Conjunctivitis can you go swimming

Follow these tips to keep your eyes healthy when wearing contact lenses. There is no vaccine that prevents all types of conjunctivitis. However, there are vaccines to protect against some viral and bacterial diseases that are associated with conjunctivitis:.

Conjunctivitis caused by allergens or irritants is not contagious unless a secondary viral or bacterial infection develops. Top of Page. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Conjunctivitis Pink Eye. Section Navigation.

Wear a pair of swim goggles every time you swim. Goggles keep pool chemicals out of your eyes, helping to keep your tear film healthy. Splash your closed eyes with fresh water immediately after swimming. This washes chlorine and other chemicals off your eyelids and eyelashes. Chlorine itself can cause a reaction, leaving the surface and edges of your eyes red, itchy, watery and uncomfortable.

And bacteria that survive the chlorine can lead to an eye infection, such as pink eye conjunctivitis. Accidental Scratches and Bruises.

According to Prevent Blindness America, hospitals treat 40, sports-related eye injuries per year. Beware of swimming with contact lenses! Bacteria can grow on the lenses even after just one swim. Because contact lenses sit in the eyes for an extended period of time, your eyes are continuously exposed to chemicals, bacteria, fungi or parasites.

That can lead to a painful infection, corneal damage, and even loss of vision. Pool water generally has a pH between 7. Your eyes could become irritated from over-exposure to chlorine if the pH is lower than 7.

Swimming with your eyes open in a properly chlorinated pool may cause irritation but no permanent damage. Home Remedies. Although the salt in saltwater pools is not as harsh an irritant as chlorine, it can still cause red eyes and other general discomfort. Aside from chlorine and saltwater pools, going for a dip in a nearby lake can also be dangerous for your eyes, especially if you have pink eye.

When an eye is already infected, it may be more susceptible to additional infections from bacteria and other pathogens found in lakes. While goggles are recommended to keep water and chlorine from entering eyes in general, they may not be able to prevent an infection from spreading to others or from becoming more infected. Other eye protection, such as sunglasses, likely will not be enough to prevent an infection from spreading. If you swim with pink eye, you risk a longer-lasting infection, further discomfort and the possibility of spreading your infection to other swimmers.

Simple precautions are not enough to keep a lid on pink eye when it comes to swimming.