. Washing my face, shampoo possibly in the eye and all the steam. It was always mentioned by all my eye Drs that you should put them in after showering/bathing or after face washing because you lowered your risk of them falling out and of getting soap and stuff in the eye with the contacts in.

 

[krcit]

i agree..I have been wearing them for 26 years and always shower in them..I wear -8.5 so if I didn't wear them, I wouldn't be able to see anything.

I did just start taking them out every night because I was getting a scar around my cornea from never taking them out and letting my corneas breathe..just a word of warning to others

Oh my!! I feel like I can't see and I only have a 3.25 I used to wear mine all the time also until I was warned by my doctor also. Then I strted taking them out just to sleep and he said that wasn't any better because my eyes were always closed and not getting enough oxygen. Now I wear daily wear and I try to wait an hour or so in the morning before putting them in and then I take them out when I get home for the day.