A young American man got the shock of his lifetime when he lost sight in his right eye, after he fell asleep wearing his contact lenses, which led to him developing an amoeba that “eats” eye tissue.
And Mike Krumholz, 21, revealed the details of the terrible experience he was subjected to, saying that he often gets eye infections when he forgets to remove contact lenses, but the matter developed frighteningly when he fell asleep while wearing them at one time, reports Al-Rai daily.
He explained: “When I woke up from my nap, my eyes were very irritated and pink, and I felt annoyed and irritated by the lenses, as if they were floating in my eyes, so I took them out and went about my day normally.
The next morning, Krumholz was unable to wear his lenses and felt something abnormal in his eye, so he decided to see a doctor.
The young man went on to say that his condition was misdiagnosed, and doctors prescribed him antibiotics and steroids, which led to a significant deterioration in his condition.
After about a month of successive visits to different doctors, he was correctly diagnosed with Acanthamoeba keratitis, which is an amoeba (parasite) that eats flesh, specifically eye tissue.
He added, “I was severely damaged in my right eye, and I could no longer work or pursue my university studies. I live in the dark constantly, even though it has been more than 50 days since my injury.
He went on to say, “It is very strange not to be able to see people. You don’t want people to feel bad for you but at the same time you want to live like a 21-year-old in college.”
Krumholz confirmed that he was in severe pain, saying: “There is nothing that can prepare you for the pain that I had to endure since the beginning of my infection.”
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “this type of parasite affects one in every 33 million contact lens wearers in developed countries.”
Although after the correct diagnosis, the young man underwent photodynamic therapy, a treatment also used by cancer patients, and underwent surgery, he still cannot see in his right eye, except for black and gray flashes.
With regard to the existence of an effective treatment, he confirmed that the doctors told him that he was “not qualified” to perform an eye transplant, due to his young age, as his body would not bear it.
He added, “The transplant, if I ever qualify for it, I hope you will give me at least 50 percent, so that I can see a little.”
Krumholz expressed his hope that “his experience will teach others not to sleep with contact lenses on, and to follow medical instructions related to them.”