Fatal mistake with lenses nearly cost woman her eyesight
A UK resident, Emma Marsden, nearly lost her vision due to a rare parasite that entered her eye after a fall into mud. The woman did not remove her contact lenses, leading to acanthamoeba keratitis. Doctors sewed her eyelid shut, and a corneal transplant is required.
A UK resident, Emma Marsden, nearly lost her vision due to a rare parasite that entered her eye after a fall into mud. The 47-year-old former personal trainer from Lancashire fell headfirst into a wheelbarrow of mud and water while cleaning stables in February. She only washed her face but did not remove her contact lenses until evening. Four days later, her eye began to hurt and her vision deteriorated. Doctors diagnosed a corneal ulcer, but the condition worsened and the eye went blind. In March, acanthamoeba keratitis was identified—a rare disease caused by acanthamoeba, which lives in soil and water. The parasite was eating through the cornea and nerve endings. The pain is described as surpassing childbirth contractions. Surgeons sewed the eyelid shut for healing. The woman undergoes weekly checkups and applies drops six times every two hours. A corneal transplant will be needed in the future, but due to the infection, surgery will be delayed for several years; in the worst case, removal of the eye is threatened. Marsden continues to wear lenses on her left eye, emphasizing that the problem is poor hygiene, not the product.