Doc told me I have enough tears - just not good enough quality?

[dryeyepete]

Had a 'scheimiers' test thing done recently, the results showed that my tear readings were 22mm which understand is healthy, the doctor told me that plugs would be a bad idea in my case but did not explain why? He mentioned perhaps I was too young to be resorting to plugs (22).

He did tell me though that my tears must not be good enough quality, and apart from taking drops (which I have been doing for almost 2 years) that there is not much else I can do

I'm still in real agony most of the time, can you guys offer any suggestions as how to improve the quality of tears?

I feel like I'm back to square 1 now, I've been told that my eyes produce plenty of tears, but I'm still in pain.

Thanks for reading

[irish eyes]

Hi Pete

This really does affect quality of life - and there is no price that can be put on that.

What drops are you using just now?

I assume that you have followed forum threads regarding diet i.e. omega 3, flaxseed, taking fluids etc.

I didn't get along very well with plugs at all - and they may not be the answer to your problems but it puzzles me a little that your age is used as the reason (although I might be wrong). Plugs can be removed so it might have been worth trying them just to see. Hmm.

I understand that having the bottom puncta plugged can reserve 70% tears and the top puncta @ 30%. Doctors have different attitudes to it as I have found out to my cost.

When you say pain, is it stinging and burning? If you have blepharitis, are you taking an antibiotic?

[clairvoyant]

Probably MGD, some docs shy away from treatment for god knows why if the cornea looks good.

[Kassandra]

Had a 'scheimiers' test thing done recently, the results showed that my tear readings were 22mm which understand is healthy, the doctor told me that plugs would be a bad idea in my case but did not explain why? He mentioned perhaps I was too young to be resorting to plugs (22).

He did tell me though that my tears must not be good enough quality, and apart from taking drops (which I have been doing for almost 2 years) that there is not much else I can do

I'm still in real agony most of the time, can you guys offer any suggestions as how to improve the quality of tears?

I feel like I'm back to square 1 now, I've been told that my eyes produce plenty of tears, but I'm still in pain.

Thanks for reading

I had a real flare-up in '03; then didn't really have any symptoms of this mess until my new eye doc dilated my pupils for an eye exam a couple of weeks ago,and then probed them with bright light.
I went back to him yesterday and he now says I have bleparitis! Says the oil coming out of my eyes is cloudy; but at least the glands aren't all plugged up.
What I did after the first flare was go to my gynecologist and get a hormone screening and start on HRT. I also started heavy into essential fatty acid oils in my diet.

I think diet is huge in eye problems.

I'm now just getting to where I don't have to wear sunglasses at my computer or around the house. They are still pretty puffy. but that should go away after I stop messing with them, I think.
I've been to lots of Dr's over the last 20 twenty years as I have a genetic neurological disorder. Most of the time I have to teach THEM about what I have. Good help is hard to find, especially in America right now with the economy in the toilet.
If I were you, I'd start really paying attention to what you're eating and stay away from caffeine & soda and acidic foods. Eat as much fresh stuff as you can and start doing Omega 3's and nut oils and Flaxseed oil( nasty stuff, but it works).
Sometimes docs make things worse. I will NEVER allow one to dilate my eyes again. They have a machine that is not so invasive. they say the dilation is the best way to see the retina.....but if that's so, why'd they invent this new machine?
I don't have eye probs nearly as badly as some here, and I don't want them to get any worse, reading some of the stories here makes me want to cry.
Good luck

[magoo]

My doctor told me that same thing. But he is treating it. He said I have plenty of tears and oil, but the oil is toxic from bacteria. Like putting soap in the eye, which is exactly the way my eyes feel. Like I have squirted soap in them. The bacteria turns the oil to a soapy substance. It is called saponification. Here's a link to an article that talks about it:
http://www.eyeworld.org/ewsupplementarticle.php?id=314[/quote]

I am on Azasite and FreshKote, warm compresses and Ocusoft Plus lid scrub. I have been on this regimen for two weeks and I'm seeing some improvement.

This, of course, is just my experience, but it does sound similar to yours as far as having enough tears but the tears not being good quality.

I hope you find a doctor who will actually treat you for the poor quality of your tears. It has taken me many visits to various doctors to find one who will treat me for this and not just say "use drops" or treat me for the wrong thing.

[mjf79]

I also have sufficient tears, but poor quality. This means that you are not getting a good coating of the oils from your eyelids each time you blink and dry spots can occur and overall feeling of dryness and burning. I was treated with oral and topical doxy and found relief, since these reduce inflammation, which then allows the glands to flow correctly. I also take flaxseed oil.

I was treated with punctal plugs as well, but found that this produced itching that was just unbearable. I prefer burning over itching. It just trapped the inflammation in my eye...there is talk that the inflmmatory cells get in your eye and if the cannot drain quickly it produces a "cesspool" effect.

Hope you find relief soon!

[msienkiewicz]

It sounds like I have the same thing as you both. Have you tried restasis? It has really helped improve my tear film. I used to sit with ice bags on my eyes for hours not knowing what was wrong - literally. This went on for about a month until I got help. The restasis took a while, but the burning is gone now. I had poor tears and no oil. I've been on it for three months. It brings down the inflammation which helps to produce tears and hopefully some oil as I don't think I have any. Anyway, you may want to consider it. My doctor thought it was a safer long term option than doxy.

Melissa

[irish eyes]

Melissa

That is exactly the explanation I was given re: Restasis ie that it reduces inflammation and thus enables more tears to flow. It is costly to obtain here in the UK because it isn't licensed.

When your doctor said Restasis was safer long term than doxy - what sort of long term effects did he mention? I have been on doxy for years (and years) but I'm unsure if it is doing any good - although the consultant said my eyes would be worse if I stopped completely. They are bad enough as it is so that isn't a pleasant prospect. I take acidophlous to restore the good bacteria that the doxy might destroy.

Then last week, a doctor advised me that Restasis was not an option for long term use - this is so confusing!! I don't know which data he was using to arrive at this conclusion - since so few people in the UK are using it.