Acanthamoeba Keratitis: What you should definitely know about it as a contact lens wearer
Acanthamoeba eye infections in lens wearers are rare but often serious, and frequently due to poor lens use and inadequate hygiene.
To avoid acanthamoeba keratitis, carefully follow the lens care instructions as well as the wearing and handling instructions provided by your doctor. Proper lens care will significantly reduce the risk of all eye infections that lens wearers can contract, including those caused by the dreaded acanthamoeba.
Prevention is always the best approach, as acanthamoeba keratitis can be particularly difficult to treat. In fact, these infections often require a cornea transplant, which is a particularly serious surgical procedure.
What are acanthamoebae?
Acanthamoebae are naturally occurring amoebae (small, single-celled organisms) commonly found in water sources such as tap water, as well as in spring water, hot tubs, and soil and sewage systems.
If these tiny parasites infect the eye, acanthamoeba keratitis is often the result. This condition was first identified in 1973, and approximately 90% of cases involved people who wear lenses.
Acanthamoeba keratitis mainly occurs in lens wearers
In recent years, researchers from various disease and prevention centers in the United States have noted a sporadic outbreak of acanthamoeba keratitis cases in people who wear lenses.
An advanced case of acanthamoeba keratitis can cause a white ring covering the iris of the eye, as well as red spots in the white of the eye.
What causes acanthamoeba keratitis?
Factors and activities that increase the risk of contracting acanthamoeba keratitis include using contaminated tap or spring water, making your own lens storage and cleaning solutions, wearing lenses in a hot tub, and swimming or showering while wearing your lenses.
A dirty lens can also be a source of acanthamoeba keratitis.
In addition to all this information, some scientists theorize that the new measures of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency aimed at reducing potentially carcinogenic products, such as disinfectants in water, may have contributed to increasing microbial risks, including a clear increase in the presence of acanthamoebae in the water.
Other researchers associate the recent increase in eye infections among lens wearers with the introduction of so-called 'no rub' lens care systems, which may result in less efficient cleaning and disinfection of the lenses.
But regardless of the exact cause of this increase, acanthamoebae can be easily eradicated, especially when they are rubbed off the surface of the lens during lens cleaning. In any case, good lens hygiene is still the best way to prevent acanthamoeba keratitis.
How do you know if you have acanthamoeba keratitis?
Symptoms of acanthamoeba keratitis include red eyes and eye pain after removing your lenses, as well as blurred, light-sensitive, and cloudy vision, and the annoying feeling of something being in your eye.
If you experience any of these symptoms, you should always contact your ophthalmologist as soon as possible. Keep in mind that acanthamoeba keratitis is often difficult for the doctor to diagnose initially because the symptoms are similar to the so-called pink-eye syndrome, and several other eye infections.
The diagnosis of keratitis is often made once it is determined that the condition is resistant to antibiotics that are effective against other infections. Corneal problems may also occur, forming a ring-shaped swelling.
Unfortunately, if acanthamoeba keratitis is not treated quickly enough, it can cause permanent vision loss or may require a corneal transplant to restore the patient's vision.
How can you reduce the risk of getting acanthamoeba keratitis?
There are several easy ways to reduce the chance of getting this sight-threatening condition, and generally speaking, any type of eye infection resulting from wearing contact lenses.
Remember to always thoroughly clean and sterilize your lens case to avoid contamination with acanthamoebae.
Golden advice
Follow your doctor's recommendations for contact lens care closely. Use only the products he or she recommends.
Never use tap water to clean your lenses.
Do not swim, shower, or take a hot bath while wearing contact lenses. If you do decide to wear lenses while swimming, wear airtight swimming goggles over them.
Soak your lenses in fresh disinfecting solution every night. Do not use wetting solution or saline solution that is not intended for cleaning lenses.
Always wash your hands before handling your lenses.
Unless you wear disposable lenses that you can replace daily, always clean your lenses immediately after removing them. Do this by rubbing the lenses under a sufficient amount of solution, even when using a so-called no rub solution. Then store the lenses in a clean case filled with fresh disinfecting solution. So, do not simply remove the top part of the solution to replenish it with a quantity of new solution.
Take good care of your contact lens case
Hygiene and good maintenance are particularly important for your contact lens case.
It is important to clean, rinse, and dry your lens case immediately after removing your lenses from the case. Discard your old solution and carefully rub the inside of the case with your clean fingers for at least 5 seconds. Then fill the case with suitable solution on a sterile saline solution (not tap or bottled water), then discard the solution and store the case upside down with the two parts open.
As an extra precaution, you can consider sterilizing your empty cases once a week by immersing them in boiling water for a few minutes.
Most doctors will also advise you to discard and replace your case at least once a month, and certainly a replacement of once every three months is necessary to prevent contamination.
We cannot stress enough, prevention is your best defense against acanthamoeba keratitis. Always ensure the necessary hygiene when using and maintaining your contact lenses. And if you notice even the slightest unusual symptoms in your eyes that may indicate that you are suffering from an infection, you should immediately make an appointment with your eye doctor to have it examined and prevent potential problems.