Red Eye Environmental Triggers

[curlygrl31]

Hey,

Just wondering who could relate to this. I was just diagnosed by Dr. Latkany with ocular rosacea last week after months of wondering why, at 31 years old with no history of contact usage/LASIK, my eyes were so dry, red and sore. I'm pleased to have the diagnosis, now the challenging part is the treatment & managing flareups.

I've been experiencing this 'flare up redness' in certain parts of the whites of my eyes (mainly right eye) where sometimes, my eyes will be completely clear (normal looking) and then I'll hit a trigger and it will jump to blaringly red and sore. They just plain hurt.

Do anyone's eyes 'jump to red' when in grocery stores, pharmacies, the shopping mall, Target, etc.? Is it the flourescent lighting? My eyes sometimes get red outside too, but it seems that the mall, grocery, etc. is always a trigger. Just trying to really figure out what is going on so I can work to control it. It takes about 5 minutes in one of these stores for me to have a reaction.

Let's hope the combo of Restasis (on week 2) and minocycline (for acne) will help get me closer back to baseline. I know many of you can relate when I say how much this has impacted my self-esteem/self-confidence. UGH!!

Curlygrl

[calcan]

red-eye triggers

I have always noticed that flourescent lighting is one the worst triggers for me. Not only that, it is the most unflattering light to be under anyway, but especially with red eyes. This is why I try to wear tinted glasses.

[rubyslippers]

Fabric stores have always driven me wild. I have heard that they treat the fabrics with a spray to make them dirt resistant and that is irritating to those with sensitive eyes. I have also found big stores to use a lot of forced air and that air is very drying.

[mflores22]

Pay attention to humidity

I too have ocular roscea and blepharitis, and I notice that my eyes are MUCH worse in low humidity situations. Stores like Target and such will crank up the AC or heating depending on outside conditions, driving the inside humidity way down. In this case, the redness is less a function of a 'trigger' for the roscea, more a case of simple diffusion of water from an area of high concentration (your eye) to a lower one (the environment). The less water on the eye, the less oxygen that can diffuse into the cornea. Then, red eyes because the blood vessles on your eye will dialate to receive more oxygen.

I notice that I do much better in Seattle (higher humidity), than in San Diego (the friggin' desert) where I live. Numerous people on this forum note that they feel great when vacationing in Hawaii or the Caribbean, where there is very high tropical humidity.

My tips:

If you are going into a store that you know gives you trouble, lubricate your eyes with some TheraTears before you enter the store. This will help a bit.

If the discomfort is really bad, invest in some Onion Goggles or Panoptx moisture chamber goggles. They work!

You can buy a humidity gage at a pet store (they use them for reptiles). This can help you identify 'problem' areas like your office. They range from 5 to 20 dollars.


I was diagnosed a little over a month ago, and my treatment during that time has helped me progress to the point that I am no longer experiencing discomfort with the AC on in the car, nor do I have discomfort in low humidity stores. IT GETS BETTER, stick with your treatment religiously, give it some time and good luck!

[Terri]

I second mfores22's rec about wearing protective eyewear inside stores. I have Panoptx (7Eye) eyewear with 24/7 lenses, so they lighten inside and darken outside. I wear them with the elastic strap attached, since I sometimes go cycling and want to secure them snugly around my eyes. When I'm running errands or shopping, I leave them hanging loosely around my neck. If I enter a store where the fluorescent lights are glaring and/or the heating or AC is blasting, I slip them on. Then I proceed to enjoy a nice, leisurely expedition, without worrying about my eyes.

I don't know if the DES problems inside these stores are caused by lighting or low humidity, but eyewear can protect you from either cause.

[NYer]

MFlores, great tip about humidity gauges in pet stores! Thanks!