Contact Lens Horror: Young Woman Loses Vision as Parasite Eats Away at Her Eye

A 21-year-old woman has lost vision in her right eye after bacteria linked to her contact lenses led to a rare and terrifying parasite that doctors say is actively eating away at her eye.

Vivian Nosovitsky had been living her dream for years, traveling solo and exploring new places around the world. Her latest stop was Sayulita, Mexico. But on December 21, that adventure took a devastating turn when she was hit with sudden, excruciating eye pain that made it impossible to sleep or even function.

She later described the sensation as feeling like “glass and knives” slicing into her eye every 10 seconds. The pain was relentless. Her right eye became extremely sensitive to light and visibly swollen, and within days, her vision began to disappear.

At first, Nosovitsky assumed it was simple irritation that would clear up on its own. Instead, the symptoms rapidly worsened, and she eventually became blind in her right eye.

“I thought it would go away after I slept it off,” she said. “But it never went away, and I couldn’t fall asleep.”

By around 5 a.m., the pain had become unbearable. Half-blind, she drove her motorcycle to urgent care in Sayulita, where doctors performed a corneal scraping to identify the cause. The diagnosis was shocking: acanthamoeba keratitis, a rare but extremely serious parasitic eye infection.

According to medical experts, acanthamoeba keratitis causes intense pain, redness, light sensitivity, cloudy vision, and potential blindness. The parasite most commonly enters the eye through contact lenses, especially when exposed to contaminated water. Only about 1,500 cases are reported in the U.S. each year.

Following the diagnosis, Nosovitsky returned to Miami for aggressive treatment. She was initially prescribed five different eye drops taken every hour, along with antibiotics. She is now continuing with two hourly eye drops and an antibiotic pill.

“The parasite has made me completely lose my vision in my right eye,” she explained. “There’s a huge gray area blocking my sight. I can only see faint shadows and changes in light.”

She believes the infection may have been caused by bacteria introduced while handling her contacts, possibly after exposure to tap water or unwashed hands. She recalled laying her head against a bus seat the day before the pain began and worries that even a small lapse in hygiene may have allowed the parasite into her eye.

Since becoming ill, Nosovitsky has spent most of her time in a dark room with her eyes closed. She’s exhausted, barely sleeping due to hourly medication alarms, and struggles to keep her right eye open. Slowly, she’s begun adding gentle movement back into her routine, including late-night walks when the light is low.

Throughout the ordeal, she has documented her experience on TikTok, where one video has already racked up more than 2.2 million views. A fitness influencer for six years, Nosovitsky says sharing honestly—even in moments of fear and pain—has always been important to her.

The response online has been overwhelming. Thousands of viewers have flooded her comments with support, concern, and warnings about contact lens safety.

One commenter wrote that switching to daily contacts changed their life. Another admitted the video sent their anxiety spiraling. Others simply sent love, prayers, and hope for her recovery.

Despite everything, Nosovitsky says the experience has reshaped her perspective.

“As much as this sucks, I have deep gratitude for what it’s taught me,” she said. “My self-love has deepened, and I know this will help me serve others on a deeper level.”