What Career With Dry Eyes

[alex123711]

My dry eyes have made my job impossible as they have continually got worse and my job (navy) exposes me to all the elements and working hours, so I'm having to start over again and pursue a new career. What type of jobs/ careers are most suitable for this condition?

[DCRdryeye]

Heya alex, the navy would be incredibly difficult for dry eyes! Most people would never believe careers have to be changed and destroyed due to dry eyes. I use the computer a lot and that's difficult, but scleral lenses have made that easier and I still use moisture chambers over the top of them. Constant staring at a screen caused me headaches and often migraines and always in the area surrounding the driest eye.
It depends on what career you'd enjoy. You have to consider "enjoying" what you do alex. Aim to "Live to work" rather than, "work to live". Perhaps get a list of careers and circle those that seem interesting to you, then number those that will have less impact on dry eyes. I saw a career counsellor once and it was okay, perhaps give that a try? Best of luck!!

[Bill Sonoma County]

Alex, that is a really tough choice to make--sorry it is hitting you so hard. I faced the same issue--was working indoors exposed to HVAC, totally inflexible schedule, absolute misery, and noticed that I felt much better when working hard in my yard or when exercising at the gym. I nearly gave up my profession--years of training--and went for a manual labor job. But elected instead to go with more plugs, eye shields, drops, compresses ... The scedule and flexibility ended up being of most importance for continuing work. I also surreptitiously sealed off the ventilation ducts into my work area. So I'd guess that there are many types of new jobs for dry eye sufferers, but I'd sure be looking for the schedule you can accept and the flexibility to take breaks, dip drops, run a vaporizer and such. Bill

[alex123711]

I guess there is no perfect job, your either going to be in an office looking at a screen for hours or out in the elements/ wind. Just not sure which is worse. Going to uni for 3+ years is not something I could handle right now either so my options are very limited. What is the best 'dry eye job'?

[Guest]

What about the trades? If the job market is good in your area, that could be worth considering. Here where I live the trades are doing very well - an electrician or a plumber for example can make very good money. Plus, while I'm sure there is some studying to be done, my understanding is that the majority of their training is on-the-job, so would be much more dry-eye friendly.

[vivian3090]

I'm worried about this too....I'm only 22 and haven't established my career yet......I feel very limited on what I can choose from, I'm scared I won't be able to do what I want. I want to go into medical field....but I feel I can't

[daphane]

I am a nurse and I had to go from hospital to nursing homes (which I found that I really love). I can't sit at nurses station because of air vents and that but I am able to sit anywhere that is comfortable for me or just push my cart to where air is not blowing. I have bad days but for the most part it is ok. I find they dont keep nursing homes as cold as hospitals. If one of my residents have their air on its bad but I am usually only in there to give meds so its not all that long. If it takes long they are usually fine with me turing it off for a min. I consider my eyes really bad and I can do this kind of work. I wear night and day hydrogel contacts all the time with my glasses on so that gives me some protection

[daphane]

Make sure it is a field that you can do many different things like nursing. You can do home care, hospice care. I do that on the side and I love it. The air at someones home is just the my home and I have no trouble at home. Well window units bother me but most really ill people dont have it cold. Forget office jobs because you are confined to one place and there is probably a air vent above you and then You will haave to fight with others to keep the air down. Been there done that and it was not fun. Good Luck.

[No tears in ATL]

Make sure it is a field that you can do many different things like nursing. You can do home care, hospice care. I do that on the side and I love it. The air at someones home is just the my home and I have no trouble at home. Well window units bother me but most really ill people dont have it cold. Forget office jobs because you are confined to one place and there is probably a air vent above you and then You will haave to fight with others to keep the air down. Been there done that and it was not fun. Good Luck.

Ditto. Even if 90 percent of the people in your office complain that it is too cold, somehow, there is that one super hot blooded very vocal individual who will make sure the A/C is turned to 58 degrees in summer. Grrr. I'm in that boat right now. Of course, I have a space heater, but guess what that is? Dry heat....

[No tears in ATL]

One more thing. My job requires me to do some hospital visits from time to time, and I don't see how people with even mild dry eye work in those places. Even when spending a couple of hours in there, I was miserable and inflamed when I left. And that's big and small hospitals, rural and urban. It's amazing to me how anyone can recover from any illness in a place that is freezing cold and dry.

I would pick more hands-on outside type work--even in the elements--any day over a hospital. At least you could wear your moisture chamber shades all day and no one would think anything of it!

[wearegood]

I quit my job as IT workers two weeks after My doctor said I have dry eye. Now I am a freelance. No more computer, TV and Ipad.Only in this way, my eyes are feeling good.

[Tankie]

In my opinion the best career path for someone who has serious dry eyes would be any job where you do not have to interact with other people. The reason I say this is because if you're in pain, this is definitely going to affect you ability to socialize. Furthermore, if you're around other people, you won't be able to put in eye drops whenever you want unless both you and your co-workers have no problems with this behaviour. Now the question is, can you brainstorm some ideas of jobs that you could do that require minimal interaction with others?

Two other comments I have:
- It is unfortunately if you follow my advice in some sense, because it means that you will likely be a bit on the lonely side in life, or at least when at work.
- This doesn't have to be permanent. If your eyes ever do get better, you can always change jobs and pursue what you always wanted. Remember, LipiFlow only came out in 2008 (or was it 2009?). In any event, new technologies and treatments will come out, and one day there may be a cure for you. Furthermore, a cure may already exist for you but you just don't know about it yet. As the months and years pass by, you will continue to experiment, and you might find the cure you've been seeking.

[alex123711]

I'm kind of weighing up between accounting and surveying, just trying to figure out which will be best for dry eyes.. working in the elements all day or on a computer/ aircon all day :s I know you can wear wraparounds outside but this is not all the time, I find they fog up so wearing them in the rain doesn't really work.

[robster]

If you have dry eye long hours infront of a PC is one of the worst things for the condition.

[bakunin]

Ditto. Even if 90 percent of the people in your office complain that it is too cold, somehow, there is that one super hot blooded very vocal individual who will make sure the A/C is turned to 58 degrees in summer. Grrr. I'm in that boat right now. Of course, I have a space heater, but guess what that is? Dry heat....

You described what is happening at my workplace. And the one hot blooded is the boss. I'm wearing my Wiley-X at work, and i put some water inside it.