Infections only when wearing goggles, sleep masks or plastic wrap...

[alisonW]

Hi all - whenever I wear something at night to keep my lids shut I end up getting an infection after a few days or a week in my left eye. Any thoughts about why this is occuring & why only in one eye?

I wash the sleep mask & goggles, and used new plastic wrap each time this has happened. I'm quite sure I sleep with my eyes open and would like some extra protection. Ointments feel great during the night but not the next day, and gels alone don't get me through the night. Thanks!

[Rebecca Petris]

Hi all - whenever I wear something at night to keep my lids shut I end up getting an infection after a few days or a week in my left eye. Any thoughts about why this is occuring & why only in one eye?

Sometimes one eye is more susceptible for a reason that's not obvious. For me it's my left eye (although the right is drier). Always has been.

We have had a couple reports here about infections while using plastic wrap.

I think my suggestion in your situation would be something that vaults the eye area but isn't completely airtight (i.e. no swim goggles). I know when your lid doesn't close that the best solution is to maximize protection including (ideally) something that holds the lids down but it's not always possible. I've corresponded with a surprising number of people who found Onyix/Quartz type shields perfectly adequate even though their lids don't close. - Or just treat your left eye a little differently... for example if you're currently using Tranquileyes, leave out the moisture pad on the left eye for a couple of days (or trim it down so it's a lot skinnier and holds moisture at the back of the goggle without touching your eye area... though if there's risk of infection I think a dry approach is probably safer). Or use plastic wrap on the right but not the left.

[alisonW]

great ideas...

Thank you so much Rebecca. I will try using my Tranquileyes without the inserts. Hopefully that will work since it's an easy fix.

[djeanwithdryeyes]

Just a thought...

I believe the problem may be caused by the eyes not getting enough oxygen and not being able to breathe.

Back in the days when I still wore contacts, I would develop infections, off and on. I was told by my eye doctor, it was due to the eyes not getting enough oxygen. I had to wear a different type of contact that allowed my eyes to breathe.

TAKE CARE! DJ

[EileenL]

I find washing my eyes with some water prior to using plastic wrap greatly reduces the amount of yeasty growth that can develop in that moist environment. I also had to wash my eyes with water in the morning as well. Don't seem to have the same issue with the onix. Definitely like the better air flow of the onix over plastic wrap. Both my eyes fail to close properly. I don't think I have any tears or oil glands left so apply drops and occasionally ointment multiple times during the night.

In highschool I cultured the ointment from my lacre lube tube. The high school teacher was thoroughly impressed with the variety and abundance of normal environmental bacteria living in that stuff...

[alisonW]

Back to the drawing board...

Thanks for all the replies. I woke up Sunday morning with yet another infection in my left eye (same one as usual & the driest). The difference is that this time I was not using any night protection at all. (I haven't used any since my original post.) So...I guess the eyewear was not the cause. (As a side note: I do wash my eyelids and lashes thoroughly morning and night with Ocusoft foam.)

[Rebecca Petris]

Sorry to hear that... and I suppose no coincidence there (the driest eye). A dry eye is such a vulnerable eye. I've been drier than usual this winter and if I don't really watch it I start getting what I call 'goopy eye'.

[EileenL]

My strategy for rinsing garbage/infections out of my eye socket. Ly down. Pull my upper lid out and fill it with drops. Roll my eye around, massage the lid gently, what ever it takes to get the drops to go where they don't normally want to go. Dab up the mess and try again. It takes 3 or 4 times when my eyes are really bad to get the dust, eye drop grit and what ever else is stuck in there out.

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[EileenL]

I also tilt my head back so gravity can help. Seem to have trouble getting enough moisture at the upper limit of my upper eye lid, to wash the crud out.
Just love it when an eye lash gets caught up there. It's a fun day when that happens...