Archive · 25 Aug 2026
Swimming With Contact Lenses Leads to Rare Eye Infection
Flack went surfing while wearing contact lenses.
Afterward, his eye became irritated.
He thought sand or saltwater might be responsible.
He removed his contact lenses, but the problem became worse.
When he returned to the UK, he visited a doctor.
The doctor took a small sample from his cornea, the clear front part of the eye.
Tests showed that he had Acanthamoeba keratitis.
This is a rare eye infection involving an organism that can seriously damage vision.
Flack developed eye irritation after surfing while wearing contact lenses.
He initially suspected sand or saltwater had caused the problem.
Removing the lenses did not stop his symptoms from worsening.
After returning to the UK, he sought medical treatment.
A corneal scraping led to a diagnosis of Acanthamoeba keratitis.
- Who
- Flack, who was diagnosed with Acanthamoeba keratitis.
- What
- He developed worsening eye irritation and was diagnosed with Acanthamoeba keratitis after wearing contact lenses while surfing.
- When
- The symptoms began after surfing; he sought care after returning to the UK.
- Where
- The exposure occurred while surfing, and medical care was sought in the UK.
- Why
- The articles identify contact-lens use during surfing and subsequent Acanthamoeba keratitis, but do not definitively state how the infection began.
- Diagnosis
- Acanthamoeba keratitis
- Initial suspected causes
- Sand or saltwater exposure
- Contact lenses
- Flack was wearing them while surfing and removed them after symptoms began
- Symptoms
- Eye irritation that worsened
- Diagnostic procedure
- Corneal scraping
- Medical location
- The UK