I started wearing contact lenses in the sixth grade and have always been very diligent about eye care. I change pairs every two(ish) weeks, wash my hands before touching them, am very careful to not open my eyes underwater while swimming, and never wear them to bed. For 30+ years, I thought I was on top of things. As it turns out, there’s a huge risk factor that I’ve never considered before: the shower.

A woman in Texas named Rachel Prochnow recently shared a scary story about how she almost went blind as a result of showering with her contacts in. She contracted a parasitic eye infection that caused her “excruciating” eye pain. She ended up needing a cornea transplant. In light of Rachel’s story, the Huffington Post spoke to experts and put together a PSA about the risks of showering with your contacts in. From HuffPo:

What happens if you shower in your contacts?
“Showering in contacts is risky,” Dr. James Kelly, an ophthalmologist and founder of Kelly Vision, told HuffPost. “Tap water is not sterile and can contain harmful microorganisms, just like natural bodies of water.” He emphasized that even brief exposure seriously increases your risk of infection, which can lead to severe pain, permanent scarring, loss of vision, corneal ulcers and more.

“Wearing contact lenses in the shower isn’t as risky as swimming in them, but it’s still not recommended,” said Dr. Maria Montero, the associate director of clinical services at Orbis Flying Eye Hospital. “Water can introduce harmful bacteria and parasites, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acanthamoeba, which can get trapped under the lenses. If these organisms adhere to your contact lenses, you can develop a major eye infection like microbial keratitis, which may cause vision loss if not addressed promptly. To make matters worse, these conditions can be very difficult to diagnose and treat, particularly if you don’t live near a specialist familiar with the range of potential pathogens.

“Acanthamoeba protozoans or adenoviruses can be present in pools, seawater, hot tubs and showers,” explained Dr. Thomas J. Stokkermans, an optometrist and medical writer and reviewer at All About Vision. “Serratia marcescens causes ‘pink mold’ that can be found in bathrooms. It can also survive in hot water such as in hot tubs and showers.” He added that Pseudomonas aeruginosa is also present in showers, as well as fresh water in nature and inadequately chlorinated pools and hot tubs.

“People have lost their eyes to waterborne infections,” Kelly noted. “The best practice is to remove your contacts before showering. If you absolutely must wear them, keep your eyes closed as much as possible and use preservative-free artificial tears afterward to flush out any potential contaminants.”

What should you do if you get shower or bath water in your eyes while wearing contacts?

If water gets into your eyes during a shower or bath while you’re wearing contact lenses, take them out and then clean your eye area with saline solution or artificial tears.

“Remove the contacts ASAP and discard them, and put in a fresh pair,” Dr. Ella Faktorovich advised.

Pay attention to any issues that arise following interactions between contact lenses in your eyes and tap water from a shower or bath.

“If you experience any sudden eye pain, redness, or blurry vision after water exposure, see an ophthalmologist ASAP,” Kelly advised. “Early treatment is critical to preventing permanent damage.”

“The biggest risks for contact lens wearers come from bad hygiene habits — such as sleeping in contacts, not washing and drying hands before handling them, or using anything other than contact lens solution to clean and store them,” Montero said. “To help keep your eyes safe, always remove your contacts before bed, clean them properly, check them for tears, and keep the storage case extremely clean to prevent contamination.”

[From HuffPo]

It has never occurred to me that wearing my contacts in the shower is a health risk. I did some more research and discovered that the CDC and the Cleveland Clinic also have strong warnings against wearing contacts while showering. I am shooketh! I’ve worn glasses since I was eight years old and have always hated not being able to see clearly. I wear my contacts whenever possible, including in the shower. A gal’s got to be able to see what she’s doing when using a razor. From here on out, I’m going to be mindful and not wear my contacts in the shower as often. On the occasions that I do wear them I’ll take precautions if water gets into my eyes.

Photos credit: zaid mohammed, Anna Tarazevich, Ravi Lages, Armin Rimoldi on Pexels and via Instagram/Rachel Prochnow