Cases of eye infections due to contact lenses are increasing despite being easily avoidable! Learn more about the risks and take a look at some contact lens care tips.
A recent report of Jessica Greaney, an 18 year old student being admitted to hospital with Acanthamoeba keratitis has spread across the internet warning of this contact lens parasite. Moorfield Eye Hospital, The BBC reports, have highlighted an increase of this particular eye infection
Acanthamoeba are naturally occurring tiny, one-celled animals called amoeba which can attach to the contact lens. If the parasite infects the eye, this results in Acanthamoeba keratitis, which attacks the cornea and is incredibly difficult to treat. It can sometimes require a corneal transplant surgery - Greaney had to remain awake for a week while doctors attempted to treat the infection with eye drops rather than surgery.
Acanthamoeba are commonly found in water, from soil & sewage systems to hot tubs and tap water. Most cases (approximately 90%) of Acanthamoeba keratitis involve contact lens wearers- a simple drop of water could be the cause, which is the suspected source of Greaney’s infection.
Contact lens wearers generally have a higher risk of eye infections as micro-organisms such as bacteria and fungi can stick to the lens, causing an eye infection. Symptoms of a possible infection include irritation, discharge/tearing, swelling, red eyes, pain, blurring and vision loss, and even photophobia (light sensitivity).
Symptoms of Acanthamoeba keratitis are similar, with the additional signs of pain after the removal of your lenses and the feeling that there’s something in your eye. If you experience any of the above, it’s important to seek medical advice - the sooner you are treated, the less likely you are to have permanent damage.
Good lens hygiene, application, and eye care can greatly reduce your risks of an infection and discomfort. To help you keep your eyes healthy and infection free, we have put together a quick guide to contact lens best practices:
Use fresh solution for overnight storage and never re-use or top up the solution- it should always be discarded and replaced with fresh solution
Only use the solutions prescribed/specified by your eye care practitioner, don’t switch or mix brands unless advised this is ok
Don’t decant your solution into smaller containers, this could lead to contamination of the solution
Only use your solution to wet the lens, water and saliva are not safe alternatives and can risk an eye infection
Never use water to clean your lenses or their case – water can contain bugs that are harmful and can cause dangerous infections (see above)
Apply hairspray, deodorant or spray cologne/perfume before putting your lenses, make sure the spray has settled before insertion to avoid contaminating the lens
Seek advice from your eye care practitioner before using eye drops (other than the lubricant drops you’ve been recommended) as they are known to interact with contact lenses
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So Brian and I got away for a couple days for my friend’s wedding, which was awesome. The hard part was transporting the girls to my parent’s house, which is almost two hours, then going to our hotel one hour back. The next day was a drive back and forth to the salon, the ceremony and finally landing at the lodge for the reception, where we conveniently had a room for the night. The next day we had to drive back out to my parent’s house to pick up the girls, and then the almost two hours home. It was a lot of running around, but worth it for a couple days away to see one of my best friends get married!
But what do we come home to? Brody has what looks like a swollen, painful lymph node in his armpit and what appears to be a bullseye rash around it. Yep, the next morning his pediatrician confirmed Lyme Disease. That’s a scary thing to hear! Especially hearing he needs 21 days of antibiotics. Luckily he seems no worse for the wear, and hopefully the meds do their job.
As if that isn’t bad enough, the next morning Emerson woke up throughout the night with ear pain, and threw up a couple times in the morning. And she is not the best sick person! Trying to recover as a family from the weekend, unpack, clean up and reorganize, all on crappy sleep, is tough. The kids have been in cuddle mode all week, fighting over positions next to or on me.
Ems was feeling better later that day. I think I found the secret miracle cure for ear pain!! We’ve used drops of olive oil in the ear the last few ear aches we’ve had, and the pain is always gone within a day. Combine that with Ibuprofen, and the kids are up and running around before we know it. Try it! Let me know if it works for you too!
Posted in family, parenting	| Tagged 4th of July, earaches, HOM, Lyme Disease, multiples, quadruplets, quads, sparklers | 2 Comments |