Can you wear contacts while scuba diving?

So, you want to go scuba diving and you wear contact lenses. But is it safe? Well, the answer is: no. You might be surprised by this advice, as many people who wear contacts say they’ve dived without any problems whatsoever. The problem is that it’s not recommended—not just because of some obscure risk that might only affect one out of every ten million divers but because there’s not much research about how your eyes will react under pressure. Because my job is all about helping people make informed decisions, I am going to tell you why we don’t recommend diving with contacts and then give you some alternatives so that you can still enjoy your trip!

Diving with contacts is not recommended

If you’re going to dive with contact lenses, it’s best to wear a type that is specifically designed for diving. These are not just regular soft hydrogel or silicone hydrogel contacts—they are specially made for the challenging environment of scuba diving.

There are a few reasons why contact lenses should not be used while diving. Some people believe that the potential damage caused by water entering your eyes is minimal, but this is untrue. It’s actually not as simple as water leaking into your eye and causing irritation; there are many other factors at play here that can be damaging over time, including:

• Corneal abrasions (which may cause blindness)
• Ear barotrauma (which affects hearing)
• Pulmonary barotrauma (affects breathing)

Dive with a dive mask instead

If you’re tempted to wear contacts while diving, it’s important to know that they won’t protect your eyes from pressure or water. They also won’t prevent your contact lenses from drying out and becoming uncomfortable during a dive.

If you’re looking for a way to see underwater without sacrificing your vision or comfort, then try a dive mask instead. A dive mask will provide full face coverage so that no water will get into your eyes, so there’s no risk of scratching either! They’ll also help prevent fogging or misting up when submerged in cold water (which can happen with some types of contact lenses).

Dive masks come in many shapes and sizes so everyone can find one that fits their face shape perfectly. If possible, try on several styles before making a purchase so that you can find one that looks great on you too!

If you wear your contacts and then dive, you can suffer from barotrauma or decompression sickness

There are two main reasons why you shouldn’t dive with contacts:

• Barotrauma. When the air pressure around you changes rapidly—as it does when you go from a place of high pressure to one of low pressure or vice versa—your eyes can become injured. This is called barotrauma. The extra air in your eyes causes them to get sore and swollen, which can be incredibly painful and uncomfortable.
• Decompression sickness (DCS). DCS is caused by diving at a depth that’s too deep for too long; this causes nitrogen bubbles to form inside your body, which can lead to anything from mild discomfort to paralysis or death if not treated immediately and correctly

Barotrauma occurs when the change in pressure causes your eardrums to bulge

Barotrauma occurs when the change in pressure causes your eardrums to bulge. This happens when you go from a higher-pressure environment (the surface) to a lower-pressure environment (the deep). It can also happen at the reverse—when you go from a low-pressure environment (inside your body) and enter into a high-pressure environment, like on land.

If you’re scuba diving and experience this rapid change in pressure, it’s called barotrauma. But if you stay underwater long enough for your ears to adjust to the new pressure level, there won’t be any damage. Your eardrums become accustomed to this new level of compression by expanding or deflating as needed until they reach equilibrium with the surrounding water—which makes sense because when we dive down too fast without equalizing our ears enough first we do feel uncomfortable for quite some time!

Decompression sickness is caused by a rapid change in environment and it can affect eardrums, lungs and tissues

Decompression sickness is a condition that affects divers when they ascend too quickly. It can lead to serious illness and even death, so it’s important to know the symptoms. If you experience any of these symptoms after a dive, see your doctor immediately:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Dizziness or feeling lightheaded
• Headaches

If you wear contacts, there’s a higher risk of them irritating your eyes while under water

You may find yourself asking: “Can I wear contacts while scuba diving?” The answer is yes and no. If you’re wearing contact lenses, there’s a higher risk of them irritating your eyes while under water. In the event that they become irritated, you can suffer from barotrauma or decompression sickness.

Barotrauma occurs when the change in pressure causes your eardrums to bulge, which can be very painful and cause other issues such as ear infections or bleeding in the middle ear cavity (called otitis media). Decompression sickness is caused by nitrogen bubbles forming in tissues during a dive. These bubbles affect joints and muscles causing pain similar to arthritis or inflammation—but without any swelling or redness around the joint areas!

They could stick to your eyeball because of the pressure of diving, causing damage to your cornea

If you wear contact lenses and decide to scuba dive, there are a few things you should know. First off, the pressure of diving can cause your contact lenses to stick to your eyeballs. This could lead to damage to your cornea (the clear outer layer of your eye), which could make it hard for you to see or even impossible for you dive without getting medical help.

Diving with contacts is not recommended.

Diving with contacts is not recommended. You and your eyes need to be in top condition in order for you to enjoy a scuba diving trip, so it’s best to leave the contact lenses out of the equation.

There are many reasons why diving with contacts isn’t safe. For example:

• Barotrauma – This occurs when air pockets form in your sinuses and ears while you’re under water. Symptoms include dizziness, headaches and ear pain.
• Decompression sickness – This is another condition that can happen during scuba diving because there’s a lack of oxygen in your blood stream when you go from shallow depths (where there’s plenty of oxygen) down into deeper waters (where there isn’t enough). Divers can feel pains similar to those experienced by those who have arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome after coming back up from a dive session at sea level pressures without having any symptoms beforehand; however, severe cases may require hospitalization due to vomiting blood or fainting spells after returning home from vacation or work trips abroad where they’ve spent time deep underwater without proper training beforehand! It’s best not risk getting these kinds of problems while on vacation because they could cause serious damage if left untreated!

Conclusion

The bottom line is that diving with contacts is not recommended. Contact lenses are designed for use in an air environment, so they can dry out and become uncomfortable when submerged under water. If you wear your contacts and then dive, you can suffer from barotrauma or decompression sickness – both of which are potentially dangerous conditions.

If you wear contacts and want to try scuba diving at some point, consider getting mask instead! They will protect your eyes while also providing a good view underwater after putting them on over your regular glasses (or vice versa). Goggles allow more light into the eye than other types do because they don’t have any seal around them like traditional swim masks do; this makes them perfect for seeing clearly while swimming around reefs or exploring shipwrecks deep beneath sea level!