A HAIRDRESSER almost lost her eye after a single hair from a customer splintered in her skin and caused an MRSA infection.

Lyndsey Burbank, 36, removed a hair splinter from her eyelid with a pair of tweezers after a regular day working in a barber shop cutting hair last month.

8 A hairdresser almost lost sight in one eye after a hair splinter caused an MRSA infection Credit: MDWfeatures / @lyndseyburbank.creations

However, when the mum-of-two woke up the next morning, she discovered the area had swollen up and she could feel a red bump under the skin.

Over the next 48 hours, Lyndsey - from San Diego in the US - got progressively more worried as it worsened.

She began to lose her sight due to the swelling and pain, and was sent home from urgent care with a course of antibiotics.

However, the hairdresser's condition continued to deteriorate and eventually she went to the hospital’s emergency room where she was put on an IV drip.

8 Lyndsey Burbank woke up with a swollen eyelid that worsened until she lost her sight Credit: MDWfeatures / @lyndseyburbank.creations

8 She had to undergo two surgeries in hospital to get rid of the "superbug" Credit: MDWfeatures / @lyndseyburbank.creations

Doctors initially suspected Lyndsey may have developed a staph infection – but ultimately, this wasn’t the case.

They told her that she would need to undergo surgery, and not wanting to be admitted, she had the procedure done in her bed with only a local anaesthetic.

As doctors cut open and drained her eyelid, the hairdresser could feel much more than she bargained for.

The following day, the mum was finally admitted to hospital as doctors diagnosed her with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection, known as a "superbug" for its intense antibiotic resistance.

Facing the possibility of losing her eye, she underwent a further two surgeries - medics were able to drain the infection more successfully and rid her eyelid of some scar tissue.

8 The mum-of-one was concerned when her eye area became hot and tender to touch Credit: MDWfeatures / @lyndseyburbank.creations

Since then, Lyndsey has made a full recovery, and despite the ordeal she went through, is left only with a small scar.

She said: “I’ve experienced hair splinters before – usually every day at work from my clients. They’ve always been milder in the past. They feel similar to a regular splinter and you remove them the same way.

“With this particular one, I felt a stabbing feeling in my eyelid. I saw the hair splinter and removed it with tweezers as I have in the past.

“The next day, there was a big bump and my eyelid was swollen. I went in to get a facial thinking it would help.

8 She initially received a course of antibiotics - which failed to help Credit: MDWfeatures / @lyndseyburbank.creations

“Forty-eight hours after removing the hair splinter, my eye was extremely red and swollen. I could hardly see. I went to urgent care where I was given antibiotics and sent home.

“At this point, it was hot and tender to touch – my vision was blurry. I went back to urgent care and was told to give the antibiotics more time to work.”

It was at this stage that Lyndsey decided to go to the emergency room.

She continued: “On day four, I went to the emergency room because I couldn’t see at all. I was experiencing a lot of pain. Instantly, I was given an IV with fluid and two of the hospital’s strongest antibiotics.

8 Doctors at first thought it was a staph infection Credit: MDWfeatures / @lyndseyburbank.creations

“They said it looked like a staph infection. The surgeon told me that they’d need to cut it open. He said that if they couldn’t control it, I could lose my eye.

“I did not want to be admitted to the hospital so I had the procedure done bedside with no general anaesthetic - I was awake for the entire time. He numbed the area but I felt everything.

“He left the incision open so the infection could drain and told me I was being admitted. The next day, I could feel pain in my neck and ear. When the doctor came in, he agreed I was getting worse.

“I was moved to a private room where I was told I had an MRSA infection. On day six, I went in for surgery again, but this time under general anaesthetic. The doctor made a bigger incision and left it open.

8 Despite her ordeal, she is now only left with a small scar Credit: MDWfeatures / @lyndseyburbank.creations

“On day eight, I was taken into surgery again. This time, the doctor cleaned out as much scar tissue as possible which seemed to work.”

Lyndsey has thankfully, had a successful recovery - without any lasting damage.

She added: “Recovery hasn’t been too awful other than the unsightly scar and redness.

8 She knows she must use an antibacterial cleanser or antiseptic solution to deal with hair splinters going forward Credit: MDWfeatures / @lyndseyburbank.creations

“The MRSA is gone and the incision spot is only a little bit tender now. My eye has no damage, but my eyelid does have a gnarly scar. It’s nothing a little bit of make-up can’t hide.

“It’s a reminder of how incredible my faith, courage, and strength are. When you hand all your fear over to God, God will hold you and carry you through.

“Going forwards, I’m not fearful of hair splinters. I now know that you must use an antibacterial cleanser or antiseptic solution. I am however afraid of MRSA.”

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