Parasites Bury in Woman's Eye After She Went Swimming in Contact Lenses: 'Most Pain I've Ever Experienced'

Parasites burrowed into a Texas woman’s eye, causing her to go blind — and that’s because she was swimming with contact lenses.

Brooklyn McCasland, 23, was visiting Alabama with friends in August when she says she contracted the parasite acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), which the Cleveland Clinic explains is an amoeba that can damage your cornea and cause vision loss.

“This infection mimics other common infections so I was put on steroids and a few other drops at the time,” McCasland explained in a GoFundMe set up to help pay her substantial medical bills.

A delay in diagnosing acanthamoeba keratitis caused McCasland’s infection to worsen, she said.

Brooklyn McCasland contracted a parasite after going swimming with contact lenses.

Kennedy News and Media

“I suffered the worst pain I’ve ever experienced and ended up going completely blind in my right eye,” she said.

McCasland said she saw an eye doctor every two days and was referred to different eye doctors as she searched for an answer to her pain and vision loss.

Florida man dies of brain-eating amoeba after flushing sinuses with tap water

When “I got the results that I had AK,” McCasland said she was told “I could go permanently blind or lose an eye if I didn’t start treatment right away.”

She adds that “because this infection is so rare, the drops used to treat it are only made in the UK. Fortunately, the doctor’s office in Dallas had several samples, so I was able to start treatment as soon as possible.”

McCasland said she needs to put drops in her eyes every 30 minutes because “it’s such a slow healing process.”

Close-up of a parasitic infection in Brooklyn McCasland’s eye.

Kennedy News and Media

“I’m thankful that we know exactly what it is and that I can start the right treatment,” she said. “If I had known that I could have avoided all this pain by not swimming in contacts, I never would have done it.”

Acanthamoeba keratitis infections are rare, with an estimated 1,500 infections in the US per year – but contact lens wearers account for a whopping 90% of those cases. As the Cleveland Clinic explains, wearing contact lenses for too long, improperly storing or cleaning them, and wearing them while swimming or showering can increase the risk of parasite infection.

Also, “wearing contact lenses causes less corneal abrasion, which is a key initial step for Acanthamoeba infection.” the National Medical Library pointed out.

Mum almost went blind from parasites from swimming in contact lenses: ‘It was so horrible’

And for McCasland, her battle with the infection is far from over. As she shared in a GoFundMe update, a recent visit to the doctor confirmed that “it didn’t look completely worse, but it didn’t look any better than last time either.”

“There is a possibility that I will need a corneal transplant after we get rid of the infection. This could take months, but I’m grateful that we know exactly what it is,” McCasland said. “I hope my journey prevents anyone else from going through this.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to interesting people stories.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education