Kanhangad: A doctor here removed a 12-centimetre-long worm from the eye of a 56-year-old man who arrived with severe discomfort, pain and redness in the eye. The patient, a supermarket employee hailing from Pallikkara, arrived at the clinic run by ophthalmologist Dr Thresyamma Jose with irritation in his eye. 

The doctor found a thread-like thing in his eye during the preliminary examination. The worm was removed immediately through a surgical procedure. The doctor’s son Dr Kurian Jose, an ophthalmology surgeon, gave the necessary instructions by phone. 

The patient said that the discomfort and pain in his eye started last night. The doctor said that this kind of worm enters the human body through the bite of houseflies. The worm will then move inside the body through blood. The ones that attain full growth will reach the muscles below the skin and start showing symptoms. The worm when it reaches the eye will cause unbearable pain, irritation and redness. The worms must be removed immediately through a surgical procedure. The doctor also said that the worms may even cause blindness if not removed immediately.