I have been swimming multiple times a week for many years now. Recently (within the last few months) the delicate skin around my eyes becomes red and irritated with the appearance and feel of a burn. The burned area exactly outlines the rim of my goggles.
I switched from silicone rimmed goggles to foam rimmed ones. But, this did nothing.
Has anyone experienced this? It is very frustrating, not to mention painful and unsightly. Any suggestions?
Many Thanks in Advance....
Former Member
Yes, read this thread:
Goggle Allergy - U.S. Masters Swimming Discussion Forums
I posted the following in the above thread:
I swim with a woman who had a similar problem last year. She had been swimming for 20 years with no problems. All of a sudden last spring, at the end of our workouts she would take off her goggles and her eyelids and the surrounding skin would be red and puffy. It was weird. She tried brand-new goggles as well as a different style of goggle but it didn't help. She went to several doctors and finally to a dermatologist.
The dermatologist did a bunch of allergy tests (the ones where they inject a small amount of an allergen under the skin, then wait a few days to see whether there's a reaction). The dermatologist actually took a pair of her swimming goggles, ground them up, and used that for one of the skin tests.
The tests showed that she was sensitive to a few various things (parabens is one that sticks in my mind). But you know what finally solved her problem? A new POOL MANAGER. The new manager fixed some broken pool equipment and got the pool water cleaned up. Her problems magically went away.
You might ask your pool staff whether they've changed chemicals or systems recently. If they say no, try swimming in a different pool for a while to see whether the problem goes away. If it does, you'll know it's something in your pool.
Aside from the allergy issue, another thing you can try (once you have that resolved) is to apply Vaseline to the area around your eyes where your goggles come in contact with your skin. Not only will it help protect your skin from irritation; your goggles will fit better.
Former Member
If the skin is dry around the eye it becomes easier to be irritated. Make sure the rubber is also clean.
This happened to me in the early 80's. To sum it up quickly the company who made the Speedo goggles I had been wearing for a couple years changed the formulation of the glue used to bond the black foam to the goggle and I was allergic to it. I switched to Barracuda goggles and the eye irritation disappeared.
Lately I've been wearing silicone rimmed goggles and never have irritation.
Former Member
why would you want silicone or foam on your goggles anyway?
