[reenw]

Hello pietistic, I'm the person in the piece, I hope you don't mind my responding to you directly. I'm sorry you had AK, and I hope you're doing better now. Just to be clear, swimming in contact lenses is an incontrovertible risk factor for AK- several studies have proved this. Moorfields Eye Hospital are also concluding a case control study which will also identify showering in contact lenses is a risk factor. Here's professor John Dart from Moorfields Eye Hospital talking about these risk factors https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neUYomeUkYM. Any questions let me know. thanks!

[opheron]

Just wanted to say that the work you've done is really impressive and inspiring. As a contact lens wearer, I just learned about AK thanks to you. Good on you for taking the initiative to be a force for positive change.

[MandieD]

I had a relatively minor eye infection a few years ago, but wanting to prevent something worse, had switched to wearing contacts only for special occasions and... swimming.

Thanks to your sharing, I will no longer swim with them. I'll try prescription goggles instead.

[ashark]

Jesus, I even swim in lakes with mine in. Guess I'll be seriously looking at the the risks+cost of laser vision correction versus contacts in the near future. And switching to daily disposables in the meantime. I've worn them for 15 years and am not very careful, it's a miracle I haven't had any infections of any sort yet, I guess.

[zaneyard]

Getting LASEK was one of the better decisions I've made in life. The risk of infection is extremely low for the procedure but you need to be extra careful while you're healing. It may not be worth the price if your vision is currently not that awful, however.

[SpikeDad]

According to this article: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6305599

there is a 1 in 100K chance of serious complications for modern LASIX requiring corneal transplant. That's a higher incidence than the chance of getting AK if you wear contact lenses.

Both are terrible complications but I don't see the rationale of avoiding AK by getting LASIX. I couldn't find any literature but it seems to me that the fact that LASIX damages the cornea for a time would also leave one open to an infection in addition to the complications.

[zaneyard]

Yeah, but the risk from contact lenses comes over time as it's a risk every time you put your lenses in where with laser correction the risk pretty much only exists while you are healing. You really only have to avoid getting stuff in your eye while the bandage lens is in.

Everything I've read about comparing the risk notes this factor.

I'm sure that if you wear contacts perfectly all the time the risk is very low, but as we all know people do stupid things.

That said, the decision to get surgery was more about not having to deal with glasses or contacts every day and less about the risk.

[drjasonharrison]

Speedo makes swim goggles with corrective lenses that are not prescription. Think "reading glasses" but available in much higher strengths. http://www.speedousa.com/vanquisher-optical-goggle-style-750...

[photojosh]

Thanks for that. I have prescription googles, but their seal sucks when compared to my (quality) regular googles. So will try these instead!

[piptastic]

I don't mind you replying, it's no problem. Thanks, I'm sorry you had it too.

Can you link me to one of the several studies proving the incontrovertible risk factors for swimming?