How Safe Is It To Rinse Your Eyes With Tap Water?

Our eyes are among our body's most essential and sensitive organs. They can be exposed to different irritants, such as dust, smoke, and allergens, which can cause discomfort, redness, and even infections. As a result, many people turn to rinsing their eyes, but the question is: how safe is it to rinse your eyes with tap water?

Is it Okay to Rinse Your Eyes with Tap Water?

The safety of rinsing your eyes with tap water mostly depends on whether or not you wear contact lenses.

Water from your sink may be fine for those who do not wear contact lenses. If you get a foreign object or irritating chemical in your eye, washing your eyes with fresh water can help remove the substance and reduce discomfort.

On the other hand, rinsing the eyes with tap water is not recommended for contact lens wearers. Tap water often contains microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, and amoebae, that can cause severe eye infections like acanthamoeba keratitis under certain circumstances. Contact lenses can trap these microorganisms against the eye's surface, increasing the risk of disease. If you need to rinse your eyes, it's recommended to use a sterile saline solution or contact lens solution specifically formulated for use on the eyes.

If your eyes are feeling dry, a lubricant like natural tears can help soothe dry eyes more effectively than water. Speak to your eye care professional for more information.

How to Properly Rinse Your Eyes

In case of an emergency, such as a foreign object, chemical, irritant or burn in the eye:

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water to avoid introducing germs into your eyes.
• Use sterile saline or contact lens solution to flush your eyes.
• If you don't have saline or contact lens solution, you can use clean, lukewarm water.
• Tilt your head back, open your eyes, and pour the solution or water into the inner corner of your eye, letting it flow across your eye and out of the outer corner.
• Repeat the process until your eye feels better, but avoid rubbing or touching your eyes with your hands or a cloth.

When to See an Eye Doctor

If you experience severe pain or discomfort, dry eyes, blurred or decreased vision, redness, swelling, or discharge from your eyes, sensitivity to light, or a foreign object stuck in your eye that you can't remove, you should see an eye doctor as soon as possible.

Call us at Grove City Vision Center in Grove City at (614) 875-8373 to schedule an appointment today.