“I’ve lost my sight,” Sir Elton John revealed over the weekend while attending a performance of the new musical The Devil Wears Prada in London’s West End.
Five months after developing an infection in his right eye, the legendary singer-songwriter says he can’t see out of it.
And since the other eye “is not the best”, in practice he is blind.
While he is expected to eventually regain sight in his “good eye,” he has not been able to work for several months.
Sir Elton, 77, recently told ABC News Good Morning America: “I can’t see anything.” I can’t read anything. “I can’t see anything… (but) there is hope and encouragement that everything will be okay.”
It is the type of story that will have alarmed many.
Every day, 250 people start to lose their sight in the UK – the equivalent of one person every six minutes – but only a small proportion is due to infections, says Mike Burdon, consultant ophthalmologist at Bishop Auckland Hospital, County Durham. .
“It seems he (Sir Elton) has been very unlucky because most eye infections are temporary and don’t cause long-term vision problems,” says Mr Burdon. «In fact, it is very rare for an infection to cause blindness.
Sir Elton John, 77, revealed over the weekend that he lost sight in his right eye.
“One possibility is that he may have been affected by a severe case of keratitis, an infection that affects the cornea, the transparent dome in front of the eye, and causes vision to become blurred.
“This is extremely painful, like a toothache in the eyes, and potentially sight-threatening.”
The condition is caused by bacteria, viruses or, more rarely, fungal infections or those transmitted by contaminated water, says Melanie Corbett, consultant ophthalmologist and eye surgeon at Western Eye Hospital, part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
Keratitis is also more likely if you have blepharitis, an inflammation of the eyelid margin caused by bacteria, making it crusty and painful.
“Blepharitis can affect more than half of the adult population, although many people do not know they have it,” says Mrs Corbett. He warns that the treatments recommended by some opticians (cleaning the affected area with wipes and solutions containing chemicals such as alcohol) can actually make things worse by damaging the corneal surface.
“Remove residue only with a clean flannel and hot water,” he says.
The usual route for any insect causing infection is to rub the eyes and the most common type of eye infection is conjunctivitis.
Caused by bacteria, viruses or allergies, it is characterized by inflammation of the tissue in the front of the eye and on the inside of the eyelid: you will have red, sandy, swollen and sticky eyes.
Keratitis, which specifically affects the cornea, is much more serious. In England alone, more than 2,700 people are admitted to hospital each year with a suspected corneal infection caused by keratitis. Corbett says most people are put on an intense treatment plan to try to reduce the infection as quickly as possible.
This is because the surface of the cornea has typically been damaged in some way (for example, as a result of contact lens wear), making it more porous to infection. Healthy people with healthy eyes do not suffer from keratitis.’
Every day 250 people begin to lose their sight in the UK, the equivalent of one person every six minutes, but only a small proportion is due to infections.
It is more common in people who wear contact lenses and also in those with reduced immunity due to illness or medications.
Treatment depends on the cause of the infection. If bacteria have invaded the cornea, they can begin to destroy the cells of the superficial layer (the epithelium) and “melt” at the deeper level, perforating the eyeball.
«The hole causes the aqueous humor (the gelatin that gives shape to the eyeball) to leak and must be surgically repaired. I currently perform around one of these critical operations a month at the Western Eye Hospital.’
The first-line treatment is antibiotic eye drops that should be applied every hour, day and night, for at least 48 hours and the entire treatment plan lasts several weeks, says Ms Corbett.
Severe scarring of the cornea can lead to lifelong vision loss. But in most cases, over time, it can be treated successfully and the cornea heals, so vision is restored.
Viral keratitis, which can be caused by the cold or flu virus or the herpes simplex virus (which causes cold sores), can also affect vision but in a different way, as white spots form on the surface of the skin. the cornea.
“Viral keratitis is much less likely to cause long-term vision loss and, although antiviral tablets or ointments can help, many people improve without treatment,” Ms Corbett says.
Even simple infections can cause vision loss depending on which part of the eye is affected.
Some people are more likely to develop eye infections of all kinds.
Contact lens wearers are at higher risk because they regularly put foreign objects in their eyes. According to Moorfields Eye Hospital in London: “Approximately one in 3,000 people develop a serious corneal infection each year from contact lens wear and some of these patients will require a corneal transplant.”
A specific risk is acanthamoeba keratitis, a condition that can cause severe pain, extreme sensitivity to light and, in at least a quarter of cases, blindness.
Acanthamoeba is a microscopic parasite found in soil and water, including tap water.
It can enter the eye through gardening, but the main cause is if water containing the parasite becomes trapped between the cornea and the contact lens. The parasite can then eat the cornea.
This is why contact lens wearers are warned to remove them before swimming or showering, and not to wash the lenses with water.
Eye injuries can also increase the risk of infection, so wear protective glasses when playing sports, Burdon suggests.
“Participating in sports or recreational activities without proper eye equipment increases the risk of eye injuries from debris, projectiles, or accidental impacts,” it says. “Wearing protective eyewear, such as goggles or safety glasses, is essential to prevent potential harm.”