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  • Michael's diary

    Hello everyone,
    I would like to write this diary and I will post updates about what I tried, what I want to try and how does it help my condition. Feel free to post your thoughts. Sorry for my english, i'm not a native speaker.

    Who I am
    I'm 25 years old dry eye patient from the Czech Republic. For my whole life I've been working with PC a lot. There were times when I played videogames for 18 hours a day. There was a period of about 6 months when I slept for 2-3 hours a day and my only food was frozen pizza and chinese soup. Nothing else. I was in a really bad shape, I lose my weight and my teeth were damaged (not enough calcium). I'm telling you this, because I think my dry eye condition has something to do with this - i have an impression that my immune system was somehow damaged during these years of very unhealty healthstyle and since then I have problems with my sleep and my eyes.

    Currently I work in IT, eat healthy and play no videogames (I would love to but my eyes just can't do it, 8 hours at work are stressful enough). I have no LASIK or other eye surgery. I don't even use glasses or contact lenses. My sight is still pretty ok. But it's been a few years of burning and red eyes and I feel it's getting worse. My mother always told me that my eyes are bad because of the time I spend with computer. Yes, there is a connection because my blinking frequency is lower. But it's definitely not the only reason. My friends who also work in IT don't have these problems. Their eyes are not so red and they don't have problems to keep their eyes opened and don't use artificial tears every 1-2 hours. They don't have to use drops just to open their eyes when they wake up in the morning. They don't have terrible problems with spaces with air-conditioning. With the sun and wind, etc. etc.

    As I already said, my eyes have always been a problem. But I always somehow got over it. It bothered me but I could live with that. It wasn't THAT bad. But last year, my condition got worse. There was a lot of stress in my life - like finishing my master's degree and hard time in my part-time job. I needed a lot of focus and my eyes suffered. I decided I need a break so I traveled to Iceland for a 1 month job. Well, Iceland is a green paradise, isnt it? I was convinced that my eyes would be refreshed and healed after 1 month on completely fresh air and without any computer. Well, my eyes were SLIGHTLY better, but I was disappointed with the overall "result". It meant my eyes aren't just tired and there is something more serious behind it.

    Because I always tried to avoid pills and doctors, I just let it go. But in January / February I got sick and my eyes were really bad. One day, I woke up and I was on my way to work but my eyes hurt so much and I couldn't even open them, so I have to turn around and go back home. I went to eye doctor but she just told me "your eyes are ok" and gave me some eye drops which didn't help me at all. I was very disappointed with her answers so I went looking for the answers myself. And thank God I found this community.

    Dry eye syndrom? What?
    I'm surprised and disappointed that there is SO LITTLE information about DES in my country. My eye doctor just told me "your eyes hurt because you use computer too much". She didn't tell me anything about DES, about Schirmer's test, about tear break-up time test, etc. There is no info available in our language online, only basic info. No webpages. The only useful thing you can get in pharmacy are artificial tears. It's very hard to find a dealer of some Moisture chamber glasses, quality Omega 3 or TranquilEyes - you just have to order it from US or something because no-one sells it here. And sometimes, they don't even ship it to Europe (for example Thera Tears nutrition) or cost of delivery is ridiculous. I just want to say, that you guys - for example in US - are lucky because you can buy any stuff you like. I need to think twice when I want to try new things because it costs me a lot of money.

    God bless this community
    I'm serious, without this forum I wouldn't even know what to do with my DES and I probably wouldn't do anything about it. I would just continue my suffering. Because of your stories I know that I'm not alone in this misery, I'm not weird because of my condition (my friends often thinks that my eyes are red because I smoke weed. No, I don't as***les, I have DES!) and there is hope my eyes will be healed. Thank you for this. Because of that, I'm motivated to try new things to help my eyes.

    This might be a long journey. I've just started, but one day my eyes will be healed.

    Things I did and it didn't work
    1) I visited my local eye doctor - she told me my eyes are ok and they hurt me so much because I work with PC and I should change my regime. Yes, thank you. I will quit my IT job and I will sell ice-cream... She gave me some eye drops which didn't work at all. In fact, I think it wasn't good for my dry eyes at all.
    2) Onion goggles - I bought it as a low-cost moisture chamber - I can feel some relief, but unfortunately my skin is very sensitive and I had some skin-reaction. The foam is making my skin around the eyes red and they are not comfortable. I will not use them again, but at least I have some idea how the moisture chamber works.

    Things I try at the moment
    1) Artificial tears - I can feel some relief but it helps only for a short time and then my eyes hurt again. I use them every 2 hours but I have an urge to use them more often. But no, I don't want to use them too much. It's not a solution. My eyes could get used to it and go worse. I tried at least 5 types and this one helps me the most - Hylo Gel from Ursapharm
    2) New job, new office, no air-conditioning - I used to work in an office with A/C - I can tell I could feel it. It was really hurting my eyes. I changed my job a month ago. Thank God, there is no A/C and it's helping a little.
    3) Omega 3 capsules - I want to try it, I believe in power of fish oil But I was only able to buy some cheap pills. I'm currently thinking about buying some quality one. Right now, I'm one "day 2" so it's too early to evaluate. We will see after 5 weeks of taking 3 pills a day.
    4) Coconut oil - my sister bought some Bio virgin etc. coconut oil. I use it on my eyelids before I go to sleep. Sometimes I feel I can open my eyes in the morning more easily because of this. Sometimes it doesn't work. I don't know why, maybe I'm doing something wrong, maybe it just doesn't work at all. I need to test it more and I will post an update.
    5) Drink more water - I realized I didn't drink enough water during the last few months so I'm trying to be consistent now and I drink at least 2 litres a day. But I try to drink as much as I can.
    6) Eye exercises - maybe it's not connected with DES but I started to do some eye exercises. I'm staring at computer screen 8 hours a day so it could help. I try to stand up at least every 60 minutes and take 5 min break.

    Things I want to try in the future
    1) Visit another eye doctor. I'm disappointed I've found only 2-3 doctors online in my country, that mentions ANYTHING about DES (there is a mention about Schirmer's test, that's all). I tried to call the first one - her nurse told me they take "no new patients" and I would have to wait 3-4 months to get an appointment (wtf?). The second one is a private-clinic and I can have an appointment in 14 days but it's expensive. But I will do it anyway. What options do I have? I will ask and search for another eye specialists along the way.
    2) Moister chamber glasses - I want to buy Ziena Nereus glasses to wear it indoors, but it costs a lot of money for me (+delivery costs) and there is no way I could try it before buying it. No dealer in my country. So it's high costs, high risk. I want to buy some glasses for outdoors, too (there might be WileyX dealer in Prague, I need to send them an email)
    3) Air humidifier - Thanks to my new office without A/C, i'm thinking if it's worth it. But I will probably try it. I need to do some research which type is good. I want to buy hygrometer, too.
    4) Quality Omega 3 - I guess I will order some quality stuff over the internet. Maybe PRN.
    5) TranquilEyes - i'm not convinced about it, but I might give it a try.
    6) Eye plugs - If nothing mentioned above will work, i will try this. Need to read more info about it.

    Conclusion
    Wow, that's a long post. But I'm really depressed because of my condition. Because of DES I have problems at work (can't work as I would like to) and in my social life. I need to help my eyes. I will read more about this topic and keep this thread updated about my progress.
    Please if you have any advice or thoughts, feel free to post it.

    Thank you.
    Last edited by DryMichael; 11-Mar-2015, 13:03.

  • #2
    Hello Michael,

    I wanted to let you know that WileyX (a brand of moisture chamber glasses) has a location in the Czech Republic.

    CZECH REPUBLIC
    JTrading s.r.o.
    Winterova 2
    92101 Piestany
    Slovenská republika
    P: +421(0)905 704970
    W:www.wileyx.cz
    M: wileyx@wileyx.sk
    http://www.wileyx.eu/artikel/distrib...ormations.html

    I have found moisture chambers to be the best treatment for DES.

    Good luck.

    Comment


    • #3
      Hello Spmcc,
      thanks for your suggestion. This adress is actually in Slovakia, which is like 250 miles away but I found one shop in CZ where they supposedly sell these. I will send them an e-mail with a question what models do they have. But I guess these can be only used as "outdoor glasses". Or does anyone use them in office? However I will add it to my first post.

      Comment


      • #4
        Hi Michael,

        They can be used indoors too - you can get them with clear lenses or with the lenses that turn dark in sunlight and stay clear indoors. Of course I just mean about the function... aesthetics are another question. Nobody likes wearing this kind of thing indoors, but a lot of people do because of the relief it brings.

        Regarding other moisture chamber options - I will eventually have some Nereus returns, I'm sure, and I usually keep them to sell with a steep discount (like 35-40%) in the dry eye shop rather than sending them back to the manufacturer, and sometimes I even get donated glasses to pass on at no cost, so feel free to email if I can help out somehow.

        I saw your note on the onion goggles. Yes, unfortunately foams can cause itching on the skin. The onion goggles foam is not as high quality as what they use on 7Eye or WileyX but some people have problems with those too. So some kind of silicone eyecup would probably be better. But remember for indoor use you don't have to have something that goes right to your skin to get some benefit. You could try fixing some foam onto a regular pair of glasses, trim it down to have a small gap and see how that goes.

        Make sure you keep your monitor as low as possible, and adjust the brightness settings, and have some kind of visual reminder to blink more often. All these things together can help.

        It's often difficult to get good medical attention for dry eye. If you can't get to a better eye doctor or specialist, you might still be able to get more information from the one you went to by going in with some very specific questions and requesting specific tests. If they can't do them, they really must refer you to someone who can. If they refuse to take you seriously just because your eyes look 'ok' under the slitlamp, consider also completing the OSDI questionnaire and taking it in to put in your records as it will assign a number to your symptom severity.

        Thanks for joining & sharing...
        Rebecca Petris
        The Dry Eye Foundation
        dryeyefoundation.org
        800-484-0244

        Comment


        • #5
          Hi Rebecca,
          thanks for your reply. I will definitely send you an email, it would help, thanks.

          I have an update. Just yesterday, I decided I need to do it and I called to a special eye clinic. Probably the best in town. It will be a little expensive but I believe it will be worth it. They told me it will take 2.5 hours and I should undergo some extensive tests on 2nd of April... I hope I will get an accurate diagnosis. Some drops will be put in my eyes and I will not see clearly for a few hours (and I should bring my sunglasses).

          I'm looking forward to it but at the same time, I'm worried because they are not exactly "dry eye specialists" but they do LASIKs, which is something like the exact opposite. Still, they are the only one who at least mentions Schirmer's test. So what the hell, let's try it. It's my best bet.

          Comment


          • #6
            I had busy 2 weeks - mostly out of my town (job, vacation) so I was doing bad job with my Omega 3. But now I'm back and I need to do it better.

            When I went to pharmacy to buy my new artificial tears, I also bought tea tree oil. Someone suggested I should clean my face with this and it should help with inflammation of my eyes. I bought this one (Dr. Muller Pharma).


            It says it's a "cleaning gel for your face with tea tree oil". Well, I tried it and cleaned my face for the first time. Maybe I tried too much and put some on my eyelids and it got in my right eye and SH&T !!! It hurts like hell. I knew in a second that this is bad. It was angry red immediatelly. Now, after a week, I can still feel it in my right eye and it's more red than usual. SO DONT BE STUPID LIKE ME AND BE CAREFUL WITH THIS. I want to continue with tea tree, but I will be super-careful now and dont put it on my eyelids.

            I wonder if I should try some Omega 6, Omega 7 or flax-seed oil.

            Comment


            • #7
              1) I stopped using this shitty Omega 3 from GS (EPA 180 mg, DHA 120 mg) and I bought a better one + flaxseed oil

              Optimum Flaxseed Oil
              omega 3,6,9
              Flaxseed Oil 1000mg
              Alpha-Linolenic Acid 500mg
              Linoleic Acid 200mg
              Oleic Acid 200mg
              Palmitic Acid 60mg
              Stearic Acid 40mg

              and MusclePharm Fish Oil
              Omega 3
              1000 mg
              EPA 400 mg
              DHA 300 mg

              It's still not top quality but I have a better feeling about this and another thing is - There is a dealer of this stuff in my country so the price is quite OK. Thank god for these fitness guys

              2) I started with warm compresses and my eyes feel better after this. I'm pretty sure I have MGD and this is a recommended treatment but let's see what the doctor will tell me. I just take a tiny towel, put it into a hot water and then put in on my eyelids for 60-90 seconds. After that, put it into hot water again. Do it 3-4-5 times, depends how much time do I have.

              3) I can still feel my right eye. I can't believe this little accident with tea tree oil (see my previous comment) could do such damage. I think I will not use it again. But Cathy suggested different tea tree oil (Body shop - tea tree coll and creamy), maybe I will give it a try http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/shop-by...eamy-wash.aspx

              4) I have some trouble with my sleep recently (yesterday I slept for half an hour ) ) and it's really not helping my eyes But I believe I will fix this issue soon.

              5) I'm going to an eye doctor tommorow and hopefully they will not be so ignorant about Dry eye as the first one. I will write about this in the next post.

              6) I called another eye specialist and well... i have an appointment on 5th of June which is a long time (they have a lot of patients) and I'm not very optimistic about it. But I will just give it a try. You have to try everything, you never know.

              Comment


              • #8
                Yesterday I was at eye specialist. They did some tests with me which I think were not neccessary, but whatever - at least I know now that my eyes are fine with the exception of Dry eye.

                The important part is -
                a) Schirmer's test - my result = 15 (the second eye was even slightly better)
                She put these small strips of filter paper under my eyelids and because it was done without anaesthetic, it was very uncomfortable and I wasn't able to keep my eyes open (I should keep them open but it's ok if I close them but she would leave these papers there for a longer time). I felt my eyes have some reaction and there was more tears than usual. I asked the doctor afterwards and she said that it's ok - the test is accurate even with eye reaction. Ok, whatever. The normal score is >10 so the problem shouldn't be here. I personally think I have no problem with aqueous tear production.
                b) Tear break-up time test - my result = 5 sec
                Well, this is the shi*y part. She put some yellow dye into my eyes and I was not allowed to blink. You can see the result. "Generally, >10 seconds is thought to be normal, 5 to 10 seconds, marginal, and <5 seconds low (with high likelihood of dry eye symptoms)." So yeah, this is the problem.
                c) The doctor said I have posterior blepharitis. There are two kinds - posterior and anterior. I guess posterior is worse because the debris is on the "inner side" of your eyelid. I was recommended some cleaning gel (BlephaGel) and I should clean my eyelids 2x a day for 2 weeks and then once a day for another 2 weeks and we will see.
                d) Because of Blepharitis I have Meibomian gland dysfunction MGD. My glands are clogged and that's why my lipid layer is not good enough. I should "do a massages" and try to unclog them. I will also continue with warm compresses because it could help too.
                e) She also said the eye drops I use are fine and I should continue with them. She suggested I put them in the fridge, because when they are cooled, it would help me with my red veins. "But it's written here that these drops should be stored in room temperature" I said. She replied "It's ok, it just must not be frozen". I hope she is right
                f) I asked about Omega 3 supplements. Does it have any beneficial effect? She said - 50 % of my patients say it helped, 50 % say it doesn't help them. So I guess she just didn't know and this is a neutral answer But I will just continue with them.

                So yeah. I have some answers. I forgot to ask about Doxycycline, Demodex and Autologous serum drops but I guess I will just try to deal with Blepharitis and I will see another expert and we will see if she confirms this diagnosis. I always want to have answers from more people / doctors. At least I can show this diagnosis to my family now and they will believe me I'm not crazy and my eyes are really in pain...

                Comment


                • #9
                  People who don't have dry eye don't believe us as they might have occasional irritation and do not know what it really is like to have dry eye. You have to have it to understand. Many a day and night it was in my thoughts to remove my eyes and end the pain. I saw many doctors over the last 50 years with this. Only in the last 20 are they coming around to this.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I moved to a new home last week and I hope I'll get a better sleep there. A good sleep is very important for my eyes and I was doing a poor job with it lately. I try to avoid stress and be more relaxed now and I think it helps my overall health condition (and my eyes). I continue with my blepharitis treatment and I can tell that warm compresses, eyelid massage and good eyelid hygiene are important and my eyes feel slightly better.

                    I told my boss last week about my dry eye problem. It wasn't easy because I somehow don't feel comfortable to speak about this topic. But it seems he understands and he will not move me to air-conditioned office in the near future (that was the danger i was worried about).

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Hi Michael,
                      I do not know how many times a day you are using warm compresses, but I must use them three times a day. When I first had dry eye, I only did one compress at night, and it wasn't enough. I am thinking that this might help you as it did me. (I use Rebecca's rice baggie.) Woodart is so right. No one can understand what we live with daily. They cannot fathom what it is like, and so they are bemused when we become so picky about what we eat, where we go and what we do. I have never had anything that didn't eventually get better and go away, but dry eye is the exception to that rule. I am better, but not well. Bless you Woodart. Fifty years is a long time. Best of luck Michael.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Hi LaDiva,
                        I use them twice a day - one in the morning and one in the evening. I'm still not sure how long is "long enough" but I put a warm towel on my eyelids 4-5x for 60 seconds and I heat it up again everytime. It means 5 minutes and I hope that's enough because someone says 8, another 15 minutes is minimum.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I would think it depends on how bad the mgb is(guessing). I use flaxseed pillows wrapped in a slightly moist facecloth. It seems to last a long time. I usually fall asleep so I don't really know how long it stays really warm but usually when I awake half hour later it is still slightly warm. But everytime I go back to the doc he asks me if I am putting heat on my eyelids. So I am assuming it has gotten too bad for the heat to help. But I keep doing it anyway in hopes it finally breaks down or whatever it does. I keep meaning to ask him about that theory but he is so busy with trying new things I forget. Everyone has different things that work for them. My eyes are not cured but taking flaxseed was my changing point. So I am thankful for that. And I actually was taking it for something else I was trying. Hopefully with medical research being done now we could have some more chance for cures. Still remaining hopeful.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Hi Michael,

                            Love your thread. I actually plan to read it in proper detail again later!

                            You said "Yes, thank you. I will quit my IT job and I will sell ice-cream... "

                            That is quite funny I know the feeling my doctor famously said "Sometimes if life if we find a job isn't suiting us for whatever reasons we need to find a new one". Hilarious. Needlesstosay I won't be going back to that doctor. I am a graphic designer - for the past 15 years!

                            Kevin

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Thank you Khmedia,
                              I was really angry about what the doctor told me. It was something like "your legs are not OK, you can never run again". No way man. This guy did it (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_P...istorius-2.jpg).

                              And I personally met a guy on a wheelchair who could only move his head & feet but he was still able to do what he loved - to play bass-guitar... with his feet & fingers. Yeah, he was lying on a table in front of the audience and he was playing AND singing. And it was nice. What an awesome guy. Everything is possible. There were times when I thought "maybe I should really quit my job because I can't do it, my eyes just hurt too much" but no... I believe I can fight it and make some smaller changes to my life and I can continue with my life as it was before my eyes went bad.

                              One guy from my country sent me a private message a few days ago and he has similar problems as me. We can exchange our experience now and maybe help each other. I love it and I'm more optimistic now

                              Comment

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