Man who slept wearing contact lenses went partially blind after flesh-eating bacteria infects his eye

Mr Michael Krumholz became partially blind in his left eye after it was infected with a flesh-eating bacteria in December 2022. PHOTOS: MICHAEL KRUMHOLZ/FACEBOOK via The Straits Times/Asia News Network

SINGAPORE — He used to lead an active lifestyle playing baseball and hitting the gym but now spends most of his time at home in darkness with the curtains drawn.

Mr Michael Krumholz, a 21-year-old man from Florida, became partially blind in his left eye after it was infected with a flesh-eating bacteria in December 2022.

The sports management student told British tabloid Daily Mail that the ordeal began after he had taken a 40-minute nap with his contact lenses on.

When he woke, his left eye was blood shot and his vision distorted. As he frequently slept with his contact lenses on, he shrugged off the discomfort and simply removed the lenses from his eyes.

In the days that followed, however, Mr Krumholz experienced excruciating pain and a gradual loss of vision.

He told Daily Mail: “I thought I had pink eye or something. The doctor took a picture of my eye and said something is not right.”

Doctors initially thought his eye had been infected by a herpes virus, which people contract by touching a cold sore and then their eyes.

But when his condition continued to worsen despite treatment, doctors swabbed his eye and the sample tested positive for Acanthamoeba Keratitis – a rare but serious infection that can result in permanent loss of vision.

The infection is caused by a flesh-eating parasite found in soil, dust and fresh bodies of water such as lakes.

In the United States, about two people out of a million contact lens users contract the infection each year.

According to Raffles Medical Group in Singapore, contact lens users tend to be at higher risk of developing eye infections due to frequent hand to eye contact.

In more severe cases, such infections develop into corneal ulcers, but they are rarely so severe that surgery such as corneal transplantation is required.

Mr Krumholz is now able to see only black and grey flashes in his left eye, which he compares to static on a television. His right eye is unaffected.

He said: “It’s a constant pain. I’m pretty proud of my pain tolerance but I have been screaming in pain. I wish I were exaggerating.”

Since his diagnosis, he has undergone surgery and light therapy to help fight the parasite. Doctors recommend a cornea transplant which may be able to help him recover part of his vision.

Mr Krumholz was scheduled to receive the transplant earlier in February but it had to be postponed as his eye is still infected with the bacteria.

He said: “The most painful thing about this is all the waiting. I am on many medications and have been treated for this since January.”

He added that other than trips to the hospital, he has not been able to leave his house for over a month as his infected eye is very sensitive to light.

“Any light sends an immediate shock to my head and my eye starts watering,” he said.

Mr Krumholz now cautions others against sleeping with their contact lenses on.

“Please don’t. There are consequences and (what I’m going through) is the worst-case scenario.”

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