Young Mike Krumholz has more than 30,000 followers on TikTok.
According to the CDC, this parasite affects one in 33 million people who wear contact lenses.
A shocking case of eye infection due to improper use of contact lenses occurred in Florida, United States, where a young man, identified as Mike Krumholz, ended up affected by a parasite that meant the loss of an eye, a situation that in turn meant a change in his life.
The story of the young man who lost his eye thanks to a carnivorous parasite, went viral in the United States thanks to its dissemination through social networks, it became a case of alert for thousands of contact lens users in the world, about the importance of giving a proper handling to these elements, warning in turn the importance of removing them before sleeping.
As he explained, the young man fell asleep without removing his contact lenses. Once he woke up, he removed them, only it was too late: his eye was red, from what he thought was conjunctivitis.
“They found the herpes virus in my eye (or so they thought). They treated me for a whole month for the virus. I got tired of hearing ‘this is just a very stubborn virus, but it will go away,’” he wrote on the TikTok platform.
Despite the medications and medical monitoring, his eye did not improve. On the contrary, the pain increased. After more analysis, they managed to give him an accurate diagnosis: “I got a call saying I had Acanthamoeba keratitis.”
@mikekrumholz13 Replying to @keepitupboss little update on how it looks right now @mrbeast hasn’t answered ): #acanthamoebakeratitis #fyp #eyes #miami #opthalmologist ♬ original sound – Mikekrum13
What is Acanthamoeba keratitis?
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Acanthamoeba keratitis is a rare but serious infection of the eye that can cause permanent visual impairment or blindness. This infection is caused by a microscopic free-living amoeba (living single-celled organism) called Acanthamoeba.
Acanthamoeba causes Acanthamoeba keratitis when it infects the clear outer covering of the eye called the cornea. Acanthamoeba amoebas are very common in nature and can be found in bodies of water (eg, lakes and oceans), soil, and air.
What are the symptoms of the infection?
The symptoms of Acanthamoeba keratitis can be very similar to the symptoms of other eye infections. These symptoms, which can last several weeks or months, can include:
- Eye pain
- eye redness
- Blurry vision
- light sensitivity
- Sensation of something in the eye.
- excessive tearing
Patients should see their ophthalmologist if they have any of the above symptoms. Acanthamoeba keratitis will eventually cause severe pain and possible vision loss or blindness if left untreated.
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