Parasite in the pool

Little did I realise when I wrote my last post on the perils of wearing contact lenses while swimming that there would soon be a full page in a national newspaper (The Daily Mail) giving a detailed report on just how dangerous it can be http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2191190/I-swam-contact-lenses--Im-blind-eye.html?ITO=1490. The article tells of a contact lens wearer who, while aware of the importance of good hygiene, was unaware of the risks of swimming in her monthly lenses and was blinded in one eye after a swim in a hotel pool. She ended up with Acanthamoeba keratitis, which resulted in six months off work, six operations and a number of hospital stays. She is still having treatment to try to regain some vision in the damaged eye. The Southampton General Hospital's eye unit described it as a severe case and pointed out that a possible lack of awareness on contact lens hygiene meant such cases were on the rise. 'The problem is that people have no idea of the risks of swimming or showering while wearing lenses,' the consultant ophthalmologist said, and it does seem that some sort of awareness campaign is needed. The other concern that is raised in this story is that online purchasers of contact lenses are turning up to hospital with more eye infections as they are not getting the contact lens checks and advice on hygiene that they would normally receive when buying their contact lenses in optometric practice. It could be a very costly way to cut corners, as this report emphasises.