teachers

[untkicker29]

Any teachers on here? How do you cope with dry eyes while lecturing up in front of students for extended periods of time?

[liz56]

Drops and blinking

Any teachers on here? How do you cope with dry eyes while lecturing up in front of students for extended periods of time?

Hi, untkicker29. I'm a teacher, too. I had three-hour classes this summer, and I have always been a really active, available teacher. However, this year, I ran out during the break to put in my drops, and I also leave right away to put in drops right after class, too. It is hard.

I also try moving around a lot, which helps me to be able to blink more often. If I stand in one spot and keep looking at a student or the students in general, extra blinking is more noticeable.

Dr. Holly's NutraTear drops help me the longest of any of the others during the day. They can get me through 1.5 hours fairly well.

I'm trying to manage my problems with a lot of the other ancillary treatments mentioned on this board, like getting a good night's sleep, taking fish oil, and staying hydrated. I hope that with some good planning and strategic coping mechanisms, I will continue to teach for a long time. I hold the same wishes for you!

[robinzb]

im a teacher, too. i gotta take a humidifier with me everytime im in a class. this is hard. my students and colleagues keep asking me what it is.... luckily it is that kinda humidifier without steam... but in summer, when air-conditioners are on, i dont know what i am supposed to do(im just a beginner...)

[elaine]

teachers

I teach a three hour seminar once a week. The classroom has air coming from the ceiling. Initially, I used a lot of eye drops and took Advil (which helped with the head ache I got from blinking constantly. The next year, as my eyes got worse, I had to take Vicodan for the pain. I had gotten some Panoptx goggles, but was too embarassed to wear them. I felt weird, and as a middle aged prof. in front of young grad. students, I felt so old. Last year I wore the goggles, but told the students on the first day why I wore them. This year, I still wear goggles and didn't tell the students. They may wonder, but haven't said anything. I am less conscious of my eyes in the goggles than in greater pain and blinking with my normal glasses on. The evolution of how I have managed my yes with my class really reflects my four year process of getting dry eye, and all the feelings of loss anger and acceptance that have come with it. (I'm in pain, but must I also suffer?)
Elaine

[shoebox]

Me too

I just started teaching in September -- leaving a "job" where I was in front of a computer all day. I find teaching less of a stress on my eyes, except one of my paraprofessionals insists on keeping the thermostat insanely high! Friday was a bad day -- followed by a migraine Saturday and Sunday, and I had to actually call out sick today due to eye pain. At times, my eyes water all night long and I wake up with excessively puffy eyelids and SORE, tender eyes, redness all around my iris (that is, when the overall redness subsides) and light sensitivity. That happened last night/this morning, and since I drive 30 miles to work, I didn't think I could make it. Ick.
Hang in there everyone.

[Judy]

You hang in there too, Shoebox! One day at a time is all we can do with this dry eye stuff sometimes... No-one can truly understand if they are not affected by dry eye. Have a great day! Keep on blinking

[eva b]

I had to stop teaching.

I first got dry eyes after a load of complicated issues in the autumn of 2006, and gave up my classes for that academic year. My eyes got better over the summer.

Then, when I went back in Sept, in was all OK until the dry air heating came on....within 2 weeks my eyes were back to unbearable, I had not yet found this site and my eye docs were extremely unhelpful, so I just had to give up again.

With hindsight, I would have definitely tried moisture chamber glasses in the classroom...the chances are they would have kept things under control, and to hell with what the students thought I looked like!

[robinzb]

i have just my goggles. I have got some problems with them. when im wearing them, the foam is pushing my eye socket, it's distracting, really. I was hoping this goggles could help me focus on what I do. but it doesn't seems to work well. Plus its hard to wear this in front of my students.

Does anyone else have this kind of problems?