Everything was great for a month and then it came back!

[Gemma90]

My dry eye was pretty non-exsistant... for the first time in nearly a year! I'd had constant discomfort, and I mean constant... since last December, and then at the beginning of October, its just went away and for the first time in ages I was living my life abit again and feeling abit more hopeful for the future.

Then, last week, I got quite emotionally stressed out about something, and its come back and i've been in discomfort again ever since last Thursday. I'm taking it pretty hard. I was really looking forward to having a better Christmas than last and felt more positive. I knew that there was a possibilty that dry eye just going on its on seemed too good to be true. I have tried to stay relaxed since and its not going anywhere and my depression has slowly crept back over the past few days. Im pretty gutted. I hadn't changed a single thing, so I don't really know what to do to improve my situation. But it kinda sucks being the only 22 year old I know in discomfort with dry eye which I still associate as an 'older person' thing. And im finding myself a little jealous of everyone who has normal eyes, normal healthy eye whites because I feel so abnormal and that nobody my age would know what im going through.

One thing I did think aswell, is that my eye problem started I also noticed oily skin but with flakey patches around my hairline and my eyebrows. I've always wondered if this is related. :/

[Faith1989]

I'm only 24 and know how you feel. I will have a stream of good days and feel hopeful again, then it will come back and I will get depressed. What are you using right now for your dry eyes? Did you try a new artificial tear or anything that may have triggered it? It also could have been the stress?!

[Katewest]

I've had dry eyes since I was about 26 slowly getting worse and culminating with my move to the desert. (Im moving in 6 months!) I can totally understand the anxiety and depression you are going through. Have you considered talking to a therapist? I would say go down the list one at a time of treatments….diet, restasis, vitamins, etc.

[alisonW]

I wonder if you have ocular rosacea. Stress is a huge trigger for it.

[Katewest]

Good point Alison---best treatments for ocular rosaca?
Stress reduction (BUT HOW?)
cool compresses
strict diet of low sugar, carb, meat, inflammatory foods

[Faith1989]

k but what can you eat that is low carb, low sugar when your not eating meat?! Even veggies are high in carbs?

[Katewest]

Veggies don't have carbs….so you can eat veggie, nuts, ummm..lol I forgot fish. Costco has these amazing mahi or salmon burgers

[alisonW]

You named all the treatments I know of Kate. That's the bummer. There's not much that can be done for it. My eyes are really bad again too right now. The windy cold weather we've been having isn't helping either....

[Faith1989]

Thanks kate ! How are the eyes doing? I finally got some good fish oil, so hopefully it helps a bit. Restasis helping at all?

[spmcc]

One thing I did think aswell, is that my eye problem started I also noticed oily skin but with flakey patches around my hairline and my eyebrows. I've always wondered if this is related. :/

This sounds like seborrheic dermatitis which can definitely cause blepharitis and dry eye.

Seborrheic dermatitis usually is occurs on the head (dandruff/cradle crap), eyebrows, base of eyelashes, crease of nose (nasolabial fold) and in & behind ears (i.e., skin creases). Those are the greasiest places. Doctors/dermatologists usually say to:

1) buy and use shampoos that represent all 5 active ingredients:
*zinc pyrithione (e.g., H&S)
*coal tar (e.g., Denorex, Tgel)
*selenium sulfide (e.g., selsun blue)
*salicylic acid (e.g., H&S has a product)
*ketoconazole (e.g., Nizoral)
(*tea tree oil - I add this 6th ingredient because some people swear by it for seb derm... and they like that it's natural)

2) cycle one each day - DO NOT skip days - wash EVERY day. This cycling of shampoos/treatments is done to avoid developing resistance to the active ingredients.

3) do not use other shampoos

4) to kick start treatment, wash TWICE a day for a week to 10 days

5) scrub (yes, scrub - but don't scratch/open skin) the scalp, behind and in ears, eyebrows - let suds sit on face - let stand for 2 minutes. The main goal is to soften, loosen, and ultimately remove the flakes/scales.

6) Avoid perfumes/scents - because some shampoos (e.g., H&S) have perfumes, get an Rx from your derm for a compounded shampoo that is zero-perfume/no scent

7) you can also get an Rx for higher concentrations of the active ingredients

There's lots of info online regarding seborrheic dermatitis. You should see a dermatologist though.

There's also lots of info online and here on DEZ regarding blepharitis. You should see an ophthalmologist/cornea specialist though. But generally key is cleaning/hygiene of the whole head (including base of lashes to clear the openings of the meibomian glands).

[Katewest]

Hi Faith---I think a little bit better….but is that the lipiflow, vitamins, better fish oil, week 4 of extreme diet, or staying in my humidifier room more during the day? Oh, or week 3 of restasis? I have no idea…but I do think I am feeling a little better. My eyes don't look much better though. How are you doing?

[Faith1989]

Like you, been trying the diet thing, but to be honest, I havent been strict..so probably need to step up my game haha I have been using alrex which helps me more than anything (very mild steroid), serum and restasis at night. Just got more PRN vitamins, wasn't using them as I haven't been working so I couldn't afford them. Eyes are okay until night, then i get bad symptoms.

Regarding restasis, I am unsure if it makes me worse or not.. some days I can only use it at night. It makes my eyes kind of red, and sensitive.. my doctor loves the stuff so i stay on it but I am not 100% sold on it. I know the red part shouldnt bug me but it really does. Makes me hate looking in the mirror. When i dont use it, my eyes dont look nearly as red, but are they less healthy without it, I'm not sure...

i am really glad you are better, i asked for a huimidifier for christmas...oh the joys of dry eyes!

[littlemermaid]

But it kinda sucks being the only 22 year old I know in discomfort with dry eye which I still associate as an 'older person' thing

Gemma ~ Please don't feel alone or different. There are people of all ages here in this support group - teenagers and children, many people in their 20s, and parents of under 10s and pre-schoolers who have been managing eyes since babies.

A quick Google in your region, or contact with Ophthalmology services like patient support, would reveal other people your age managing eye inflammation. NHS eye clinic services are not quite ready to put us all in touch with each other, but this will happen soon. British Thyroid Foundation looks good - I would follow them on Twitter at least.

The heating has just gone on - is that affecting your eyes at night? are you covering them to sleep?

Are you getting good specialist monitoring for your thyroid levels? Are you doing well with your Ophthalmology service?

[nicolasdu92130]

yo man don't give up, ur not alone, il only 20, im on Wilex everytime im outside, + i got burning/red eyes all day long, drops massage ect do nothing for me,( i tried a LOT of stuff in almost 1.5 year) but im still there. And yep its very frustrating to see other people eye, to see how white they are and how red mines are, and yes i got trouble to look people in the eyes, but i manage to get through the day, just don't look ur eyes in the Mirror and do ur stuff while u get ur next appointment.

[Gemma90]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I have seen a derm (for a different issue, my hand in the winter time swells up and my fingers are red and sore) and had an allergy patch test where all came back negative, im going for an update in a few weeks as it was a year ago that I had the test, I think im going to bring up the flakey patches when I see him and see what he says.

I have also been to my eye infirmary a number of times, paid to see a optometrist, and both of them just prescribed me some drops and told me there was nothing more they could do for me. I use Systane on very bad days and so far that has been the best for me. I also take Flaxseed oil up to a twice a day, in quite a high dose.

I've had blood tests for everything under the sun I think!! And the thyroid was the only one that has come back slightly abnormal but the past few tests I've had its been well within normal range and thats without taking anything for it. I would like to have a test for DHT really with the oily skin, I have had a testosterone lab done and thats come back as normal (or maybe low normal?) its 0.6 nmol/L.

It is really hard not to feel alone in this. I still can't believe what stress can do to the body, it was over two years ago I went through a horrible time... not long after I gained weight and my skin/hair got bad and oily, then my eyes. I try to stay positive, but my self esteam is terrible! I just think people must look at me thinking I look ill... bloated, like I don't wash my face/hair, my eyes are veiny, and its on-going, I just always hoped I'd get back to being 'me' but the more time that passes the more I think it'll be like this forever and its reduced my quality of life, I have reduced it, but letting such petty things let me get so upset and stressed out.