Tweet
Depression. A majority of people who go through a severe dry eye crisis experience clinical depression and/or anxiety. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that you're "not coping well". That's nonsense. It is normal for a severe dry eye crisis to seriously rock you for a variety of very legitimate reasons. Pain; fear of the future; and lack of validation from medical professionals probably top the list. You may need to address depression (however you choose to) before you start coming out the other side of the crisis. Failing to may interfere with getting good care, with making sound decisions, and with addressing the pain itself. Do not let the possibility of increased dryness from medication deter you.
Resolve to ditch the guilt. Many of you who acquired dry eye after undergoing an elective surgery or other medical treatment are torturing yourselves over having made a poor decision. 99 times out of 100 it's quite wrong: You made a perfectly rational decision based on the information reasonably available to you at the time. You did not "do this to yourself". You were unfortunate. That's all. Self-blame will hinder your recovery, so let's ditch the guilt and get on with the recovery.
Beware addiction to DEZ. The forum here is a double-edged sword: You need the information and you need people who understand, but when you're in a bad place emotionally, the stories will drag you down. So be selective about what you read. Take time off the board. Use the board to find one or more dry eye buddies that you can email with or even talk with.
What are you putting in your eyes?
Are you overdoing the drugs? Dumping too many chemicals in your eyes, no matter what they are, just can't be good for your ocular surfaces. Be reasonable.
Are you using PF drops indiscriminately? "Preservative free" is not a virtue. It's just an absence of a vice. Just being PF doesn't mean the drop is any good at keeping your ocular surface protected. It doesn't even mean it's perfectly harmless (for you). You need to pay close attention to what the drops are doing for you and make sure you're using the best you can.
If all OTC drops bother you, go for serum. Talk to your doctor about it.
Are you over-dropping? It's a very, very common mistake and, sadly, many doctors actually encourage this harmful practice. If you're dropping multiple times an hour or even hourly, you're engaging in "sensation management" to the detriment of your tear film. It's time to explore additional means of feeling better - cold compresses, protective eyewear, etc (read on).
What are you rinsing your eyes with? If you're using water, STOP. Not just because of what might be in the water but because it's not the same pH as your tears and will destabilize your already poor tear film. If you're using commercial eye washes, STOP. They always have benzalkonium chloride, which is toxic and harmful to people with dry eye. Instead, use Unisol 4. It's unpreserved saline, usually to be found on the bottom shelf of the contact lens section of good drugstores.
Are you wearing protective eyewear yet?
Yes, the "dreaded goggles" I am so thankful that at last the goggle stigma seems to be easing somewhat. Dry eye patients have long been afraid of donning anything resembling goggles - not just because of how it looks but because it might mean that they have hit the end of the line. The idea that you're now "one of THOSE people, who never get better" is scary. But that's nonsense. If you're hurting right now to the point it's running your life, why not use a tool right now that can make you feel better right now? Doing so carries absolutely no implications for the future. It's no different from someone with a broken leg using a crutch.
What kind of eyewear are we talking about, and why? We're talking about any glasses or sunglasses or goggles that is close-fitting and/or has a shield of some sort to close the gap between the frame and your face. This does several things:
- It eliminates or reduces air movement over the eye surface. Air movement over a poor tear film that is experiencing too-rapid evaporation will quickly destabilize it further. Just as wind is hard on even healthy eyes, normal slight air movements from walking around indoors or from heat and a/c will be hard on a dry eye.
- It increases humidity around your eyes. This is what we call a 'moisture chamber'. It's much more effective than just turning on a humidifier.
- It keeps out allergens.
- For those with photophobia (light sensitivity) certain types of shields especially the thick foam ones will block peripheral light and make your eyes much more comfortable.
How do I find the right type? Start by visiting the eyewear section of the Dry Eye Shop. This is not a plug for my shop... many of these things can be found locally and in fact I encourage you to purchase locally if possible so that you have a chance to try them on. But you'll get an idea from the shop of the types of things available.
Is there anything that doesn't look dorky at work? Yes:
- Possibly, the Ziena.
- MEGs.
- Custom moisture chambers. Have to get an optician with experience to make these.
- (Not suitable for severe symptoms) Gunnars. High tech computer glasses. Some of their frames, like the Halogen, do quite a good job of increasing moisture and lessening airflow.
Cool off.
Cold compresses, wet or dry, are great for pain - and at the same time good for lid inflammation.
A cold rinse... with Unisol 4 (see above) can be very soothing on those terribly burny days.
When all else fails...
You're going nuts and you feel like you've tried it all? Post in the forum, explain where you're at and what you've tried and ask for suggestions. There's always someone out there with a tip or trick that has helped them get through a bad day - that may help you too.