Any lessons from this story? Contact lens wearer loses cornea to parasite

AndrewJRenko

https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/health/eye-eating-parasite-blinded-dublin-15019316

Do anyone other contact lens wearers get a little twinge of concern reading this story? The probability is very low obviously, but the impact is very high.

I wear my contacts to cycle to work, and then shower in work. It would be messy enough to be taking my lenses out in work, in a shared changing room. But showering with lenses in is one of the risk factors for this kind of infection.

Are there any other options?

gctest50

You can see the surgery needed here :


https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/picture-eye-eating-parasite-left-13068052


that parasite is all over the place in tap water

AndrewJRenko

Is there any benefit in running the shower water first? Or running it very hot - would that kill the little feckers off?

Daisies

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Is there any benefit in running the shower water first? Or running it very hot - would that kill the little feckers off?

Nope. Acathomeba is only killed by hydrogen peroxide. It breeds in warm water. I recommend to patients that if they are going to swim/shower in their lenses that daily lenses are the best bet. Throw them out after use.

AndrewJRenko

Daisies wrote: »

Nope. Acathomeba is only killed by hydrogen peroxide. It breeds in warm water. I recommend to patients that if they are going to swim/shower in their lenses that daily lenses are the best bet. Throw them out after use.

Thanks - is there any good source for understanding this a bit more? If it gets into your eye in the shower, does it stick to your lens, or how is the lens hygiene so significant?

Daisies

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Thanks - is there any good source for understanding this a bit more? If it gets into your eye in the shower, does it stick to your lens, or how is the lens hygiene so significant?

So I can't find a good link after a quick google but the parasite can live on your lens and if there is any form of corneal abrasion etc (which can happen from dry eye, removing your lens etc) it will infect the cornea. One of the main issues is that in it's dormant state it is very difficult to kill.
http://eyewiki.aao.org/Acanthamoeba_Keratitis

seamus

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Do anyone other contact lens wearers get a little twinge of concern reading this story? The probability is very low obviously, but the impact is very high.

There was a similar thread on this recently, where I queried why more opthamologists weren't making a big deal of this to contact lens users. This had never previously been mentioned to me.

Then I went to get my prescription checked recently and the opthamologist must have repeated herself about 50 times about not wearing them in the shower or when swimming.

In the past I basically never removed my lenses except when swapping them out, but I'd be more vigilant now. Swimming is an annoying one; I couldn't swim if I didn't have some kind of corrective lens. So I have a small stock of dailies that I'll switch to if I plan on going swimming. I would tend to wear goggles anyway, so the risk is tiny.

AndrewJRenko

Daisies wrote: »

So I can't find a good link after a quick google but the parasite can live on your lens and if there is any form of corneal abrasion etc (which can happen from dry eye, removing your lens etc) it will infect the cornea. One of the main issues is that in it's dormant state it is very difficult to kill.
http://eyewiki.aao.org/Acanthamoeba_Keratitis

Thanks for the feedback, but that wouldn't really explain why showering/swimming with the lenses in would be such a problem. A lens wearer might have abrasions at any time, with or without the lens in place.

So I'm just trying to really understand the problem, as a first step to deciding the best approach.

seamus wrote: »

There was a similar thread on this recently, where I queried why more opthamologists weren't making a big deal of this to contact lens users. This had never previously been mentioned to me.

Then I went to get my prescription checked recently and the opthamologist must have repeated herself about 50 times about not wearing them in the shower or when swimming.

In the past I basically never removed my lenses except when swapping them out, but I'd be more vigilant now. Swimming is an annoying one; I couldn't swim if I didn't have some kind of corrective lens. So I have a small stock of dailies that I'll switch to if I plan on going swimming. I would tend to wear goggles anyway, so the risk is tiny.

Good to hear that they are taking it more seriously. For me, it's the morning shower in work after cycling in that is the problem. Do I really need to think about goggles for my shower?

Daisies

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback, but that wouldn't really explain why showering/swimming with the lenses in would be such a problem. A lens wearer might have abrasions at any time, with or without the lens in place.

Because the parasite lives in warm damp places, swimming pools, steam rooms, showers. That's where it breeds. It then can attach to the contact lens and can enter the cornea through an abrasion. At least with dailies and throwing them out after contact with water, even if the parasite is on the lens, it won't get a chance to invade the cornea.

S.M.B.

This is the thread form last year mentioned above. Worth having a quick read through.

seamus

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Good to hear that they are taking it more seriously. For me, it's the morning shower in work after cycling in that is the problem. Do I really need to think about goggles for my shower?

Have a case and solution in your washbag, take them out before the shower. Yes, it's a pain in the hole, but being honest your eyes do feel that bit fresher afterwards.