Pool Water vs. Daily Disposables: How to Swim Safely in Encino This Summer

Why Pool Water and Contact Lenses Do Not Mix

Contact lenses are designed to interact with your tear film, not pool water. Water can contain microorganisms that may become trapped between a contact lens and the surface of the eye. According to the FDA, swimming while wearing contact lenses increases the risk of eye infection from bacteria and other microorganisms found in swimming pools, hot tubs, lakes, and oceans.

The CDC also recommends keeping all water away from contact lenses and removing them before swimming or showering.

For Encino contact lens wearers, that means taking your lenses out before jumping into the pool, even if you only plan to swim for a short time.

Are Daily Disposable Contacts Safer for Swimming?

Daily disposable contact lenses offer several conveniences. You start each day with a fresh pair and discard them after use, eliminating the need for nightly cleaning and storage. Woodley Optometry provides daily disposable lenses as part of our contact lens services in Encino.

However, daily disposables are not designed to make swimming in contact lenses safe. The recommendation remains the same, to remove them before entering the water.

If lenses are accidentally exposed to water, the FDA advises discarding affected lenses and replacing them with a fresh pair rather than continuing to wear them.

Your Summer Contact Lens Safety Checklist

Whether you are swimming at home, visiting a community pool, or heading somewhere outside Encino for the day, follow a few basic habits:

Remove contact lenses before entering a pool, hot tub, lake, or ocean

Never rinse contact lenses or their storage case with tap water

Wash and completely dry your hands before handling lenses

Bring glasses as a backup for before and after swimming

Put in a fresh pair of daily disposables only after you are finished swimming

Follow the replacement schedule recommended by your eye doctor

Remove your lenses and contact an eye doctor if you develop unusual pain, redness, discharge, or blurry vision

The CDC recommends carrying backup glasses and contact lens supplies while also following your prescribed replacement schedule.

What Should You Wear While Swimming?

For clearer vision in the pool, prescription swim goggles may be worth considering if you have difficulty seeing without your contacts. Standard swimming goggles can also help protect the eyes from pool water, although contact lenses should still be removed beforehand.

Once you are finished swimming, wash and thoroughly dry your hands before inserting a fresh pair of contacts. Avoid handling lenses with wet hands because water should not come into contact with the lenses.

Why a Contact Lens Exam Matters

Comfort and safety also depend on wearing lenses that fit your eyes properly. Woodley Optometry is a contact lens specialty practice offering daily disposables, monthly lenses, gas permeable lenses, multifocal contacts, scleral lenses, and customized fittings. During a contact lens exam, we can evaluate your prescription, eye health, lens fit, and lifestyle to determine which option is appropriate.

If your contacts become unusually dry or uncomfortable during the Encino summer, an exam can also help determine whether dry eye, allergies, lens fit, or another issue is contributing. Woodley Optometry provides dry eye evaluations for patients experiencing symptoms such as redness, blurry vision, pain, or difficulty wearing contact lenses.

If you want safer, more comfortable contact lens wear this summer, schedule a contact lens exam with Woodley Optometry at 16055 Ventura Blvd #690, Encino, CA 91436, or call or text (818) 862-4800 to find the right lenses and learn how to protect your eyes in and around the pool.