Amoeba That Can Eat Contacts and Eyes

[DiamondSmiles]

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Contact lens wearers at risk of amoeba that can eat eyes

Millions of contact lens wearers are at risk from an eye-devouring amoeba that can cause blindness, experts have warned.

Acanthamoeba is abundant in tap water as well as rivers, ponds and lakes.

It can infect anyone who fails to clean their lenses properly, or keeps them in a dirty case, yet few people are aware of the parasite, and the condition it causes is often diagnosed wrongly or missed.

Each year in the UK doctors treat around 75 people infected with acanthamoeba.

The number is small, but anyone unlucky enough to pick up the organism is in for an unpleasant experience.

Acanthamoeba sticks to contact lenses and burrows its way through the cornea, causing acute pain. It feeds on bacteria and the corneal tissue.

Treatment requires hospital admission and round-the-clock administration of disinfecting eye drops.

If this fails to work, a corneal transplant may be needed, but in the most serious cases, the organism is so deeply embedded it cannot be removed and blindness results.

An estimated 3.7 million contact lens wearers in the UK and more than 125 million worldwide are at risk from acanthamoeba, say scientists.

Dr Fiona Henriquez, from the University of the West of Scotland, said: "It is a potential problem for every single contact lens wearer. The incidence is quite low but that may be a problem with diagnosis."

She added: "There are no effective drug treatments. The drugs used are often ineffective and it's a very brutal regime.

"It requires hospitalisation and topical applications of a toxic substance to the eye.

"We're trying to improve the elimination of this parasite and prevent blindness."

Graeme Stevenson, an optician working with the scientists to develop better contact lens solutions, said: "A lot of infections are caused by rinsing contact lenses out with tap water or swimming or showering while wearing lenses."

It could take just a week for the organism to penetrate deep into the cornea and cause scarring, leading to cloudy vision. Infection is much more likely if there is an abrasion on the cornea.

Single use daily contact lenses are the safest option, and lens cases should be changed every week, said the experts, who issued their warning at the British Science Festival at the University of Aberdeen.

The Canary Islands is an acanthamoeba hot spot because of the way water is stored there, they added.

Holidaymakers are especially at risk because they tend to be less careful about contact lens hygiene.


*People who spit on their lenses and re-insert them creep me out! I never had to use water with contacts, unless it was distilled. I washed my hands between every touch. I associate these things with poor hygience, but, then, I associate a lot of illnesses with dirt.*

I found a wikipedia link. This is the, "genius amoeba". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthamoeba


Acanthamoeba Keratitis:

What Contact Lens Wearers
Need To Know By Edward S. Bennett, OD, and Gary Heiting, OD

Acanthamoeba eye infections in contact lens wearers are rare but serious, and they often start because of improper lens handling and poor hygiene.

To avoid Acanthamoeba keratitis, contact lens wearers should follow lens wearing and cleaning instructions from both manufacturers and eye doctors very closely. Proper contact lens care greatly reduces the risk of all contact lens-related eye infections, including those caused by Acanthamoeba.

Prevention is always the best approach, because Acanthamoeba keratitis can be extremely difficult to treat; in fact, sometimes these infections require a corneal transplant, which is a serious surgical procedure.

What Are Acanthamoeba?

Acanthamoeba are naturally occurring amoeba, (tiny, one-celled animals), commonly found in water sources, such as tap water, well water, hot tubs, and soil and sewage systems.

If these tiny parasites infect the eye, Acanthamoeba keratitis results. The condition was first diagnosed in 1973, with about 90 percent of cases involving contact lens wearers.

Acanthamoeba Outbreaks Among Contact Lens Wearers

In recent years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other researchers have noted sporadic outbreaks of Acanthamoeba keratitis cases among contact lens wearers.

For example, in 2007 the CDC released several public health warnings regarding Acanthamoeba keratitis associated with use of the contact lens solution Complete MoisturePlus, manufactured by Abbott Medical Optics (AMO) — formerly Advanced Medical Optics.

The CDC said a sevenfold increase in the risk of developing Acanthamoeba keratitis associated with use of the contact lens solution prompted AMO to withdraw Complete MoisturePlus from the market. The contact lens solution itself was not contaminated, but it seemed to be ineffective in preventing Acanthamoeba keratitis.

The CDC has issued similar warnings concerning fungal eye infections associated with the use of Bausch + Lomb's ReNu With MoistureLoc contact lens solution, which was removed from worldwide markets in May 2006.

What Causes Acanthamoeba Keratitis?

Factors and activities that increase the risk of contracting Acanthamoeba keratitis include using contaminated tap or well water on contact lenses, using homemade solutions to store and clean contacts, wearing contact lenses in a hot tub and swimming or showering while wearing lenses.

Contact lens wearers need to us good hygiene to prevent eye infections caused by Acanthamoeba. A dirty lens case also can be a source of Acanthamoeba infection.

In addition, some scientists theorize that new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations aimed at reducing carcinogenic, (potentially cancer-causing), products such as disinfectants in the water supply may have inadvertently boosted microbial risks, including an increased likelihood of finding Acanthamoeba in water supplies.

Other researchers associate recent increases in contact lens-related eye infections with the introduction of, "no-rub", lens care systems that may result in less effective contact lens cleaning and disinfection.

But regardless of the cause of the increase, Acanthamoeba can be killed easily, especially when rubbed off the lens surface during cleaning. In the end, good contact lens hygiene is the best way to prevent Acanthamoeba keratitis.

How Do You Know if You Have Acanthamoeba Keratitis?

Symptoms of Acanthamoeba keratitis include redness and eye pain after removing your contact lenses, as well as tearing, light sensitivity, blurred vision and a feeling that something is in your eye.

Advanced Acanthamoeba keratitis can cause a white "ring" to cover the iris, as well as redness in the white of the eye. With these types of symptoms, you should always contact your eye doctor. But keep in mind that Acanthamoeba keratitis is often difficult for your eye doctor to diagnose at first, because it's symptoms are similar to pink eye symptoms and those of other eye infections.

Diagnosis of keratitis often occurs once it is determined that the condition is resistant to antibiotics used to manage other infections. A, "ring-like", ulceration of your corneal tissue may also occur.

Unfortunately, if not promptly treated, Acanthamoeba keratitis can cause permanent vision loss or require a corneal transplant to recover lost vision.

How Can You Reduce the Risk of Getting Acanthamoeba Keratitis?

There are several easy ways to greatly reduce the chance of getting this sight-threatening condition — and, in fact, any type of contact lens-related eye infection:

1. Follow your eye doctor's recommendations regarding care of your contact lenses. Use only products that he or she recommends.

2. Never use tap water with your contact lenses. Do not swim, shower or use a hot tub while wearing them. If you do decide to wear your lenses while swimming, wear airtight swim goggles and afterward dispose of the lenses immediately.

3. Be sure to soak your lenses in fresh disinfecting solution every night. Don't use a wetting solution or saline solution that isn't intended for disinfection.

4. Always wash your hands before handling your lenses.

5. Unless you are wearing disposable contact lenses that are replaced daily, always clean your contacts immediately upon removal, rubbing the lenses under a stream of multipurpose solution — even if using a "no-rub" solution — and storing them in a clean case filled with fresh, (not "topped off"), multipurpose or disinfecting solution.

Take Care of Your Contact Lens Case

Cleanliness and proper care are equally important for contact lens cases.

Besides using good hygiene when handling contact lenses, clean and sterilize your lens cases, to avoid Acanthamoeba contamination. Many eye doctors recommend that you rinse your contact lens case with hot tap water and leave it out to air dry when not in use.

Other doctors, citing that Acanthamoeba can be present in tap water, say you should use only contact lens disinfecting solution, (or multipurpose solution), to rinse and clean your contact lens case. Ask your eye doctor for advice on this important matter.

When allowing your lens case to air-dry, research shows there is less risk of contamination if the case is placed face-down in an area of low humidity, (in your bedroom rather than your bathroom, for example).

As an extra precaution, you might want to consider sterilizing your empty contact lens case once a week by submerging it in boiling water for a few minutes.

Many eye doctors also say you should discard and replace your contact lens case at least every three months to help prevent contamination.

Again, prevention is your best defense against Acanthamoeba keratitis. Always use good hygiene during contact lens use and care. And if you notice any unusual eye symptoms that might indicate an infection, immediately consult your eye doctor.

http://eyewiki.aao.org/Acanthamoeba_Keratitis


LOTS of pictures here:
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...is&FORM=IQFRDR

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/ne...#ixzz25r0kMZ16

[zombie-rot420]

You couldnt find a picture of a nasty eaten eyeball??? I feel jipped.

[shtmtlpimp]

Dude that's a long ass article without any goodies at the end!? Damn!

[Darkest Angel]

Thanks for the warning tho. The article only mentioned UK so not a problem in the US?

[khathryn]

Yikes. I wear my contacts for like two or three weeks before I take them out to soak. Maybe that's not such a good thing? lmao

[DiamondSmiles]

Originally Posted by zombie-rot420

You couldnt find a picture of a nasty eaten eyeball??? I feel jipped.

I never know what I'll find. I'll keep looking. I'm curious, too ;)

See? Just ask and you shall receive!

[DiamondSmiles]

Originally Posted by khathryn

Yikes. I wear my contacts for like two or three weeks before I take them out to soak. Maybe that's not such a good thing? lmao

Some lenses are made for that, and I know people who also do that, but, I cannot. Personally, I don't think it's a good idea.

I don't wear contacts anymore because they were more trouble than they were worth for me.

I'm only good with them when they're brand new right out of the vial. Once I clean them, they're no good to me.

I've tried every product you can probably mention available in the US, if you are here, even an old heating method.

I'm sure cases will start turning up all over.

[Brometheus]

pics make people happy.. now i like this thread..

[DiamondSmiles]

Originally Posted by Brometheus

pics make people happy.. now i like this thread..

As long as you are happy...

I'm disappointed when there are no pictures, too, even if it's a dirtbag or incubator!

[Brometheus]

oh and i gave you 5 stars