Contact Lenses in Sports – Benefits & Possible Risks

Do you wear contact lenses while exercising? Have you ever wondered that? Which visually impaired person has not yet asked himself this question. Contact lenses offer excellent support, they do not restrict the field of vision, they do not fog up and no water drops block the view.

But still, they carry potential risks. Sand or dust can get under the contact lenses, you can lose them and you often need extra protection from sports glasses or sunglasses. Read below what advantages contact lenses have in sports and what type of lenses are suitable for which sport. Also learn about the disadvantages and the alternatives.

The benefits of contact lenses in sports

Advantages of contact lenses in sports are the feeling of freedom and comfort. On the one hand, they have a clear field of view that is not restricted by the side brackets. On the other hand, there is no annoying frame that interferes with training. Contact lenses also fit perfectly and do not slip when moving.

If you sweat a lot, you don’t have to remove the glasses to wipe your face. Also, with ball or contact sports, you don’t have to worry about your glasses if you get hit in the face. This is not pleasant even with contact lenses, but the risk of injury is lower.

Advantages of contact lenses in sports at a glance:

• free and unrestricted view
• optimal hold
• beneficial for heavy sweating on the face
• no risk of injury
• no fogging or water droplets on the lens

Contact lenses are particularly suitable for these sports

Contact lenses are particularly suitable for sports where a complete visor helmet is required, such as motorcycling or karting. Wearing glasses under a helmet is uncomfortable and causes pressure points. Sports lenses are also the first choice for sports with a lot of physical contact or where speed and responsiveness are required, such as ball or hitting sports.

These do not slip off the nose like glasses in the heat of the moment. Contact lenses are also better suited for water sports. No annoying drops of water block the view and you do not have to be afraid of losing your glasses in the sea or lake when the waves are strong.

Which contact lens is right for my sport?

There are also suitable contact lenses for every sport, even special sports contact lenses. In general, you should use soft contact lenses or dimensionally stable contact lenses when exercising. Hard lenses lie on the tear film and can fall out of the eye more quickly. It is also painful when a grain of dust or sand comes under hard contact lenses.

The contact lenses used in sports should also have a particularly high oxygen permeability. Monthly lenses or daily disposable lenses are also recommended. It is also best to take UV protection into account when exercising outdoors. Opticians or contact lens specialists will advise you in detail and perform a contact lens adjustment.

Contact lenses in endurance sports

In endurance sports such as running or cycling, there is a high oxygen demand and an anaerobic metabolism – the lenses can quickly cloud. In addition, there is a risk of falling and difficult visibility due to wind, rain, sand or UV radiation.

Requirements for the lens:

• highly permeable to oxygen
• additional protection through sports glasses

Contact lenses for ball sports

Ball sports such as volleyball, football, handball, tennis or squash are very movement-intensive and require quick eye movements and reactions. Balls can hit you in the face or you can fall. It is often dry in halls. You could get sand in your eyes when playing beach volleyball.

Requirements for the lenses:

• dimensionally stable or soft lenses
• for dry eyes, also dimensionally stable or suitable soft lenses
• Safety goggles

Contact lenses in water sports

When swimming, sailing or surfing, there is a high germ load in open waters and indoor pools. There, irritation can also be caused by chlorine or seawater. Contact lenses may be lost during diving. Reflections on the water can make your vision difficult. Outdoors, attention must also be paid to UV radiation.

Requirements for the lenses:

• soft daily disposable lenses that can be discarded after swimming are often recommended
• dimensionally stable and soft lenses can be used under the swimming and diving goggles
• Carefully clean and disinfect lenses after contact with water with a suitable care product. Exception: daily disposable lenses
• Risk of loss under water: close your eyes better
• Protection by swimming goggles or sports goggles is advantageous

Contact lenses for mountain sports and winter sports

High demands are placed on contact lenses in the mountains. From an altitude of 2,000 m, there is a high oxygen deficiency, as well as dry air. At an altitude of over 7,000 m, corneal edema and swelling can occur. When skiing, you have to struggle with wind, when climbing with dust and sand. UV rays and reflections on the snow also put strain on the eyes.

Requirements for the lenses:

• dimensionally stable lenses and highly oxygen-permeable soft lenses for skiing and mountaineering
• soft lenses when climbing (sand/dust)
• no lenses from 5,000 m height
• UV and anti-glare goggles

Possible risks of contact lenses during sports

Contact lenses do have a good grip, but especially when exercising in dry rooms, it can lead to dry eyes after a longer wearing period. Then wearing it becomes quite uncomfortable. Inflammation (conjunctivitis, stye), infections or watery red eyes (dry eyes) can occur.

Outdoors, contact lenses offer little protection against UV radiation. This requires an additional UV filter through sports or sunglasses. There is another risk with water sports: the contact lenses can be washed out of the eye. Swimming goggles are therefore necessary for good vision.

The disadvantages of contact lenses:

• Eyes can dry out
• Inflammation and infection can occur
• poor protection against UV radiation
• Swimming goggles recommended for water sports

Alternatives to contact lenses in sports

If contact lenses are not tolerated, glasses can be used. In many sports, however, this is simply annoying. An alternative for contact lens and spectacle wearers is to eliminate the defective vision itself at an ophthalmologist. This is why many athletes get their eyes lasered.

Laser eye surgery corrects visual impairment in 15 – 20 minutes and a visual aid is no longer needed for a lifetime. Many athletes use the option of laser eye surgery to correct their farsightedness or nearsightedness. After the procedure, they can start exercising undisturbed after just a few days.