Woman almost lost her sight due to dirty makeup bag

Laura Hawkins, 24, a personal trainer, became partially blind after contracting a bacterial eye infection from a dirty makeup bag. Independent.

Photo: IStock

Laura Hawkins was traveling in Australia when she woke up one morning in "excruciating pain" and could not open her right eye.

She did not know that her contact lenses, which were kept in her cosmetic bag, collected bacteria, which then got into her eyes.

The microbes caused a huge ulcer on her cornea that required immediate medical attention and could have led to blindness if not treated.

A young woman from Bristol was left with extensive corneal scarring and partial blindness in her right eye.

“Before that, I wore contact lenses for several years and never had any problems, but I was also unaware of the risks of wearing them,” she said.

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“I always washed my hands before and after I put my contacts in, I used the saline solution as I should and put it in a case in my makeup bag and closed it,” she said.

Despite her precautions, Hawkins contracted the infection.

“One morning I woke up and couldn’t physically open my eyes,” she said. “Even a tiny piece of light entering my eye felt like a burning or stabbing pain.”

Hawkins asked a person from her hostel to take her to the emergency room, where she visited an ophthalmologist who diagnosed her with a corneal ulcer.

“It was so painful,” she said. “I thought, ‘Oh my God, this is terrible,’ it was really scary.”

“They said they had to treat it quickly because if they waited, it could become much more serious and even lead to blindness,” she said.

“I had never been in a hospital before, but here I lay for a week with an eye, and no one came to see me. The time difference was also quite big, so I could barely talk to my family,” she said.

After a course of strong painkillers and eye drops, the 24-year-old girl had to endure when doctors took bacterial cells from her eye for analysis.

She has scars on her eye and is back in the UK awaiting a referral for a corneal transplant.

She said, “I didn't get my sight back. My peripheral vision and central right vision in my right eye are now blurred. I don't see very well with this eye, especially at night and in bright light, I just can't see. I can't drive at night."

“According to the doctors, I either scratched my eye while removing the lenses, or the contact lens itself was dirty,” the girl added.

She now believes that patients should be warned more before dispensing contact lenses.

“No one warned me what could happen - I was told about the importance of washing my hands and using a saline solution, which I always did, but they never told me it could happen,” she said.

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“Always use clean, dry hands when putting on and removing lenses, and always wipe, rinse and store lenses in the recommended solution. You should also be mindful of where you store your lens case as it can easily pick up bacteria from the environment, which can lead to red eyes, irritation or even infection, said Specsavers clinical services director Giles Edmonds. “For example, if you store your lenses in a makeup bag, which is a breeding ground for bacteria, be sure to wash your hands after opening the case and before handling the lenses. Remember to clean the case regularly, as advised by your eye doctor.”

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