Contact Lenses & LASIK for Swimming in Houston

    GALVESTON, TX, March 04, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- "With swimming, hot tubs and water sports being as popular as they are around Houston it is no wonder patients ask whether they wear their contact lenses to swim all the time," relayed Dr. Da-Thuy Van, Ophthalmologist, Cataract & LASIK Surgeon at The Eye Clinic of Texas. "Generally, contacts really shouldn't be worn for swimming-in pools, lakes or even the ocean for that matter," commented Galveston & Houston Ophthalmologist, Cataract & LASIK Surgeon Bernard Milstein, M.D. "Taking showers with contacts, wearing them in bath tubs or especially in hot tubs can pose safety risks to patients," said Dr. Milstein.

Patients should be aware that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that contact lenses not be exposed to any form of water. Although rare, a sight-threatening eye complication, Acanthamoeba Keratitis, is caused by an organism present in all forms of impure water (i.e., swimming pools, tap water, saunas, wells, and showers). To have a safe and low risk contact lens wearing experience, patient should consider the following guidelines:
- Insert your contact lenses after showering.
- If lenses are being worn while showering, it is recommended that you keep your eyes firmly closed.
- If you accidently wear your contact lenses while in the bathtub or hot tub, care should be taken to avoid water being splashed into the eyes.
- If your eyes are exposed to water, instill a lubricating drop to help loosen the lens on the eye, remove the lens with clean, dry hands, then clean and disinfect the lens, or discard it.
- Never sleep in a lens that has been exposed to water without first cleaning and disinfecting it.
- If lenses were removed prior to getting in a hot tub, they must be properly cleaned and disinfected before being re-inserted.

"All things considered, contact lenses are very safe when you follow proper care guidelines and instructions. For patients where exposure to water is going to be a problem, you do need to keep your lenses out. Many more patients-even very successful contact lens wearers-finds this to be a hassle and often ask us about LASIK as an alternative to contacts," said Dr. Van.

The Eye Clinic of Texas is a leading eye care practice serving the greater Houston, Galveston, League City and Texas City area that provides all aspects of general, medical, surgical, laser and optical eye care services. Our Board Certified Ophthalmologists perform Laser Eye Surgery such as LASIK, Cataract Surgery & Lens Implants using advanced technology IOLs to correct complex problems such as astigmatism and near vision focusing problems including presbyopia, diagnosis and management of glaucoma, diagnosis and management of diabetic retinopathy, diagnosis and management of Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Pediatric Ophthalmology. Texas EyeWear at The Eye Clinic of Texas provides personalized consultation and fitting of eyeglasses and eyeglass lenses for greater Houston, Galveston, League City and Texas City area patients.

SOURCE: Medical Management Services Group, L.L.C.

For additional information, contact:
Amy Trittel, The Eye Clinic of Texas, 2302 Avenue P, Galveston, Texas 77550, [email protected], 1-800-423-3937.

To learn more about The Eye Clinic of Texas you may visit http://www.ecot.com or http://www.facebook.com/ecot.lasik.

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