Ill-effects of Chlorine on Eyes
Have you ever been to the pool for a day and realized that your vision after that was a bit blurred? After swimming you might have looked in the mirror, you realized that your eyes were red. Chlorine is a common chemical in water purification and sanitation for pools, but it also may have less than desirable impacts on your eyes despite its advantages. If you want to enjoy the pool as warmer days come, take this into account and keep your eyes protected from the effects of chlorine.
Chlorine Harms Eyes
Our eyes are typically shielded by a defensive shield or film that coat the cornea against outside organisms and irritants. However, this film can be removed when subjected to chlorine, which leaves the eyes sensitive not only to the chemical itself but also to pollutants still present in the chlorinated waters. For severe eye problems caused by chlorine water, visit your eye doctor in OKC. Chlorine exposure common eye circumstances include:
An eye problem often caused by chlorinated water is red, irritated eyes. When your cornea is dehydrated due to chlorine exposure, the irritation often comes with blurriness, which may lead to temporary distortion of your vision. While the symptoms generally vanish in a couple of minutes, the recovery time increases gradually. The use of lubricating eye drops can contribute to alleviating symptoms by restoring your protective eye tear protection.
Before you jump into the pool, remove the lenses if you wear contact lens. Patients with contact lens are likely to develop an eye infection, called acanthamoebic keratitis, which develops when an amoeba is trapped in the room under the lens and starts to live there. This infection can cause continuous visual impairment or cause corneal ulcers. If you go for a swim take care to remove the lenses, refrain from sleeping in them after you have a swim and rinse them with the lens solution as your OKC eye doctor recommends.
Eye Protection from Chlorine
Swimming pools are sanitized by chlorine, and the benefits that eliminate the spread and disease of transmitted water bacteria are much greater than the risk, and so it is a chemical that you will find repeatedly. However, take some safety precautions to swim and also to keep your eyes safe instead of avoiding the pool completely.
When swimming in a chlorinated pool, wear waterproof goggles. Not only can you see obviously, but the risk of eye irritation and infection is dramatically reduced.
Do not use contact lenses in the pool. Between the eyes and the lens, bacteria can get caught and cause severe problems. If you need to wear them, clean them after leaving the pool with a solution.
Use lubricating eye drops to assist restore the tears on on your eye when experiencing symptoms of chlorine irritation.
Call your eye doctor in OKC for all related eye problems at Korber Eyecare and Surgery Center.
**Disclaimer: The above post should not substitute medical advice nor does it create a patient-doctor relationship.