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Taking a shower is a daily task that most of us do not think about.
But for the British man Nick Humphreys, this proved damaging to his health.
The 29-year-old remained blind to the right eye after taking his lenses routine while still wearing his contact lenses. The sun reports.
"I did not think about it at the time. I have never been told not to wear contact lenses in the shower. There is no warning on the packaging, and my opticians have never talked about risk, "he said.
Nick, who has been wearing glbades since the age of four, opted for contacts in 2013 to facilitate the practice of his beloved football.
"By the mid-twenties, I really started to get into physical exercise and at the time, I thought my glbades were a huge obstacle," he explained. .
"When I finally overcame my fear of putting contacts, I thought they were the best thing ever."
He wears his contacts five days a week and wears glbades the other days.
"On a normal morning, I woke up, pbaded my lenses and headed to the gym before work, then jumped in the shower before going to the office," he said.
But after five years of contact with his contacts, he began to notice that something was not quite right in January 2018.
He supposed that he would have scratched his eyes by putting on lenses, but as the week went on, it became clear that something more serious had happened.
"For a few days, I used over-the-counter eye drops and I set all the display settings on my phone and my computer to the lowest brightness, which seemed to be doing the business, "he explained.
Eventually, Nick went to see an optician who told him that he had an ulcer in his eye and recommended that he go immediately to the hospital.
The ulcer, however, turned out to be an infection called acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), caused by a tiny parasite found in the water. He had come into Nick's eyes during his daily morning shower.
Although Nick said he had "never heard of the infection before," a week later the doctors revealed that the damage was so severe that he might need to get the eyes.
Despite undergoing surgery to try to save his eye, Nick lost his sight six months later.
"I went to work and my vision went completely into my right eye," he recalls. "I do not know how I managed not to break down, but I was quick to understand that I had to go back to the hospital."
The procedure – an amniotic membrane graft to the right cornea – was performed last July. This helped to clear the infection, which meant that Nick, who had been forced to stop working because of the pain, could at least begin to get back on track.
"Obviously, I did not want to be blind from the right eye, but at least, knowing that the infection was gone, I could start to get my life back on track. I could finally go back to work and start going to the gym.
Before, the pain was "too strong" and he had trouble getting out of the house.
"I felt at my lowest level and the only thing that would cheer me up – playing football – was no longer an option," Nick said.
After being referred to a counselor by his GP, Nick slowly accepted his problem.
He is now working with the British charity Fight for Sight to raise awareness of the dangers of using contact lenses in the shower or while swimming.
"I can honestly say that if I had the slightest idea that it was even a distant possibility, I would never have made contacts. It is crucial that people know that this is a reality and that it can happen simply by taking a shower.
"I have lost 18 months of my life because of something as simple as taking a shower with contacts .If I regain sight, I will never wear contacts again."
According to Specsavers, the wearing of contacts during the shower is "discouraged".
"Showering while wearing contact lenses is similar to swimming or sleeping with them and is one of the most common lens care mistakes," says the company's website.
"Water and contact lenses just do not need to come in contact with each other, because these glbades must always be kept clean and hygienic. Otherwise, it is possible that germs or chemicals such as water chlorine or even showerheads are found behind contact lenses and infect the eye. "
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Originally published under the title of horrible shower error of the man
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