• A young man from Florida in the United States, age 21, experienced a similar situation.
• He accidentally slept with his contact lenses, which caused him to lose eyesight in one eye.
• Yet, he took a snooze on that one busy day and awoke with severe pink eye.

Contact lenses are a blessing for people who wear glasses specifically. We are aware of how uncomfortable it may be to wear masks when wearing those glasses at events, on excursions, or when they fog. Although many people use it every day, even the smallest error can have long-lasting consequences.

A young man from Florida in the United States, age 21, experienced a similar situation. Michael Krumholz accidentally slept with his contact lenses, which caused him to lose eyesight in one eye. Krumholz had worn it for the previous seven years and had never experienced any problems. Yet, he took a snooze on that one busy day and awoke with severe pink eye.

The 21-year-old said on his GoFundMe page that he created it to increase awareness in addition to raising money for his surgery, “I woke up and it felt like bad allergies or maybe even pink eye. I was misdiagnosed with HSV1 in my eye but after five different ophthalmologists and 2 cornea specialists visits, I was diagnosed with a very rare parasite in my eye called acanthamoeba keratitis.”

He contracted it last month, according to the description on the page, and quickly lost all vision in his right eye.

What is Acanthamoeba keratitis, a rare parasite that eats human flesh?

Acanthamoeba keratitis is a rare but deadly eye infection that can cause irreversible vision loss or blindness, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The microscopic, free-living Acanthamoeba ameba (single-celled living creature) is the culprit behind this infection.

The cornea, the clear outer layer of the eye, becomes infected by acanthamoeba keratitis. Acanthamoeba amebas are quite prevalent in nature and can be found in soil, air, and water bodies (such as lakes and oceans). Although anyone can get the illness, those who wear contacts are most likely to get canthamoeba keratitis.

Symptoms

Eye discomfort
A reddened eye
Distorted vision
Responsiveness to light
Excessive weeping Feeling of something in the eyes
What causes it?

Incorrectly storing and handling lenses
Incorrect lens disinfection (such as using tap water or homemade solutions to clean the lenses)
Using contact lenses while swimming, utilizing a hot tub, or taking a shower
Being exposed to hazardous water
Having a history of corneal injury

Acanthamoeba keratitis symptoms might be very similar to those of other eye infections. These signs and symptoms, which may persist for weeks or months, can include.

[embedpost slug=”/contact-lenses-the-dos-and-donts/”]