Travel and Dry Eyes (Yes, You Can Even Go to Developing Countries and Survive!)

[tealeaf]

Hi SAAG,

It's me again! We are facing terrible haze in Singapore How are you and which part of the world are you in now?

You have been providing so much help in answering my questions, so I just have to come to you again on the eyes.
I have cautery and plugs in my eyes. It has been 2+ months since. My eyes are still over-tearing, which I don't mind. The problem is one of my eyes always feel sting, irritated and sticky. It the feeling like the sweat flowing into the eye. Have you encountered this problem before? I wonder is it due to MGD. My eye doctor keeps insisting no MGD and said the stickiness is due to insufficient tears in my eye but I am over-tearing.
Have you heard or encountered such problem before? How to resolve it?

By the way, can you share what is your current eye routine and are your eyes better than few years back?

Many many thanks again!!

Hey there!

No, I did not feel drops in my throat with permanent plugs.

[tealeaf]

SAAG,
Recently, I have put in 2 permanent umbrella plugs in my upper punctum together with lower punctums cauterised, I realised that the overflow actually reduced (as compared to have 1 temporary upper plug) I prefer the weeping days knowing that there are more tears.

Check with you. Do you feel any difference between all cauterised punctums vs 2 perm plugs and 2 cautery? Do you feel the drops going into the throat when you had the perm plugs? Thanks for your advise!

[neilw]

SAAG,
thanks for answering my questions. I am sorry I have not replied sooner but I have been fairly busy the past couple of weeks and have not been on DEZ much. Penang certainly sounds it would be worth considering for us but I cannot see us getting the time to go over to explore this year. Hopefully we will be able to next year. Right now it is mid winter in Melbourne, very wet and so the weather is good for Kathy's eyes. It is the summer here that is the worst.
Neil

Humidity definitely makes my eyes feel a lot better.

[neilw]

Your year in SE Asia

SAAG
I notice that you have been in SE Asia for about a year now and see from another post of yours that your eyes have really improved in your time there. I'd like to ask a few questions if I could. I have asked these earlier so I am really after your current opinions after spending more time there.

• Did you end up staying most of the time in Penang? Did you find this the best place to live?
• Did the smoke haze from the fires in Sumatra cause any great difficulty for your eyes? Or was it not as bad as it would seem (from a distance)?
• I realize the humidity would be great for your eyes, but did you find the heat to be a problem? Did you use A/C a lot or (heaven forbid) fans?

Thanks for any information
Neil

[tealeaf]

SAAG,
I have my two lower punctum cauterised. Doctor said they are already completely shut, have yet to verify it myself

My worse eye has 1 upper umbrella plug and lower cautery. It's a month since. There is overflow but within my comfort level. My better eye has lower cautery and 1 temporary plug which is not that helpful. I am thinking to plug the upper as well, however, I am relying on this eye to see as the overflow in the other eye is obstructing my vision at times. Is a dilemma.

Hope the humid weather in SEAsia will continue to bring healing to your eyes.

[tealeaf]

RFREITAS,

Indeed, my eye doctor said he has many too since he had a big retina tear sometime back. My colleague has torn her retina too and saw many floaters and they all got on with life.
I feel much better after reading your message. Thank you so much for your kind and comforting message.

With all punctum closed and years of taking care of your eyes, do you find your eyes comfort increased to a level which is tolerable and not giving them tons of focus?

I'll always have to focus on my eyes, I don't think that will ever change. Mind you, that says nothing about what your experience will be - everyone is different, right?

[RFREITAS]

Hello Tealeaf

Hope you are doing well.

About the floaters... it was hard to deal at first. But someone told that he has it too and he is able to see, to read, to work... so on!
So I start to do that. When they bother me I think I can do everything... also my doctor told me he has many!
So with time it gets better!

But actualy what really helped me was thinking if I prefer dry eyes or floaters! easy answer ) So now I am more confortable, I wear sunglasses outsider and I try to Forget that I have them! I have more to worry about ahahah I hope it helps!

Happy Easter!

[tealeaf]

SAAG,

I have cauterised one of my punctums in my worse eye, thus this eye has 1 upper umbrella plug and 1 lower cautery. Today is the 3rd day post cautery, however, I can still feel small amount of drops going into my punctum when I applied eye drops. Doctor said the wound will take about a week to heal, then will know whether it is completely closed. Did you experience the same or your punctum is tightly closed staright after cautery?

Thanks!!

[tealeaf]

SAAG,
I had been busy for the past few weeks and also trying to see if my eyes can make do with just 1 plug on each eye. Dissappointment. Will give plug another try before cautery.

With all punctum closed and years of taking care of your eyes, do you find your eyes comfort increased to a level which is tolerable and not giving them tons of focus?

Are you still staying in SE Asia or back in Canada?

RFREITAS,
Do you see floaters only after LASIK? What do you tell yourself when you see them?
I have floaters and can see them at work or outside. But see more in bright daylight. Am also trying to manage them.

[RFREITAS]

Oh I believe so. However I have been taking magnesium and I am feeling better. To soon to realize if the magnesium is helping or not...

SAAG, have you been diagnized with neuropathic pain ?

Hope you are having fun!


Tealeaf I also have floaters... but have been learning to deal with this. Doesn't hurt... so it's (more or less) ok!

I wonder how do you manage to keep the plug in for 5 good years ... is only 8 months for me and already the corner of the eye gets infected and itchy.

It's hard to say. I suppose it's likely because I had a good fit to start with.

And maybe the fact that I generally did not touch my eyes to scratch, rub etc. ever?? I was very concerned about the risk of infection, so figured the less I touch my eye area, the less potential to introduce bacteria that could lead to problems. I'd use a clean tissue if I had to blot tears, would not wipe them away with my fingers.

[tealeaf]

Hi SAAG,
Thank you, as always, for your detailed explanation

Doctor said will review me in a month's time, till then, I will decide whether to put in another umbrella plug or go for cautery. Actually, I don't think I can endure for 1 whole month with only 1 plug in the worse eye ... hmm
I may cauterise only 1 puncta for a start. This whole Lasik ordeal is making me less of a risk taker.

I wonder how do you manage to keep the plug in for 5 good years ... is only 8 months for me and already the corner of the eye gets infected and itchy.

And keep in mind the possibility that your eyes will improve with time, in which case the weeping could get worse (and obviously your eye comfort should be better as well) - I'm fine with this possibility (it's the lesser evil as far as I'm concerned), you may feel differently.

I really like your positive attitude. At times, I wonder how much will the eye improve with time ...

Yes, as I understand it, re-cautery is the most common course of action if this occurs. My upper right puncta stayed shut after only one try. My upper left puncta took 3 tries. My bottom puncta each required 2 tries to stay shut.

I remember you had your bottom puncta closed in Penang. How long did they stay close before opened up? Did they opened up fully or abit?

By the way, post lasik, do you have problem with floaters?