Do people make fun of you or laugh at you?

[tiger99]

I have some dark congestion in my eyes. It does bleach out with optcon-A, but after a few hours my eyes turn a dark red color all over. Not just a few veins, the white disappears altogether and it turns dark red.

I have had coworkers and random people call me nasty under their breath as I walk away, or whisper "that's scary" / "his eyes are scary" to whoever is next to them. I've also been called disgusting and gross.

Please, I am not hallucinating. If I were, I'd get help for it.

Worse than that though, is when my eyes turn red and two coworkers just have to call me over to ask my opinion on something, all the while they are surprising their laughter. Really they just want to get a closer look.

[Teri]

It is so wrong that this is happening to you.

I assume that you are trying to find the cause of this extreme redness, so....

Please, try to keep your head up and ignore the ignorant people who would judge someone for a physical problem.

[beachblanketbingo]

hello

You need to stop the OTC eye drops - go to eye doctor and have them start you on a steroid and something to wean you off the OTC's - trust me I used them for 30 years - my kids used to think I was a stoner

[mary kenny badami]

I'm not a doctor, but I am a regular visitor here.

I totally agree with beachblanketbingo, that you ought to:
(a) stop using over-the-counter eyedrops and
(b) see an eye care practitioner with some expertise in these matters.

Just a brief visit this morning to the manufacturer's website for Opcon-A suggests that these are not appropriate for you < the boldfacing below is mine > .

If you have time to use the "search" function on our website here on Dry Eye Talk, using words like "preservative," or "preservative-free," or "BAK" or "benzalkonium chloride," you will find dozens of posts from our members about the likelihood that the preservative BAK will damage eyes -- especially those, like yours, which are already fragile from past procedures.
(Our poster Toril has even initiated a petition against the use of BAK in eyedrops) .

Please, tiger99, be assured that I welcome you to this website.
I think that once you solve the problem of the cause of the redness of your eyes, you will be feeling a great deal better, both physically and psychologically.

==============================================
http://www.bausch.com/en_US/consumer...s/opcon_a.aspx


Eye Drops & Ointments
Opcon-A® Itching and Redness Reliever Eye Drops
Key Features & Benefits

* Clinically proven to provide effective relief of itchy, red eyes.
* Combination antihistamine and redness reliever formula.

Is this product right for you?

* Condition(s) Allergies, Watery Eyes
* Age Group(s) Twenties and Thirties Eye Health, Forties and Fifties Eye Concerns

. . . . < snipped large amount of text >
Ingredient

Active Ingredients
Naphazoline HCI (0.03%) - Redness Reliever
Pheniramine maleate (0.32%) - Antihistamine

Inactive Ingredients
benzalkonium chloride, boric acid, edetate disodium, hypromellose, purified water, sodium borate, sodium chloride
Uses

* temporarily relieves itching and redness caused by pollen, ragweed, grass, animal hair and dander.

Warnings

. . . < snipped large amount of text >

When using this product:

* overuse may cause more eye redness
* pupils may become enlarged temporarily
* do not touch tip of container to any surface to avoid contamination
* you may feel a brief tingling after putting drops in eye
* replace cap after use
* remove contact lenses before using

Stop using and ask a doctor if you experience:

* eye pain
* changes in vision
* redness or irritation of the eye that worsens or lasts more than 72 hours

[magoo]

It also contains Naphazoline HCI, which is a vaso-constrictor. Used for long, this causes "rebound redness" as the blood vessels react to constant artificial constriction and become enlarged.

I agree, stop using anything with BAK and/or a "redness reliever" and see an eye doctor. I used redness reliever drops with BAK for a long time before I learned how they can effect the eye.

Those people who make fun of you....as my dear mother used to tell me "consider the source". That probably doesn't help right now when you are the target of these people. I wish I could think of a good comeback for you, but my own eyes are terrible right now, and my usual "smart mouth" has deserted me. Just know that here, you are among people who understand and genuinely care about you.

Lynda

[tiger99]

I also use Patanol and Lotemax. I have to cycle Lotemax due to the risks of cataracts and glaucoma with steroids. However, even using those two, my eyes still have a dark red/ brown congestion.


BTW, the people who laugh at and make fun of me are all over 20 and can be as old as 60. These arent children.

The other thing is, even before I tried patanol or naphcon, I had that dark congestion from the surgery (lateral tarsal strip and conjunctival excision of chemosis) that just wouldnt go away.

I dont trust doctors much anymore. The doc who caused this problem has the attitude I should just live with it and that they are more attractive than dry eyes. I cant afford to go consulting around the country so I call docs to see if they perform certain procedures for certain condtions. I dont ask them if I am a candidate, just whether or not a certiain condition is an indicator for a certain medical intervention. They dont answer those questions without the $200 upfront, just to say no.

[msienkiewicz]

People can be so cruel...

Hang in there.

Melissa

[SallyP]

They're ididots and what goes around comes around, they'll get their comeuppance somewhere along the line, but people's cruelty never ceases to amaze me. I'm not going to try and tell you anything like rise above it as that's not easy, but do hang on in. Alot of people tell me I look tired in that kind of terribly patronising way, and that's irritating enough.

Take care

[irish eyes]

I agree that people can be just downright nasty.

When my kids were young and I had involvement with school activities, one horrid parent told the others that I never joined in to help with anything because I was hungover most of the time - that was why I wore dark glasses. I couldn't even dignify it with a response.

Sally - I know what you mean about being told you look tired. People probaby mean well but it can be irritating too. A former boss wrote me a reference for a job that read like a remarkable tale of victory over adversity, relating how I could lead full life despite my eye handicaps. She was quite shocked when I said I wasn't happy with it and could she write an alternative version without mentioning the eyes.

[calcan]

I usually get the "you look tired" comment quite a bit. The worst comment I ever heard was from a so-called "friend" who asked, "How much do you charge to haunt a house?" Ouch! That really hurt. I am a friendly person, but I end up being anti-social because of this condition. It seems like people are more understanding about skin conditions than they are about eye problems.

[irish eyes]

What a vile thing to say!

I have noticed that `so called friends' seem to think they have a licence to pass sarcastic comments about one's appearance. Making others feel small must make them feel big. These days, I'm better at controlling my emotions when dealing with these losers and can handle them without lowering myself to their level.

Recently at work, I received what I saw as an unnecessary allusion to my eyes. I asked the chap to repeat what he had just said as I didn't really understand him. It wasn't quite the response he was expecting so he mumbled something about the task he had to do etcetera.....

I wasn't rude. He was. Victory was mine.

[izzy3usa2002]

people can be rude

try to ingore those who are rude to you. they should know better. i am lucky i dont have to deal with that at work but my co workers keep asking me if i am going blind. when this first started with me i wore padded sunglasses and they were mirrored so no one could see my eyes. i had goo all over and sometimes had to patch the left eye and my co workers never even knew. i bought the glasses off ebay for $8.95 and free shipping they were really called motorcycle glass. i have a prescription pair now. also the padded glasses help to keep the tears you do have from evaporating so they lessen the sysptoms. good luck at work and try to ignore those...maybe someday they will get dry eye.

[Lucy]

I'd like to put my two cents in about people making rude remarks. While I was still working, I used to ask people sometimes if "my eyes look bad." They never did look bad, except for a few occasions. I can tell you my eyes felt as though someone threw gasoline on them and I was trying to work through the day and keep my eyes open. My eyes never looked bad and it was sort of hard describing the feeling to others.

From what I've read on this thread, most of the remarks can be attributed to juvenile type remarks about someone's appearance. I think silence is sometimes the best comeback. If you had a withered hand, would they make fun of that? Of course not, or they wouldn't be long on the job.

As for the Panoptx (or other) goggles, I wear mine when ever and where ever I need to. I actually had two of my doctors (not eye drs) ask me at my last appointment if I still wore the goggles. I answered yes in each case and I'd worn the goggles in the car on the way over to my appointment. I wear them in restaurants if there is a breeze in there (overhead fans) and I even wear them in casinos! Yep. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to stand the smoke in my eyes. Rarely does anyone say anything to me. After all, they are all adults in there. :-)...........If someone does ask me though, I'll explain why I have to wear them.

Again, at work or wherever...I think a stare and silence could go a long way.
Lucy

[irish eyes]

I think it's easier to cope with when one has age & experience: these days I certainly have inner resources to draw on - one coping mechanisms is the `steely stare’. It can say more than words ever could.

Unpleasant comments on appearance also insult the intelligence and perhaps that is when I am really lost for words! What can one say? Thankfully, I work with a wonderful team and get a lot of back up from the people who care about me.

I'm employed in higher education and still encounter a lack of social understanding around `unseen medical conditions’ - which shocks me because I expect these people to know better. As you say Lucy, eyes can look fine - mine do on some days. Sorry to be graphic but they can also feel as though they are being gouged out with razor blades and then rubbed with vinegar and a host of other burning substances. I have to work hard at keeping a cool head if anyone dare attack my integrity by suggesting I’m making it up.

[tiger99]

This has really made me into a misanthropist. I used to expect people to behave better. I work around doctors and nurses all day. This has completely shattered my former beliefs that certain types of people in certain professions are more kind and empathetic than others. It seems now that most traits are evenly distributed among people regardless of profession.