red eyes

[vivian3090]

I used red eye drops with it without contacts for a few years.
My eyes would contently be red if I didn't put them in.
I went to see my optometrist about my redness and told me it was dry eye.
I'm wondering if it really is dry eye or if my eyes are just damaged from overuse of the drops.
If so, then should the redness go away by stopping the drops?
I haven't been on any redness drops for about a week, only the otc drops I was given for dry she's.
what are your thoughts?

[M@ri@]

Hi Vivian,
what kind of test did your opthalmologist do? Did he/she put any drops in? Or any other kind of test?

[vivian3090]

The first one did a dye and said my eyes were extremely dry.
the other one did a tear test and said my tear production was, more low in my left eye.

[M@ri@]

It sounds like you have dry eye as generally low tear production falls into that category. Did you have a Schirmer test- that's what I had done a couple of days ago and was classified as a dry eye sufferer. I think it's great that you stopped the get the red out drops. They have a really bad reputation. Maybe you will see a lot of improvement in the next days or couple of weeks now that you stopped them. I think it would be a good idea to use the otc drops they gave you because you have to compensate for your lack of tears for the time being. I personally had a lot of trouble finding drops that don't bother me and since I have to apply a lot I get preservative free ones. I can really recommend using preservative free drops. They always come in packs of individual vials rather than a small bottle. Good luck and let me know how you get along xMaria

[vivian3090]

Thank you Maria I will def. Let you know how it's all going. I'm just hoping I will be able to wear contacts again without red eyes!

[shirley]

I use the preservative free drops in the individual vials also. Vivian, use caution with your contacts, and watch carefully. There is more at stake than red eyes. If you have dry eyes, you are more at risk for a corneal abrasion, which can lead to a corneal transplant, and you definitely don't want to go there for that reason. I guess I am hyper aware of this, for I have two co-workers who continued to wear contacts, and this is what happened to them. i stopped wearing them a long time ago, and wear glasses. But I know how important it can be to someone.
Shirley

[vivian3090]

Shirley,
I haven't been wearing my contacts since Friday, I wore them out when friends and I went out, but I ended up having bloodshot eyes....It was weird, they didn't feel dry; but they were bloodshot!
this past weekend I have been in glasses, being depressed, and I keep having different people tell different things.
One group will tell me that it will be alright and that my eyes are just healing and I will be able to wear contacts and have white eyes again.
Another group isn't sugar coating it; they are telling me that it may not get better and that I may have to wear glasses 24/7; and to think more about my eye health more than my vanity.

I'm getting really frustrated!!

I work in a lab and there are bright flourescent lights and i work at a computer.....and being under the light and having to type data in the computer absolutley stung my eyes! I don't ever remember them feeling that way ever at work! I'm just so upset how my eyes are getting in the way of my life. I am becoming a hermit and I dont want to go out anywhere. All I want is for this situation to go away so I can get on with my life!