The doctor warned about the danger of bathing in lenses

With prolonged use of disposable lenses and bathing in them, the risk of developing the disease increases by five to ten times. This is due to the fact that pools and running water can contain an amoeba that causes inflammation of the cornea of the eye. Dinara Loova, an ophthalmologist at the 3Z clinic, told Gazeta about this on Thursday, April 17.Ru».

"One of the most terrible keratitis is caused by the amoeba acanthamoeba. It lives in river and sea water, standing ponds, and can also be found in tap water and swimming pools. Unfortunately, this bacterium is resistant to chlorinated water," she said.

As the expert pointed out, keratitis poses a serious danger with untimely or improper treatment, which can lead to clouding of the cornea and blurred vision, and in severe cases, to the formation of ulcers.

Loova clarified that the main causes of keratitis are eye injuries and infections caused by viruses, fungi or protozoa.

According to the doctor, acanthamoebic keratitis is a serious disease accompanied by severe pain. It requires mandatory medical intervention, as it does not go away on its own.

The ophthalmologist added that in the early stages, the symptoms may resemble ordinary conjunctivitis, manifested only by redness of the eyes. In some cases, keratoconjunctivitis develops, in which the inflammatory process affects both the conjunctiva and the cornea.

The use of contact lenses, especially for a long time and in violation of hygiene rules, significantly increases the risk of infectious complications, said Loova. For example, sleeping in lenses increases the likelihood of developing keratitis by 10-15 times.

The doctor noted that before the widespread use of contact lenses, acanthamoebic keratitis was extremely rare, but now it is most often diagnosed in people who neglect the rules of lens care, for example, swimming in them in open waters.

On April 14, Associate Professor of the Department of Ophthalmology at the N.I. Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Ph.D. Tatiana Pavlova spoke about the benefits of glasses and lenses. According to her, glasses are a safer option because they are not in contact with the eye surface and do not pose a risk of infection. Meanwhile, glasses can limit the field of vision, interfere with sports, and fog up. The lenses provide a wider viewing angle, do not fog up or interfere, but require more careful care.