by Angelina Jennifer
Acanthamoeba Keratitis is a very rare and uncommon yet extremely dangerous disease for eyes. It is a type of eye infection which can attack anybody but mostly the contact lens wearers are at the highest risk.
If not taken care properly it can severely damage your eyes forever. Misuse of contact lenses such as not cleaning the lenses properly, bathing or swimming in contaminated water wearing lenses may lead to this disease.
Initially we cannot differentiate the symptoms of Acanthamoeba Keratitis from the other eye infections. So once you notice any kind of uneasiness or irritation in your eyes, it is a good idea to consult with an eye consultant without any delay. Following are some symptoms of this disease:
• Redness in eyes
• Allergy or soreness in eyes
• Constant tearing
• Blurred vision
• Problem with light
• Scratches on the surface of the eyes
• White patches on cornea
If you notice any of these symptoms in your eyes visit an ophthalmologist as soon as possible. An early diagnosis can prevent the disease from taking toll on your eyes. The process that is used to diagnosis the problem is called canfocal which helps the doctors to see the ameba. Sometimes doctors prefer to cure it with only antibiotic drops that will kill the germs. But if the problem gets complicated then you may have to go through corneal transplantation to cure it.
Most people recover from Acanthamoeba Keratitis completely only with some minimal effects on their eyesight. But there are also rare cases where people suffer long term damages such as loss of vision and cornea scars.
If the doctor detects that you are suffering from Acanthamoeba Keratitis, he/she may advice you to follow the following tips:
• Completely stop using contact lenses or if not possible try not to wear it at least at night
• Try not to use eye make ups
• Take pain killers prescribed by the doctor regularly
• Wear goggles or sunglasses to keep your eyes safe from dust and sun light
• Wear eye patch which can keep your eyes safe from light and help with the symptoms.
Apart from that you also need to take proper care of your contact lenses. You can use the following methods:
• Wash your hands carefully before touching the lenses for any reason.
• Always wash the lens using a disinfected solution instead of any other solution.
• Clean the lenses every time you remove them from your eyes.
• Do not ever use contaminated water or swim or take hot bath wearing contact lenses.
There are a number of eye consultants who may recommend rinsing your contact lens with hot water coming from taps. But you need to be sure that the tap water is clean and disinfected. Instead of taking the risk of with tap water you should wash it using a disinfected solution. It is better to be safe than sorry.
You can put the lens case in a place that has less humidity to dry. Put the face of the lens case down. It is better to dry your contact lenses in your bedroom instead of bathroom because the bedroom is normally the place where the humidity is lesser than the bathroom. This will prevent the risk of the contamination of the lens.
Most doctors always advise to choose the best quality contact lenses with a thorough research either on website or physically. You can consult with eye consultants to buy lenses at an affordable rate .You should not compromise with quality while buying lens.
It is a good idea to prevent the disease right from the beginning rather than curing it. You should always maintain a hygienic and balanced lifestyle to make yourself safe from Acanthamoeba Keratitis.
Still in spite of taking all the necessary safety measures, you may still experience some symptoms of this disease.
If you notice any kind of uneasiness, problems with eyesight or any kind of unusual symptom do not hesitate to rush to the doctors as soon as possible. Eyes are the most precious part of your body; therefore, you need to take care of them very well.
(This guest post is written by AJ, who is a freelance writer for various blogs and communities related to health. In her free time she writes articles related to health, fitness and anything that is related to them. She also writes for Get Lenses which is a website that sells a range of coloured contact lenses.)
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