It feels like my eyes could be dry or could it be something else?

[Sabo]

Before i get to my questions i would like to mention something about my self im 20 years old male and just recently started dealing with some eye problems dry eyes and eye strain.


I've recently been searching the web for some answers i have been seeking about, some eye issues im having and came upon a old post on a different website that mentioned something very similar if not the same as i am experiencing right now.
This person mentioned" EVERY TIME i go outside, i have to wear sunglasses. sometimes even when the sky is gray or it's raining, it's still bright to my eyes. i HATE it".THIS IS THE EXACT PROBLEM I AM HAVING RIGHT NOW i have been to my eye Doctor a few times all she told me was that i had eyestrain and other than that my eyes were healthy i can't say that i doubt her diagnosis since she is a professional but my eyes sure don't feel very "healthy" some symptoms im experiencing right now is a kind of a hot feeling on my eyes when i close them, i randomly get some really mild pain on top of my eyeballs, and i can't even gently rub my eyes when they feel itchy because they start burning and tearing also when i look at a really bright light i get a mild shock type of pain on top of my eyes (i don't know how else to describe it). I would like to know if any of these conditions i mentioned is from dealing with serious case of eye strain which i am apparently suffering right now or from dry eyes? And also if this sensitivity to light is going to go away or get a bit better at least? I don't really feel the dry eye symptoms that horribly yet but i can kinda tell my own future i can accept that as i am gonna get older this is gonna worsen. In addition to my few questions above i would also like to know if dry eyes really makes you lose vision faster? I've heard this but not sure if it's true.
If anyone with experience knows anything about what i mentioned i could really use some help because this is really freaking me out

[Rebecca Petris]

This person mentioned" EVERY TIME i go outside, i have to wear sunglasses. sometimes even when the sky is gray or it's raining, it's still bright to my eyes. i HATE it".THIS IS THE EXACT PROBLEM I AM HAVING RIGHT NOW...I would like to know if any of these conditions i mentioned is from dealing with serious case of eye strain which i am apparently suffering right now or from dry eyes?

Hi and welcome!

I think that the most anyone on the internet can tell you is that it COULD be dry eye. There are a lot of different possible symptom patterns for dry eye and sometimes even when the tear system looks like it's only mildly disease people can have photophobia (light sensitivity), while for other people photophobia only comes when dry eye is quite severe.

I think the only way to get to the bottom of it is to find a doctor who is better equipped for this specific issue. Have a look at this article (kind of long I'm afraid) for suggestions. The bottom line is, you need either an optometrist who happens to be really good at dry eye or an ophthalmologist who is a corneal specialist AND is good at dry eye. Also, you will probably need to educate yourself a bit before going back to the doctor in order to ask more detailed questions because they don't always volunteer the information you need to know. Try something like this:
1) How does my tear production look?
2) Are there any signs of inflammation?
3) How do my eyelids look?
4) Are there any signs of blepharitis? How does the oil in my glands look?
5) Are there any signs of allergy?

Try not to let anybody ply you with prescription drops until these questions have been answered.

Meantime, if you haven't already, you might try a mild unpreserved lubricant eye drop to see if it helps. It's best not to rub your eyes anyway but when they get itchy the drops may help, also a cold pack.

i would also like to know if dry eyes really makes you lose vision faster?

In typical dry eye, no. Dry eyes may make you see less well while they are dry, but when it's under control it gets better. The only way dry eyes cause any permanent loss of vision so far as I know is in the really extreme cases where people get eye ulcers and scarring.

[Sabo]

Thank you for the reply zacoftheforrest =)
I do sometimes use eye-drops when i feel like i really need to the one i use is "refresh optive" but after using this i don't feel relief my eyes just feel wet

[tearless2]

Dr. Latkany, in his dry eye book recommends seeing if your vision improves after adding an eye drop to see if you have dry eye. Have you tried this?

[Sabo]

I haven't really looked at it that way but il try and see thanks.