She added: “The packaging of the lenses didn’t even say to keep them away from tap water. You’ll have to consult the manufacturer’s online user manual to find that information.”
The protozoan can attack the cornea
Acanthamoeba keratitis is relatively rare, but it can have devastating consequences. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines this condition as a serious eye infection that can result in permanent vision impairment or blindness. This infection is caused by a microscopic, free-living, single-celled protozoan organism called acanthamoeba, which can enter the eye through contact lenses.
“This happens when you wear contacts and shower, swim or take a hot bath with them in your eyes,” Prochnow said. “You can get it any time your contacts come into contact with tap water, which includes washing your face with your lenses in. They create microcracks in your eyes that are so small that you usually don’t notice them, but when the water gets in this protozoan and flows through your eye, it can get trapped between the lens and the eye.”
Prochnow underwent a grueling treatment regimen, including eye drops administered 24 hours a day, every hour for three months, multiple medications and, finally, a cornea transplant in the hopes of reversing the effects of the disease.
Her pregnancy had to be terminated at 37 weeks to start oral therapy, otherwise she would have lost her entire eye. Prochnow’s treatment included miltefosine, an intensive medication that required weekly blood tests to monitor for possible kidney failure, and other medications that had significant side effects. Fortunately, her vision is improving.
“Wearing contact lenses in the shower is a bad idea for several reasons,” Dr. Meenal Agarwal, an award-winning optometrist in Ontario, Canada, told Newsweek. “The most important of these is the increased risk of infection. Shower water contains bacteria that can cause a serious eye infection called microbial keratitis, and if the bacteria gets on your lenses, they can get trapped in your cornea, causing a potentially vision-threatening infection.”
The optometrist added that acanthamoeba keratitis can also be caused by unhygienic cleaning or storage of contact lenses, using tap water to rinse lenses or cases, and overuse of contact lenses.
“Basically, the protozoan makes its way to the front surface of the eye and infects it, causing severe pain, sensitivity to light, blurred vision and permanent vision loss if not treated promptly and properly,” Agarwal said.
Acanthamoeba keratitis can be difficult to diagnose and even more difficult to treat because it is resistant to treatment. Typical treatment involves a combination of eye drops, such as antiseptics and diamidines, but a corneal transplant, such as Prochnow, may be useful when the cornea is severely damaged.
I wore contact lenses in the shower
Prochnow took to social media on July 18 to share her harrowing experience in an effort to raise awareness about the condition. Prochnow, who goes by the online name @rachelprochnow, posted a video on Instagram detailing her diagnosis and her journey through excruciating pain and recovery. The video has since racked up more than 800,000 likes.
“A year ago I went blind in one eye because I wore contact lenses in the shower,” she told her followers. “It was the most excruciating pain I have ever felt and today is the day I will get a cornea transplant and hopefully regain my sight.”
Text published in the American magazine “Newsweek”. Title, lead and subtitles by the editors of “Newsweek Polska”.
