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I don't know what to do anymore.. help!

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  • I don't know what to do anymore.. help!

    Hello all. I posted in this forum over a year ago, when my eyes were really bad as a freshmen in college.They got much better sophomore year, but the symptoms have returned. I am so confused and discouraged and am not sure what to do next.

    During this past year, my eyes did not have any problems in the sophomore dorm I was staying in. Occasionally, there would be days that I would start getting stringy white discharge, and then the next morning they would be bloodshot. However, these symptoms only happened about 3 times, and they always went away within a day or two. These incidents usually happened at a time the wind was really strong and possibly stirring up some allergens in the air.

    However, this summer I am working a camp at my school, and am staying in the same dorm that I was in freshman year. I had a LOT of problems with my eyes when staying in this dorm 2 years ago, and sure enough, the first morning I woke up here, my eyes were completely bloodshot and had stringy eye mucous around the lids. Throughout the day, my eyes are itchy, irritated, and very red. The problem doesn't go away after a day or two like usual. It has been a constant battle since I arrived here a week ago.

    I really thought that my eye problems were due to allergies. The air conditioner in this dorm is really old and I am sure that the air is anything but clean. I don't have these problems at home AT ALL. I started taking Zyrtec every day, bought an (expensive) air purifier, and have been using artificial tears. It hasn't helped at all. So, as much as I know how bad redness reliever drops are for your eyes, I have literally had no choice but to use them. I've been using Naphcon A Allergye Relief drops every morning to make my eyes look semi-normal. I simply can't go about my job as a camp counselor with my eyes looking like that... I would scare the campers away!

    I have 3 more weeks working this camp. I don't know what to do other than just use the Naphcon A and deal with it. I can't go to a doctor here in my college town, and if I wait to go home, the problems won't be there. I guess I just really want to know what is wrong with my eyes, and figure out how to deal with this during the month I am here. I hate the idea of a camper coming to wake me up in the middle of the night and my eyes are completely bloodshot and scary.

    Any help would be appreciated.

  • #2
    Hi there and welcome back!

    Considering that it seems pretty clear a lot of this is environmental, I can imagine it would be tempting to just tough it out with the Naphcon A. It does sound practical. Personally my only concern with that is the possibility that by abusing vasocontrictor drops, with your existing history of some kind of ocular surface problems, you might be pushing yourself over the edge into a fullblown longer-lasting problem. (I have heard so many stories about dry eye - I mean the real deal - first starting after some such episode.)

    Guess you've got a couple of choices. Take the risk, continue what you're doing, and see a dr as soon as you get home, or bite the bullet, back off the naphcon, try other remedies, and if necessary explain to people around you that you're not stoned, you're just having some trouble with your eyes.

    Can you do cold compresses? Are you using only preservative-free artificial tears? Can you wear wraparound sunglasses? What about some kind of mild allergy remedy like a homeopathic drop? Or trying a different kind of lubricant just in case the tears you're using are not agreeing well enough with your eyes?

    I guess I just really want to know what is wrong with my eyes, and figure out how to deal with this during the month I am here.
    Can't do the first half of that without seeing a doctor which it sounds like you can't do right now.
    Rebecca Petris
    The Dry Eye Foundation
    dryeyefoundation.org
    800-484-0244

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    • #3
      I am sorry to hear that. But without seeing a doctor, it's really hard to tell what your problem is. It could be allergy, it could be dry eye. But if it is dry eye, I wonder why the symptoms haven't been showing for the whole year. Dry eye doesn't just go away on its own.

      If the allergy drops aren't helping, your best bet is to see a doctor ASAP. Sorry not of much help!!

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      • #4
        Thanks for the replies! I have been doing some cold compresses. They don't seem to be helping a lot, but they do provide temporary relief. What kind of preservative free artificial tears would you recommend? The ones I have been using are just the generic store brand, the cheapest kind.

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        • #5
          I find Refresh Celluvisc has longer retaining power (but makes your eyes blurry for 15 min). Systane Ultra is good too.

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