Emily Leath, 26, stepped into the shower one day, not realizing that it was going to have a devastating impact on the rest of her life. Leath developed acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), a rare yet serious eye infection most often seen in contact lens wearers. It’s caused by a parasite—an amoeba—that is typically in large bodies of water (think lake or ocean) but can also be found in tap water, which is why you should never rinse or store contacts in water—or wear them while swimming, in a hot tub, or when showering. In the worst cases, AK can lead to permanent blindness or eye loss. Here is Leath’s story as told to writer Michelle Vartan.
In the summer of 2022, I was in Florida visiting Disney World for a few days. I took a shower one evening, as one does. When I got out, I removed my contact lenses, and put them into the case with the recommended wetting solution before going to sleep, just as I had done many, many times before. This was really no different from my typical nightly routine, which I had been doing since I was 12 years old. Up until this point I had never heard there was any danger associated with taking a shower with contact lenses in.
The next morning I woke up with pain in my left eye. At first, I wasn’t worried because I had had corneal abrasions in the past (a scratch on the clear outer covering of the eye) and this just felt like a bad case, so I made a doctor appointment and was given routine antibiotics. But two days later, my symptoms were worse. The best way for me to describe it is like a shard of glass stabbing your eye, repeatedly over and over and over. I became sensitive to light, had to wear sunglasses, and stayed in a dark room. My family took me to the ER where I was diagnosed with a corneal ulcer (a bigger wound than an abrasion) and received antibiotics yet again. Even though I was doing eye drops every hour my pain somehow was ramping up.
I then went to a corneal specialist, which was actually a terrible experience. The doctor scraped my cornea to do a culture and see what was attacking my eye. You can’t imagine the pain. I was bawling when she said to me, “You need to stop crying. You’re acting like an adult baby.” I will never, ever forget it. It was so invalidating. I asked to see another specialist. This new person, who was much warmer, came in and diagnosed me with acanthamoeba keratitis (AK). To this day, I am grateful to her for suspecting AK, because people can actually be misdiagnosed for months or even years, and early treatment is vital. (And I’m so glad I spoke up and asked for alternative care!)
I left the clinic upset and confused. I didn’t know what this condition was or what to think. After online research, I learned that a tiny living amoeba can embed itself in microscopic abrasions in the eye, including ones made by contact lenses. Based on what I read, I completely panicked. All I could think was, Oh my God, I’m going to lose my eye. It was the scariest feeling, especially because I already have anxiety.
