Though diving in head first is encouraged in other areas of your life, it’s important that you take the time to prepare your eyes for your dip in the pool, lake or ocean. Trust us; your eyes will thank you. You can avoid having to rub your irritated eyes miserably at the end of your day at the pool by ensuring that you have the right eye protection! We’ve provided some tips below to help you keep your eyes protected when swimming.

Goggle up!

Chemicals like chlorine that are found in the pool are harsh irritants on your eyes, so it’s important to protect them while you’re cooling off. Hitting the lake at the cottage? Bacteria found in these waters are also a common reason for eye irritation and damage. Swimmer’s goggles are guaranteed to protect your eyes and help you prevent injuries when swimming under water where there are obstacles.

Remove your Contact Lenses

Before diving into your refreshing bliss, make sure that you remove your contacts. Instead of protecting your eyes, your contacts will actually trap in dirt specs and other bacteria that can damage and infect your eyes. If you need to have prescription lenses while swimming, ask your optometrist about prescription swimming goggles.

Throw on Some Sunglasses

The glare from any body of water, combined with the UV rays from the sun can be very damaging for your eyes. Make sure that you wear your sunglasses in and around the pool or lake to help avoid this type of damage. Added bonus – you can stay stylish by the water with your shades.

Drink that H2O

We’re not talking about the water that you’re swimming in! Drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water each day helps keep you hydrated, and helps to prevent redness and irritation in your eyes after swimming. Producing tears can also help to flush out bacteria and chemicals.

Avoid Rubbing Your Eyes

There is a great temptation to rub your eyes or wipe away the water when you get out of the pool, but try to avoid doing this until you’ve washed your hands. Your hands have bacteria and chemicals on them that will only further irritate your eyes. To reduce redness, try using eye drops that you can find at most drug stores.

Now that you have properly prepared yourself, you can dive in and cool off from the summer heat stress-free!