A new study from the University of Granada (UGR) has found that the tear film worsens while we wear swimming goggles. The specific effect that has been observed, and that disappears after removing the glasses, is a decrease in the tear breakup time, a situation that can aggravate the symptoms associated with dry eye such as irritation or discomfort.
The tear film provides nutrients, protects against external contaminants, removes debris, and maintains clear vision by providing an optically smooth surface, thus playing an important role in maintaining ocular physiology. When there is a shortage of chronic tears, or the quality of these is low, dry eye syndrome appears, which causes irritation, itching, foreign body sensation and red eye.
They observed a 45% reduction in tear break-up time while wearing the swim goggles compared to baseline
In fact, one of the factors that is essential for the diagnosis of dry eye is the tear film breakup time, a test that evaluates the quality of the tear and is performed by measuring the time it takes for the tear to start to evaporate. The shorter the tear breakup time, the worse the quality of the tear.
Swimming goggles worsen tear quality
The objective of the research, which has been published in the Journal of Optometry, was to determine the quality of the tear through the evaluation of the tear breakup time while wearing swimming goggles, since it had been previously verified that they altered the ocular physiological (increased intraocular pressure, changes in biomechanics and corneal structure).
To perform it, 14 healthy participants wore swimming goggles that covered both eyes for five minutes. The researchers used the CA800 Corneal Topographer to assess tear breakup time before, within three minutes of wearing the glasses, and immediately after removing them. The swimming goggles had an opening in the glass that favored the measurement.
According to the results, the tear break-up time decreases while wearing the swimming goggles, but immediately after removing the goggles, the values return to baseline. The authors of the paper observed a 45% reduction in tear break-up time while wearing the swimming goggles compared to baseline. These scientists suggest that these effects could be due to changes in the morphology of the cornea as a result of the increased mechanical pressure exerted by the glasses on the ocular tissues, which would impair the stability of the tear film.
Although wearing swimming goggles prevents the damaging effects that chlorine from swimming pools can have on the eye, the study’s findings suggest that their use can negatively affect the stability of the tear film. For this reason, visual health experts must take into account the consequences that its use may have on tear quality in order to prevent or reduce adverse ocular side effects, especially in people suffering from dry eye syndrome.
.
