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 with water — but how safe is it?

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 acceptable for those who do not wear contact lenses if you get a foreign object or irritating chemical in your eye and need to flush it out quickly. Remember to tilt your head so that the affected eye is down to avoid accidentally flushing the object into the other eye.

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 are usually harmless but 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 and you wear contacts, it's recommended to use a sterile saline solution or contact lens solution.

How to Properly Rinse Your Eyes in an Emergency

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water first.
• Use sterile saline or contact lens solution to flush your eyes if available.
• If you don't have saline, use clean, lukewarm water. Avoid very cold or hot water.
• Tilt your head so the affected eye is down, and pour the solution into the inner corner of your eye, letting it flow across 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

See an eye doctor as soon as possible if you experience severe pain, blurred or decreased vision, redness, swelling, or discharge from your eyes, or if a foreign object is stuck in your eye that you can't remove.

Call us at St. Clairsville Eyecare in St. Clairsville at (740) 695-0444 to schedule an appointment today.