Infected Plug

[Paula D]

Hi Everyone, hoping someone can shed some light on my problem please!

After having lower silicone plugs for 2 months I recently had my uppers plugged with silicone plugs.

The doctor said to me after he fitted the uppers that although he used 5mm plugs in both eyes my left punctum was larger than my right.

True to this since then my right eye has overteared frequently whilst the left doesn't - indicating due to the right eye having a smaller punctum it is fully occluded whereas the other isn't.

This was great at first as the right was always my 'bad' eye. However for the past week the skin around the right punctum looks red and inflamed, whilst although it isn't very very painful there is a definite 'pinching' feeling when I blink.

I have been using a antibiotic chloramphenicol ointment on the punctum for the past few days (from my GP, I didn't want to go to my laser eye clinic as I think they are useless) and I cannot see much improvement which I would've expected by now.

Do you think the plug is too big and that is why it is inflammed? The overtearing has really helped my bad eye and I am reluctant to have it removed unless it is really necassary.

I would be grateful for any views! Thanks x

[kitty]

No one can really diagnose you online. You should go and have that eye checked, if not by your Lasik doc then by your optometrist. I would be concerned about an infection. After I got my upper plugs (in addition to the lower), I had a lot of excess tearing out of one eye. I was convinced the upper plug was not the proper size or was not properly placed as it drove me nuts from day one. I went in to see my doc and he insisted on removing it. I can't say that only one plug in that eye is doing much good.