Acanthamoeba Keratitis Symptoms

Acanthamoeba keratitis is a serious eye infection that most commonly occurs in individuals who wear contact lenses. Acanthamoeba keratitis are tiny parasites that are sometimes found in well water, tap water, hot tubs, sewage systems and contaminated soil. Symptoms of acanthamoeba keratitis are often mistaken for other eye infections, which delays medical treatment.

Causes

• Acanthamoeba keratitis may occur when contacts are not cleaned properly or when they are washed using contaminated tap or well water. Also, wearing contacts in a hot tub, swimming pool or the shower may lead to acanthamoeba keratitis. Storing lenses in a dirty contact lens case can also lead to acanthamoeba keratitis.

Physical Eye Symptoms

• Acanthamoeba keratitis will cause an eye to appear red and inflamed. Also, individuals with this type of infection usually will experience eye pain. In addition, the eyes may be excessively watery. An individual also may feel as if something is in his eye that is causing irritation. As the condition progresses, a ring-shaped ulceration may be visible around the cornea.

Vision Symptoms

• Acanthamoeba keratitis may cause blurry vision. It also may cause the eyes to become overly sensitive to light. In most cases, some vision may be lost. The only way to restore lost vision is with a corneal transplant.

Treatment

• Initially, acanthamoeba keratitis is usually treated with antibiotics, because the infection often can be mistaken for other conditions. However, acanthamoeba keratitis is resistant to antibiotics. Treatment for acanthamoeba keratitis generally involves using medications such as diamidines, imidazoles, aminoglycosides and antiseptics.

  Acanthamoeba keratitis is very difficult to treat effectively. The most severe cases may require a corneal transplant.

Prevention

• To prevent acanthamoeba keratitis, contact wearers should avoid wearing their contacts while taking showers or swimming, use a quality contact-cleaning solution daily and replace their contact lens case monthly. If an infection occurs, medical treatment should be sought immediately to prevent permanent damage.