Correlation between nose congestion and dry eyes?

[BigNate]

I'm hoping someone who reads this has a similar experience and hopefully some advice on top of that. About 2 years ago, two things happened to me:

1. My nose was extremely congested every night
2. I started having Dry eyes

I got allergy tested twice, both times I was told I had no allergies. Then I tried nose sprays and none of them worked. I asked the allergist and the eye doctor if there was a connection between congested nose and dry eyes and they said (with certainty) the two were not associated with each other.

As a side note, I live in a clean environment and I wash my sheets regularly. I am posting this here because I do think these two are connected somehow. It is just way to coincidental that all of this happened at once. I am wondering if the congestion is having some sort of an impact on the lacrimal sac and if that would do anything?

Anyway, if someone is having similar experiences or knows of something that would help, please let me know. Right now, I am using theratears nutrition, warm compresses, and lid scrubs to treat my MGD. Punctal plugs, restasis, several OTC drops have been tried but had no noticeable effect.

[Colin P]

Hiya Nate. I have not yet discounted the possible link between the 2...
If our heating comes on during the night? i also awake bunged-up BIG TIME!. And do feel my eyes are drier. Once outside in the fresh air, nasal passages become easier to breath through, and eyes improve. If the heating does not come on? i will awake with noticably easier airways..
When this was at it's worst for me (2x summers ago) my Right nasal was completely blocked could not breath in or out, the blockage was way back somewhere over the bridge of nose. It was my Right eye along with blocked right side of nose. On my next appointment with my G.P i'm gonna ask about allergy tests now..
But in the meantime could anyone furnish me with simple explanation of how the lacrimal sac functions? (not a web page link please) as i've looked it up on computer, and just like filling in an important form, i get brain fade...

Thank's in adavance.
Colin...

[LaDiva]

Hi BigNate,
Do you think you might have food allergies/sensitivity? Not sure if you have all of that tested by the allergy doc or not.

[BigNate]

Ladiva- I was told by an allergist that if it was a food allergy, it wouldn't only be my eyes that were affected.

It's way too coincidental for me. Two years ago, I had issues breathing every night when I went to sleep which is exactly when my eyes got messed up and all of this MGD junk started happening.

Colin- I also thought about the lacrimal glands but likewise I am a bit confused as to what their function is. They are right by the nose though so it is something that is interesting.

Hi BigNate,
Do you think you might have food allergies/sensitivity? Not sure if you have all of that tested by the allergy doc or not.

[hankm9]

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[MeibomianGlandman]

Here is one thing I have noticed Something of Great Interest for you, I have taken Enteric Coated Garlic Tablets, They all but cleared up my nose of congestion, Food for thought to give it a try if you have troubles, There might be bacteria in there too, cuz It get really dry if that's the case. Congested nose is from allergies always from allergies, so is postnasal drip. You might be allergic to mold like I was I was very sensitive to that stuff. If You find that you sneeze when you around something in particular like me for instance Mold I sneeze like crazy and my nose itches, that's a sign of nasal allergies, sneezing and nose irritation/itch. Like a tickle really. I would check it out, and Try one tablet of that garlic give it one day see what happens, also compare what happens with your eyes, I noticed that my dry eye got better but worse at the same time, I believe there is a double infection going on with dry eye, Two Birds, one Bacterial in nature and one Yeast in nature causing Meibomian gland Dysfunction. Check it out couldn't hurt let me know what Happens.

[LiliS]

They are surely connected! i suffer from the same thing and sometimes my nose is even dryer than my eyes! in fact i really don,t k ow how to deal with that,plus everything i put in my eyes goes inside the nose and makes congestion,evn more dryiness,pains and bleedings sometimes...i tried saline solutions,sprays,all kind of ointments or oils,nothing really helps...the rhinopharynx is also dry,but when i asked a doctor about that he said it,s because of the menopause!!! - Alot of ear/ nose / throught doctors don,t know about Sogren and they prescribe anti-histamines or cortison sprays...which dry the mucous membranes even more...the only thing is working a little is a humidifier in the bedroom...

[LiliS]

Hello.i,m Lili...and yes,i have rhe same problems,very dry eyes and dry and congested nose ...i have Sogren and there us a connection in my case ( dry mucous membranes/) and also there is a connection between congested nose and hormonal invalance( i,m menopausal and all this dryiness became worst!) ...i,m an MD too and i must contracict your doctor...becuase there is a connection...unfortunately most doctors treat only their speciality,eye doctors don,t talk woth allergologists or ENT doctors or endocrinologists...even men could have hormonal inbalance ( usually low testosterone cause dry eyes and high estrogen cause nasal congestion) ...also some drugs can cause nasal congestion,you should check for everything...