A 25-year-old woman in the UK nearly lost her vision after she developed an ulcer on her eye, BBC reported. According to the doctors, the ulcer was caused by her contact lenses. Notably, Steph Carrasco was suffering itchiness in her eye, following which she consulted an eye doctor. She simply thought she was having some irritation from daily contact use. 

However, her problem turned out to be much more serious as the eye doctor told her she had ”aggressive bacteria” in her eye, which had caused the ulcer on the cornea. Her optometrist then referred her to a specialist eye hospital. She spent one week in the hospital, with 72 drops of antibiotics administered to her eye daily in an effort to reduce the ulcer. 

Ms Carrasco said, ”By the time I was admitted to the hospital, I could barely see. It was terrifying. It was terrifying. Thankfully, Jack and the team were outstanding. He made sure I didn’t leave the Specsavers store until he had arranged plans with the hospital and kept me reassured during an incredibly stressful time. He was quick thinking and thorough – I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Despite the daily dose of antibiotics, the ulcer did not heal, leaving the medical staff no choice but to perform a cornea transplant.

Three weeks on, her vision has improved, and it is hoped it will return in full by October, allowing her to go back to work. She said, “I was told by the medical staff at the hospital that the bacteria in my eye was so harsh that if it had been left any longer, I would have lost my eye completely.”

According to the Cleveland Clinic, corneal ulcers are usually caused by an infection or severe dry eye, but those who wear contact lenses may be particularly at risk if they don’t clean their lenses correctly or leave them in too long, While most ulcers can be treated with antibiotics or antifungal eye drops, severe cases can lead to permanent sight loss through scarring.

Optometrist Jack Brenton, who initially treated Ms Carrasco spoke about the importance of having a sight test every two years and consulting an optometrist immediately if people have any concerns about their eyes or vision. 

“Fortunately, Steph is already on the road to recovery and we hope her vision will be back to normal within a month, but her story is a case-in-point of why a rapid medical assessment is so crucial,” he noted.