Doctor warns little-known exercise you should never do with contact lenses in

Contact lenses can be a great alternative to glasses. They allow you to ditch the eye accessories and maintain your vision without having to worry about accidentally breaking your eyewear or trying to match the colours to the rest of your outfit.

Wearing contact lenses can sometimes become second nature, and it's easy to forget we even have them in until it's time to take them out at the end of the day.

But according to one doctor, you still need to be careful when wearing contacts. In fact, some activities should never be done if you regularly wear contact lenses without taking them out first.

In a video shared on TikTok by Doctor Suraj Kukadia, known as Dr Sooj online, it was revealed that wearers should never go swimming with their lenses in - as it could seriously damage their eyes.

The video began with a clip of a woman swimming, with text that read: "Me swimming with my contacts not knowing that seven hours later I would temporarily lose vision in one eye for six months."

Dr Sooj then used the rest of the video to explain why swimming with contact lenses in can be dangerous.

He said: "Swimming while you're wearing contact lenses is a real risk. Particularly in lakes, lagoons, hot tubs, and even swimming pools. It massively increases your risk of infection.

"Water can contain a bug called Acanthamoeba. It's a microscopic organism that can attach to your contact lenses and can get trapped on the surface of the eye, and can cause a serious infection called Acanthamoeba Keratitis.

"It's incredibly painful, it's really hard to treat, and in some cases, it can cause permanent vision loss. If you do have to wear contacts in the water, please use daily disposable lenses and throw them away immediately afterwards."

The doctor recommended ditching the contacts for prescription goggles while swimming.

According to Moorfields Eye Hospital, Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a very painful cornea infection caused by the organism Acanthamoeba. Acanthamoeba is found in bodies of water such as lakes, oceans, and rivers but can also be found in domestic tap water, swimming pools, hot tubs, soil, and air.

Acanthamoeba organisms do not generally cause harm to humans, as we come into contact with them every day when we wash, swim, or drink water, but they can be a problem if they infect the cornea. This is most common in people who wear contact lenses as the organism can get trapped against the eye, but anyone with a corneal injury is susceptible to developing the infection.

In the early stages of the infection, the cornea can become irregular due to inflammation, which may affect your vision. You may also have a sensitivity to light, and may find your eyes water more frequently.

Acanthamoeba keratitis is usually treated with antiseptic drops, which you may need to take as frequently as every hour for the first few days. If you believe you have Acanthamoeba keratitis, contact an eye care professional or your GP right away.