Before swimming this summer, make sure your goggles fit properly. Studies suggest that small, tight-fitting goggles can raise the pressure in your eye (intraocular pressure) to unhealthy levels. In one study, wearing goggles raised the swimmers’ pressures by an average of 4.5 points; however, one of the types of goggles used in this study caused an increase of 13 points! Average intraocular pressure is between 10 and 21. If the pressure remains above 21 for prolonged periods of time, irreversible damage to the optic nerve called glaucoma can result. This is not to suggest that using goggles while swimming can cause glaucoma, but if you are a serious swimmer, it is in your best interest to use larger goggles that do not press too hard on the orbit of the eye. For more information on this study, you can read the article published by Morgan et al. at http://bjo.bmj.com/content/92/9/1218.full.
