Accidentally wearing contact lenses in the shower is a common, yet potentially serious, hygienic mistake. Tap water, even when treated, is not sterile and can introduce harmful microorganisms directly to the contact lens surface and the delicate tissue of the eye. Knowing the correct, immediate steps to take is paramount to minimizing the risk of a severe eye infection. Quick and proper action is the single most important factor in protecting eye health after this exposure.
Immediate Action: Removing and Discarding Lenses
The first step is to exit the shower immediately to stop further water exposure to the lenses. Before touching your eyes, thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Then, dry them completely with a clean, lint-free towel. This prevents the transfer of contaminants from your hands to your eye surface.
Gently remove both contact lenses as soon as your hands are clean and dry. If a lens feels stuck or is difficult to remove due to water absorption, use a few drops of sterile contact lens rewetting solution to lubricate the eye before attempting removal again. Under no circumstances should you rub your eyes, as this can cause microscopic scratches on the cornea, which allows pathogens to enter more easily.
Once removed, the contaminated contact lenses must be discarded immediately. It is not possible to effectively disinfect a lens exposed to water and its inherent microorganisms using standard contact lens solution. Even an extended soak will not eliminate the most resilient pathogens, making disposal the only safe course of action. Avoid wearing any contact lenses for at least 24 hours afterward to allow the eye to recover before inserting a fresh pair.
Understanding the Danger: Waterborne Pathogens
The urgency of disposal stems from the fact that common tap water is not sterile and is a reservoir for various microorganisms. A particularly serious threat is Acanthamoeba, a microscopic amoeba that causes a rare but devastating condition known as Acanthamoeba keratitis. This organism exists in a highly resilient dormant cyst form that is difficult to destroy with typical contact lens disinfecting solutions.
When a soft contact lens absorbs water, the lens material swells and changes shape, causing it to cling tightly to the eye’s surface. This tight adherence can create tiny abrasions on the cornea, the clear, dome-shaped front surface of the eye. These abrasions act as entry points for the amoeba, which can get trapped between the lens and the corneal tissue.
The presence of the contact lens combined with a damaged cornea provides an ideal environment for the amoeba to multiply and cause a severe infection. Other waterborne bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, can also adhere to the water-soaked lens, increasing the risk of bacterial keratitis. Standard contact lens solutions are formulated to kill common bacteria and fungi, but they are often not potent enough to kill the resilient cysts of Acanthamoeba.
Monitoring for Symptoms and When to Seek Help
After removing and discarding the contaminated lenses, careful self-monitoring is necessary, as symptoms of infection may not appear immediately. The incubation period for some infections means that noticeable signs can take several days to develop. If your eyes feel normal, you may resume wearing a fresh pair of lenses after a minimum of 24 hours, but watch closely for any changes.
You should be looking for specific signs that indicate the presence of an infection. These include persistent eye pain that worsens after lens removal or unusual redness that does not clear up within a few hours. Other warning signs are increased light sensitivity (photophobia), excessive tearing, or any discharge from the eye. Sudden or progressive blurring of vision or the sensation that a foreign body is constantly present are also concerning symptoms.
If you observe any of these symptoms, immediately cease wearing all contact lenses and schedule an emergency visit with an eye care professional. Clearly explain the incident involving the shower and tap water exposure. This information is crucial for the doctor to consider the possibility of a serious condition like Acanthamoeba keratitis. Early diagnosis and treatment are necessary for achieving the best possible outcome and preventing vision loss.