Monroe Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Came across this story and was looking for more information about Acanthamoeba ... it's a wonder most of us are still alive. There are many species of Acanthamoeba and they seem to be almost everywhere. Student goes blind after keeping her contact lenses in for six months and microscopic bug EATS her eyeballs http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2687477/Student-goes-blind-keeping-contact-lenses-six-months-microscopic-bug-EATS-eyeballs.html A student in Taiwan who kept a pair of disposable contact lenses in her eyes for six months has been left blinded after a microscopic bug devoured her eyeballs. The tiny single-cell amoeba ate away at undergraduate Lian Kao's sight because she didn't take out and clean the contacts once during that time. According to a warning issued by doctors the case was a particularly severe example of a young person under pressure who did not take the time to carry out basic hygiene on their contact lenses. Definition of Acanthamoeba A microscopic organism, an amoeba, found in soil, dust and fresh water (lakes, rivers, hot springs and hot tubs). Acanthamoeba also occur in brackish water and sea water as well as in heating, venting and air conditioner units, humidifiers and dialysis units.Acanthamoeba can enter the skin through a cut, wound, or through the nostrils and, once inside the body, can travel to the lungs and through the bloodstream to other parts of the body, especially to the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). Through improper storage, handling, and disinfection of contact lenses, Acanthamoeba can enter the eye and there cause infection.A particularly dire infection caused by Acanthamoeba called granulomatous amebic encephalitis is characterized by headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, confusion, loss of balance, seizures, and coma that can progress over several weeks and end in death. Acanthamoeba infections occur more frequently in people with compromised immune systems and the chronically ill. Eye and skin infections are generally treatable while infections of the brain are almost always fatal. -------------------------- Acanthamoeba - Wikipedia Acanthamoeba is a genus of amoebae, one of the most common protozoa in soil and frequently found in fresh water and other habitats. -------------------------- Do You Wear Contact Lenses? ... There's something you should know. http://water.epa.gov/action/advisories/acanthamoeba/index.cfm What is Acanthamoeba? Pronounced A·can·tha·moe·ba, acanthamoeba is a microbe that is very common in the environment, including in tap water. It has two forms: the trophozoite and the cyst. The infective form is the trophozoite, which can change into a cyst and survive a long time. These trophozoites and cysts can stick to the surface of your contact lenses and then infect your eye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaclaz Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 I will archive this under the tag "surprising". You are normally told hat you shouldn't wear contact lenses for more than 8, max 12 hours, clean and disinfect them every time you take them off and clean them again before you put them on again and someone that exceeded this recommendation by a mere 6x30x24/8= 540 times factor had issues. Surprising. A couple quick comparisons:Your car manufacturer recommends to change the engine oil every 30,000 Km and you change it after 16.200.000 Km It is recommended that you have 3 meals every 24 hours and you eat only after 4.320 hours, i.e. after 6 months. jaclaz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monroe Posted July 11, 2014 Author Share Posted July 11, 2014 I completely agree with you ... amazing. I would have thought there would be a muscus film buildup that would prevent a person from having good vision. I wore hard plastic contacts many years ago, before the soft or disposable ones appeared on the scene. I could never go more than 6 hours with them in and also with plenty of eye drops for lubrication. One day I just gave up and bought several pairs of prescription sunglasses ... the kind that look just like regular sunglasses ... been happy ever since. I use regular sunglasses most of the time but for driving ... need the prescriptions. Just posted the article for anyone wearing contacts to be aware of what could happen ... that amoeba is pretty versatile ... "A microscopic organism, an amoeba, found in soil, dust and fresh water (lakes, rivers, hot springs and hot tubs). Acanthamoeba also occur in brackish water and sea water as well as in heating, venting and air conditioner units, humidifiers and dialysis units."... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROTS Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Student Goes blind after keeping CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP contacts inside eyes, without using boston fluid or just replacing them. Thank you for reminding me, why I have to get that $7000 operation over the $500 contact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dencorso Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Good optical crystal or polycarbonate glasses probably cost much less and won't harbor any tissue-eating bugs. And one just folds them and puts them on the nighttable before going to sleep, and on again, after getting up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoelC Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I always did think sticking things in your eyes was a bad idea. 30 years with eyeglasses and all the harm I've got are some indentations in the fat in front of my ears... -Noel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROTS Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 (edited) In no way, a person is suppose to keep over the counter, plastic/flexible lens in their eyes 24/7. That is like keeping an plastic toilet seat super glued, on to your thighs.Your can either have hard tiny lens, that are super small, or a big version of the original lens ( the big ones from the 1970's that people had, but are making a big comeback ). Your suppose to keep the lens inside BOSTON FLUID when you sleep, and before you leave the lens inside the special capsule, you need to wash it out, and wash the lens ( I forget but I am so afraid of that bateria bs ), and then reload the capsule with the special fluid and leave the lens inside of it. Then put it on, without rinsing the lens. You can rinse the capsule out, but not the lens. It is suppose to go inside a person eyes, directly from the capsule.That poor poor poor girl should have done some research or ask about it, from a resource or something. I mean omgsh, why did that have to happen to her. Also not washing your hands, and interacting with people who do not wash their hands could also lead to this problem she had. Edited July 12, 2014 by ROTS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now