A 21-year-old man from the US named Mike Krumholz lost his vision in one eye due to a rare flesh-eating parasite which developed after he slept with his contact lenses on
Florida-based Mike had been wearing contact lenses for seven years and had often contracted ‘eye infection’ or ‘pink eye’. Though, the infection got cured within a few days with the help of medication
This time, things went too far, as Mike contracted Acanthamoeba Keratitis, which caused a vision loss in his right eye. This infection is caused by a microscopic, free-living ameba called Acanthamoeba. It creates trauma to the cornea and can lead to permanent vision loss if not treated
Mike has started a GoFundMe page to spread awareness to other contact lens wearers and help support himself while he fights the debilitating parasite. He has managed to raise close to $1,000 out of his $10,000 goal
"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,” said Mike said in a post
Mike has had one surgery so far called PDT relocation of conjunctival flap, which he called extremely painful. He added that he has "absolutely no vision" in the one eye
- Eye pain
- Eye redness
- Blurred vision
- Sensitivity to light
- Sensation of something in the eye
- Excessive tearing
Disclaimer: This information is based on reports and does not constitute professional advice
While contact lenses rarely harm the cornea, sleeping with contacts on can cause corneal infection or even ulcer and blindness in severe cases