Keeping Your Child's Eyes Safe at the Pool

Summer is nearly upon us and that means it’s time to head to your neighborhood pool. Keep your child’s eyes safe and pain-free this summer with some tips from our optometry team. All kids love a day at the pool, but the combination of intense sun and chemicals can wreak havoc on the eyes. Here are some things you can do to make pool days pain-free for your kids:

Get Some Goggles

Swim goggles help keep harmful chemicals away from your child’s eyes which will go a long way towards avoiding the post-swim sting. Look for a pair that has UV protection so that when your child is in the pool their eyes will also be protected from the sun. Be sure to help your child adjust their goggles to make them watertight.

Wear Sunglasses Poolside

Even the most avid swimmers take a rest now and then. When your child is hanging out by the pool, have them wear sunglasses to shield their eyes from dangerous UV rays. Eyes do get sunburned especially near highly reflective pool or lake water.

Rinse Chemicals from Sensitive Eyes

Some children are particularly sensitive to the chlorine and saline solutions used to keep pools clean. If your child frequently complains of stinging eyes after swimming, encourage them to rinse their eyes with fresh tap water as soon as they get out of the pool.

Avoid Swimming with Contact Lenses

Older children should avoid swimming with contact lenses. Bacteria from pools can collect on the lenses and lead to irritation or infection. Also, children who swim with contacts frequently lose their lenses when they dive or swim underwater with eyes open.

Keep Saline Eye Drops Handy

When all else fails, lubricate your child’s eyes with some soothing saline eye drops after a long day at the pool.

If your child experiences extreme eye irritation after a day at the pool, we recommend you contact your optometrist to avoid damage or infection.