Acanthamoeba causes acanthamoeba keratitis by infecting your cornea, the outer layer of your eye. The amoeba can eat into the lower layers of your eyes. Symptoms of acanthamoeba keratitis include:
Eye pain.
Eye redness.
Blurry vision.
Light sensitivity.
Feeling of something in your eye.
Dr. Dhaliwal says it can be difficult to diagnose acanthamoeba keratitis early because the symptoms are similar to other conditions. The amoeba also can change shape, making treatment difficult. Acanthamoeba keratitis can lead to severe, potentially permanent eye damage, including blindness. “When we see people coming in with these infections, it’s devastating,” Dr. Dhaliwal says. “It’s painful, and it can be blinding. The sad part is that some of these infections are preventable.”