Dry eyes for lifeguards

Lifeguards get dry, tired eyes because the job asks them to scan water without a break for long shifts, often while facing glare off the surface, outdoor sun and wind, or the warm, chemical-heavy air of an indoor pool. Polarized sunglasses, a hat, short rotations, a water bottle and a lubricating drop on breaks, used as labeled, help keep eyes comfortable without taking attention off the water.

Scanning is hard work for the eyes

Swimmers think of a lifeguard as someone sitting in a chair. Lifeguards know it’s steady, deliberate watching: sweeping the zone, counting heads, checking the bottom, then sweeping again. That kind of focus lowers the blink rate in the same way reading or screen work does, and an open, staring eye loses moisture faster. Add the pressure of knowing you can’t look away, and many guards hold their eyes wide open far longer than they would anywhere else.

• Blink deliberately at the end of each scan cycle, without breaking the pattern.
• Keep your scanning pattern moving; fixed staring is harder on eyes than active sweeping.
• Use your rotation off the stand to close your eyes briefly and look at something distant.

Glare off the water

Sunlight reflecting off a pool or lake comes back up at your eyes from below, where a cap brim can’t block it. Glare also hides what’s under the surface, which is a safety problem as much as a comfort one. People squint against it, and a squinting eye doesn’t blink fully.

• Polarized sunglasses cut reflected glare and let you see into the water more clearly.
• Pick lenses that don’t distort color or depth, and test them from your stand before a full shift.
• A brimmed hat handles light from above while the lenses handle light from the water.
• Use a retainer strap so glasses stay on during a rescue.
• Follow your facility’s rules on eyewear on the stand; some have specific policies.

Outdoor pools and beaches

Outdoor shifts add sun, heat and wind. A breeze across an open deck or a beach dries the eye’s surface continually, and sand or grit can blow into your eyes at the waterline. Rotating stands that face into the afternoon sun are especially tough. Drinking water through the shift helps your whole body cope with heat, and a wet towel over closed eyes during a break feels good and gives the eyes a rest.

Indoor pool air

Indoor pools have their own problems. The air is warm, and in many facilities it carries a sharp chemical smell from the chemicals used to keep the water clean, which can sting the eyes. Guards working indoors for a full shift often notice eye irritation more than swimmers who spend an hour there. If the air at your facility makes your eyes burn, tell a supervisor; ventilation and water chemistry are things the facility can check. Step outside or into a staff room on breaks for fresher air.

Goggles vs. sunglasses for lifeguards

On the stand, sunglasses are the usual choice because they let you see the whole zone and keep your peripheral vision. Swim goggles narrow your view and fog up out of the water. In the water, during training, in-water rotations or a rescue, goggles keep pool water out of your eyes and let you see underwater, so many guards keep a pair at the stand. Dry eyes after swimming in a pool covers the swimmer’s side of chlorine and goggles.

Lifeguard eyesight requirements

Certification courses and employers set their own vision and fitness standards, and they vary. If you wear glasses or contacts, ask your training program or employer what they expect on the stand and in the water. Quell’s label doesn’t cover use with contact lenses, so if you wear them, ask your eye doctor before using any drop with them in.

Using eye drops on a lifeguard shift

Never on the stand. Putting in a drop takes your eyes off the water for several seconds and blurs your vision briefly, which no guard should do while on duty. Use your break or rotation instead:

• Get off the stand and out of your zone, with coverage handed over.
• Rinse off sunscreen and pool water, and wash your hands with soap.
• Follow the directions: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye.
• Keep the tip clean: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination. A wet deck or lifeguard chair is exactly the kind of surface to avoid.
• Give your vision a moment to settle before you go back up.

Quell’s Uses are For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye. It’s designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss, which suits long hours in sun and moving air. Read the full Drug Facts before using it, including the caution about egg or bird allergies.

Where to keep drops at the pool

The guard room or a bag in the shade, not the stand, a deck chest in the sun or a car in the parking lot. The label says Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F), and a lifeguard stand on a summer afternoon can get much hotter than that. Can you leave eye drops in a hot car? covers the parking lot.

When it’s more than a long shift

Sand or grit that won’t rinse out, an eye that hurts, or vision that stays blurry after you’re out of the sun and water need a doctor’s look. Stop use and ask a doctor if you feel eye pain or changes in your vision, if irritation or redness continues, or if the condition worsens or persists for 72 hours.