Grace Jamison, 19, was showering when a parasite embedded itself in her cornea – causing her to start ‘going blind’ and leaving her with pain in both her eyes and head
A 19-year-old is confronting the terrifying reality of going blind after a rare parasite entered her eye – all because she showered while wearing contact lenses.
Grace Jamison, who recently shared her story on social media, was diagnosed in August with acanthamoeba keratitis – a condition caused by microscopic amoebas that embed themselves in the cornea. She explained that acanthamoeba is typically found in water sources such as lakes, wells and even shower water, as well as dust and dirt.
While anyone can contract the infection, contact lens wearers are particularly at risk if the recommended hygeine practices aren’t followed.
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“I was living in the Dominican Republic and I showered with my contacts in,” Grace said in a TikTok video that has been viewed more than six million times.
She added: “The water there is not very clean, and it had acanthamoeba in it.” She warned the infection cn also be contracted by swimming or sleeping in lenses.
Treatment is intensive and painful, the 19-year-old added. Grace says she must now apply medicated eye drops every thirty minutes to an hour, some containing pool disinfectant and other chemicals to kill the parasite.
The process is expected to last six months to a year, with further treatment required to address the scarring and damage the parasite has already caused.
“The symptoms of acanthamoeba are pretty brutal,” she said. “There’s a lot of eye pain, there’s a lot of pain in your head […] it causes blindness, cloudiness in your vision […] it is very, very hard to live with.”
Despite the challenges, Grace is using her experience to raise awareness about contact lens safety. She urged others to follow simple precautions. “Please wash your hands before you take [contacts] out or put them in.
“Please clean out your solution and change it every time you use your contacts. Don’t sleep in them, don’t swim in them, don’t shower in them,” she warned.
Grace said the goal of sharing her story is to make people realise how easyily vision can be compromised. “A lot of people, and me included, take vision for granted, and how important and amazing it is that we can see,” she said.