ducts directly against eye?

[gracie99]

I got a pair of lower duct capped plugs this week and am having problems with the caps rubbing against my eyes when my eye lids swell a bit. This happens when I'm asleep, and when I wake up my eyes are bright red from the irritation.

I CAN SEE that the tear ducts topped by the plug caps are directly against my eye: To see the plugs, I have to pull the lower lids out a little because that part of the lids are turned inward directly against the eye because of the swelling.

I'm wondering:

Is the propensity for my tear ducts to often directly contact the surface of my eyes abnormal??? (If it were normal, I can't imagine how anybody could endure these plugs.)

Could that propensity be a cause of my dry eyes???

I'm thinking that if I spend all night and anytime my lids might be a little bit swollen with the ducts directly contacting the surface of my eyes, perhaps the ducts are actually syphoning off the tears rapidly.

I think it is probably normal to have a little lid puffiness when one wakes up. And I don't think that my eye lids swell to a degree that seems unusual -- it takes just slight swelling to push the duct openings against the eyes.

Grace

[Guest]

I have to pull out my lower lids a bit to see my plugs as well, but they never cause my eye to get as irritated as you describe... 99% of the time I can't feel them at all... the other 1% of the time, I might feel a bit of itching where the plug is, but that's it.

I'd get this situation checked out with your eye doc...

[DryEyeSurvivor26]

No, that is not normal. I cannot feel mine at all. You either need them readjusted or taken out completely.

[alisonW]

I agree with the others - you should not feel them at all and they should not touch your eyeball either. I had to try several different types before finding ones that did not touch. (I have Oasis plugs.) I'd talk to your doctor about getting different ones put in.

[gracie99]

Thanks for the responses.

I did go back to the doctor, but he saw me the swelling went down and redness had subsided a bit -- and didn't seem to take what I told him seriously.

So he just told me that I'd probably get used to them. But the problem is getting worse, not better.

I'll be seeing another opthamologist next week, and this time I will INSIST on removal.

[sighthound]

I have Eagle brand plugs. I have had several replaced. My local dr says he has tried several brands but these are his favourites. Dr L also put one in. I asked him what brand he used and he said Eagle. I only felt one plug, and that one fell out about a month later, so it was probably sticking out a bit anyway. Otherwise, I don't feel them at all. Maybe your dr could try this brand with you. You should not feel them rubbing.