How To Keep Your Kid’s Eyes Safe At The Pool This Summer

While swimming pools are a great source of entertainment and exercise, it’s crucial to be mindful of the potential risks involved in swimming. From irritating chemicals to harmful UV rays, there are several factors that could pose a threat to your child’s eye health. Protecting their eyes is essential to ensuring a safe and enjoyable swimming experience this summer and beyond.

By encouraging proper eye protection, maintaining proper pool hygiene, and keeping a close eye on your kids, you can significantly reduce the risks associated with swimming. Although we’re focusing on children here, many of these precautions apply to swimmers of all ages.

Risks To Eye Health At The Pool

To effectively avoid harm, it’s important to understand the specific dangers you need to be aware of. Some of the key hazards include:

• Chlorine Irritation: Chlorine is often used to disinfect pool water, but excessive exposure can cause irritation to the eyes, resulting in redness, itching, burning, and discomfort.
• Contaminants: Pool water may contain bacteria, algae, and other microorganisms. Exposure to these contaminants can lead to eye infections and inflammation.
• UV Exposure: Spending prolonged periods in the sun while swimming increases the risk of UV-related eye damage, potentially leading to conditions like photokeratitis, similar to sunburn of the eyes.
• Accidental Injury: In crowded or unsupervised environments, accidents such as bumps or collisions can occur, causing eye injuries like scratches, abrasions, or blunt trauma.

While you may not have control over certain factors like the chemical balance of public pools, you can take responsibility for your own pool by practicing proper maintenance and keeping chemical levels in check.

Protective Measures With Goggles

Thankfully, safeguarding your child’s eyes doesn’t require complicated solutions. The best way to protect their eyes while swimming is to invest in a good pair of swim goggles. When selecting goggles, consider the lens and frame materials based on the type of activity. Our advice for getting kids accustomed to wearing protective eyewear aligns with helping them adjust to regular glasses:

• Choose a pair that fits snugly without slipping during movement.
• Involve your child in picking out the color they like.
• Make wearing goggles part of their routine before getting into the water.

Swim goggles not only shield against chlorine, debris, and bacteria but also act as a physical barrier against accidental impacts from other swimmers. For outdoor pools, opt for goggles with UVA/UVB and polarized protection to guard against harmful UV rays.

Additional Tips For Eye Safety

Goggles aren’t the only tool for keeping your child’s eyes safe at the pool. Other measures include:

Wearing swim caps: For kids with longer hair, swim caps can prevent strands from entering their eyes, reducing the chance of irritation caused by contaminants. Combining caps with goggles provides extra protection.

Staying hydrated: Proper hydration supports overall eye health by maintaining moisture levels and the tear film, which protects the surface of the eye.

Rinsing after swimming: Always encourage your child to rinse off their body after exiting the pool, lake, or ocean. This step removes residual chemicals and contaminants, minimizing the risk of irritation and infection.

What To Do If You Notice Eye Irritation Or Injury

In case chlorine water enters the eye, immediate action is necessary to alleviate irritation and prevent further damage. Rinse the affected eye thoroughly with clean, lukewarm water. Use a gentle stream from a faucet, shower, or eyewash station to flush out the chlorine. Tilt your head sideways with the irritated eye facing down to allow the water to drain effectively.

It’s best to avoid wearing contact lenses while swimming, as they can trap bacteria and increase the risk of infection, especially in untreated or natural water sources.

Remember, even minor eye injuries can be serious. Children may struggle to describe what happened or how they feel, so always treat suspected eye trauma as severe. Seek medical attention promptly if you notice any of the following symptoms:

• Redness or swelling
• Excessive tearing or discharge
• Eye pain or headaches
• Muscle spasms or difficulty focusing
• Visible cuts or abrasions near the eye

Asheville Vision And Wellness Is Here To Help

Proactive eye care is vital for your child’s lifelong visual health. Regular eye exams, healthy habits, proper protection, a balanced diet, and vigilance regarding warning signs are key components of safeguarding their vision. Prioritizing their eye health ensures clear vision and healthy eyes throughout their lives.

At Asheville Vision and Wellness, we specialize in providing comprehensive eye care services tailored to children. Our mission is to empower parents with the knowledge and resources needed to maintain their children’s eye health from infancy through adolescence.

If you’re looking to support your child’s eye health and vision, we’d love to discuss how we can assist. Contact our team today to learn more about our pediatric eye care services.