With thousands of contact lens wearers in the Orlando area, it is essential to realize the importance of proper contact lens hygiene, which means regular cleaning and following the recommended schedule for disposing them.
Acanthamoeba is a single cell microscopic bug that can cause a severe infection in the cornea of the eye, which can lead to vision loss and even blindness. Very common in nature, this parasite can be found in Central Florida’s soil, tap water, lakes, oceans, air conditioning units, swimming pools, hot tubs, showers and even household dust.
Acanthamoebic keratitis, is when this parasite makes its way onto a contact lens and into a person’s eye, where it begins to feed on the cornea.
If you wear contact lenses you can reduce your risk by taking a few precautions.
Properly store and handle your contact lenses. This includes washing your hands before you touch them, storing them in appropriate contact lens solution and properly rinse them after you take them out.
Properly disinfect contact lenses. This includes not using tap water to clean lens case or the lenses themselves. When storing contact lenses in a case, never add new solution to old solution.
Take out your contact lenses when you swim in a pool, ocean, lake or enter a hot tub.
If you have a history of an eye injury or trauma to your cornea, this puts you at a higher risk.
Unless prescribed by a doctor, don’t sleep with your contacts in your eyes.
If you feel your eye is becoming infected, stop wearing your contact lenses and call Lake Nona Eye Care.
The Center for Disease control offers more advice on how to properly take care of your contacts.
Medical Daily has an article, referencing a student, Keo, who went blind after contracting the parasite through her contacts. “The amoeba had eaten up the surface of Kao’s eyes, breeding in the space between her eye and the lens. The director of ophthalmology at Taipei’s Wan Fang Hospital, Wu Jian-Liang said, “Contact lens wearers are a high-risk group that can easily be exposed to eye diseases. A shortage of oxygen can destroy the surface of the epithelial tissue, creating tiny wounds into which the bacteria can easily infect, spreading to the rest of the eye and providing a perfect breeding ground. The girl should have thrown the contact lenses away after a month, but instead, she overused them and has now permanently damaged her corneas.”
Routine eye exams are an important step for healthy eye, especially if you wear contact lenses on a regular basis.