New Delhi: A 23-year-old woman from Texas, US, recently lost her vision after she went for a swim with her contact lenses on. While visiting Alabama with her friends in August, she contracted a rare parasitic infection known as acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) which damaged her cornea and resulted in vision loss. The amoebic infection mimics other diseases, therefore, when the patient was put on steroids and eye drops. It was also found that delay in diagnosis made the infection worse and it also caused unimaginable pain to the patient.
The 23-year-old revealed that she had been visiting the eye doctor every two days and that she was referred to a different eye specialist regarding vision loss and pain. And when she got the results back, it was confirmed to be a case of rare infection. This could reportedly have caused her to go blind completely, or lose her eye if treatment was not started immediately.
What is acanthamoeba keratitis (AK)?
Acanthamoeba keratitis is an often misdiagnosed corneal infection. According to a 2023 study by StatPearls journal, this infection primarily affects people who wear contact lenses, and it occasionally causes corneal trauma in non-contact lens users. The symptoms of this infection are:
Watery eyes
Eye pain
Light sensitivity
Feeling like something is stuck in the eyes
Irritation
Eye redness
Blurred, cloudy vision
Corneas looking cloudy
What are the causes of acanthamoeba keratitis?
The causes of acanthamoeba keratitis are:
Eye injuries
Using contact lenses
Exposure to contaminated water
And talk of the treatment, the infection is usually treated with either medication or surgery. As a precaution, it is advised to:
Store contact lenses properly
Discard in case of infection
Wear only as instructed
Avoid direct exposure to water in the eyes
The 23-year-old revealed that she had been visiting the eye doctor every two days and that she was referred to a different eye specialist regarding vision loss and pain. And when she got the results back, it was confirmed to be a case of rare infection. Health News Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
