In the bustling city of Austin, Texas, a young mother’s life was turned upside down by a shocking and terrifying incident, all due to a routine habit shared by millions: wearing contact lenses in the shower. Her story highlights a hidden danger that can lurk in the most ordinary activities.

What began as a mildly irritated eye after a workout quickly escalated into a nightmare that involved “82 doctor visits, over 12,000 miles of travel for specialized medical care, thousands of dollars spent on compounded eye drops, and one surgery.”

The cause of her ordeal? A rare and severe infection called Acanthamoeba Keratitis, which she contracted while 34 weeks pregnant. “After two weeks of doctor visits, I was finally referred to the most amazing eye doctor in Austin, who diagnosed me with the worst infection you can get in your eye,” she explains. Amoebae, which are present in nearly all water sources, can infiltrate the cornea, leading to blindness or even the loss of an eye. She laments, “I had been wearing contacts since I was 12 and was never told not to swim, shower, or hot tub in them.”

The treatment for AK is nothing short of excruciating. “For 3 months, the most sleep I got at a time was 30 minutes,” she recounts. “I had 5 different around-the-clock eye drops that had to be administered 5 minutes apart.” The pain, she says, “makes giving birth feel like a walk in the park. The pain was absolutely unreal. I try not to remember it.”

The road to recovery was long and filled with uncertainty. “In September, my condition worsened, and we began seeing Dr. Tu in Chicago, as he is one of the few doctors in the US who really knows how to treat this,” she says. Due to the rarity of her condition, “no doctors would touch it. I always say doctors who treat AK are saints.”

For the millions of contact lens wearers around the world, this mother’s ordeal serves as a wake-up call. It underscores the importance of comprehensive education on lens care and the risks associated with water exposure. Eye care professionals and public health authorities must prioritize communicating these essential safety measures to prevent others from facing similar challenges.

For those who rely on contact lenses, meticulous care and hygiene are crucial. Equally important is the responsibility of healthcare providers to ensure that users are fully informed of all potential risks, no matter how rare they may be.