Brooklyn McCasland, 23, who lives in the US, had the opportunity to go to a beautiful beach in Alabama with her friends in August. However, a few days later, the young woman's life turned into a nightmare with a simple mistake she made on the beach trip, when she started experiencing "the worst pain she had ever felt in her life."
Brooklyn forgot to take out her contact lenses while swimming. When she returned from vacation, she started to feel severe pain in her eye, which forced her to go to the doctor.
At first, doctors thought she had sand in her eye and treated her with eye drops and antibiotics, claiming it was a simple infection. However, over time, the outer layer of her eye began to look cloudy, increasing the young woman's concerns.
The expert, who scanned Brooklyn's eye in detail, observed white and cloudy particles of matter. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that the parasites had settled in the young woman's cornea.
“I HAD BEEN USING LENSES FOR 20 YEARS; I DID NOT KNOW THE DANGER!”
It was determined that these microscopic organisms, called Acanthamoeba, seep under the lenses from seawater and damage the eye tissue. McCasland, who lost the vision in her right eye, is now waiting for a $5 cornea transplant. Her treatment costs have already reached $62. Brooklyn expressed her situation by saying, “I have been wearing contact lenses for 20 years and I have always showered and swam with my lenses. I did not know about this risk.”
While approximately 1500 people in the United States are infected with parasites each year, it is stated that 90 percent of these cases are seen in contact lens users. This situation emphasizes that lens users should be careful when coming into contact with sea water.
