Why would a 24 year old suffer from Dry Eyes?

[Gemma90]

I decided to book an eye test a few weeks ago because of the fact my eyes still have dry days every week. (I've been noting it in a diary) And I have developed a little small white spot on the inside of my lash line which i've now been told is a blocked gland. Because of suffering from severe dry eye I went on Anti-depressants last summer and so far *touch wood* they have made things better for me. I lost the weight I had gained and my skin cleared up, my periods feel more normal again. But I still have dry eyes!! Im 24 years old and I just don't understand why this has happened to me or how to reverse it. On bad days, I just think i'd rather not be here anymore than live with dry eyes... its affected my life in such a big way and if I had one wish it would be to take it away so I could enjoy my life and feel more normal again.

Btw, the eye hospital last time I went in October, advised me to start using diluted baby shampoo on my eye lids... which I had been doing quite alot. I told the optician at my eye test and she told me that I should stop doing that because I was cleaning away my eyes natural oils and instead start using my eye bag alot more and put in drops 2-3 times a day. (I don't believe the drops thing because I've heard too much of this can make it even worse cause your eyes no longer need to lubricate themselves.) so im not quite sure whats the best thing to be doing for my eyes anymore.

[justbob]

Im 24 years old and I just don't understand why this has happened to me or how to reverse it.

I know exactly what you mean, it doesn't seem to take much to knock those once tireless happy little glands into disfunction, then they just don't seem to want to go back.

On bad days, I just think i'd rather not be here anymore than live with dry eyes... its affected my life in such a big way and if I had one wish it would be to take it away so I could enjoy my life and feel more normal again.

You feel a slave over such a tiny thing, you want your life back? But other people don't understand at all?

Btw, the eye hospital last time I went in October, advised me to start using diluted baby shampoo on my eye lids... which I had been doing quite alot. I told the optician at my eye test and she told me that I should stop doing that because I was cleaning away my eyes natural oils and instead start using my eye bag alot more and put in drops 2-3 times a day. (I don't believe the drops thing because I've heard too much of this can make it even worse cause your eyes no longer need to lubricate themselves.)

I use warm compress 3 times a day too, doesn't seem to do anything but keep things as they are for me. Are your eyelid margins red?

so im not quite sure whats the best thing to be doing for my eyes anymore.

I don't know sorry, I don't know how to help myself yet, keep reading and looking for a doctor who seems interested and competent I'd guess. Wish there was a simple answer. More experienced members will probably reply and give you some ideas though.

[No tears in ATL]

It will be trial and error. If you have MGD, you could consider low dose doxycycline to get inflammation down and better quality oils. It's not magic, and I don't think it has reversed anyone's condition, but could help keep things stabilized. Your optician is probably right about not overdoing the shampoo. Sometimes less is more, and I'm glad she did not recommend you putting in drops every hour or some crazy frequency like that. 2-3 times a day seems reasonable, but if drops cause more pain, then don't use them (I learned this the hard way).

[littlemermaid]

put in drops 2-3 times a day. (I don't believe the drops thing because I've heard too much of this can make it even worse cause your eyes no longer need to lubricate themselves.

Gemma, so sorry this is happening - obviously you're not alone here and age has nothing to do with it. My d has been managing this through all her teenage years and doing well now, thank goodness and some kind docs. Bit worried that you don't use lubricant drops during the day(?). We've always used 2-3 and more as needed, eg working on computer or in air conditioned rooms. We've been up to more than 6 after a flare-up then tapered off to minimum. She's using none right now, but only because she's not in flare-up. If she was eg taking a coach or plane trip, or working in the IT lab, she would need quite thick drops - Hyloforte are her current favourite.

Our theory has been that we need to keep the eye surface moist all the time to enable it to heal.

Many of us, me included, have got very confused loading up with internet advice but we have to remember that people are describing their own experience and have very different aetiologies.

One of our docs did recommend reducing Hylo drops and substituting Bausch & Lomb Minims saline 0.9% (vials) because he thought she was becoming sensitive to them. Then we went back on Hyloforte or similar long-term but only when needed. Saline is not so good in quantity (osmolarity) but was good for a quick flush without a chemical sensitivity reaction (she used them occasionally when she was on the computer).

Since the eye surface is basically transparent skin (epithelium - amazing if we think about it), I think of it like finding a good moisturiser or sunblock with a sensitive face - sometimes we use one fine then it starts flaring up, so we stop or switch. Plus we think which ingredients might be good/bad. As NotearsinATL says, if drops make it worse, don't use them. Otherwise 2 or 3 a day seems reasonable and certainly normal for us to keep the eye surface good to enable healing, hopefully.

[khmedia]

Hi Gemma,

"On bad days, I just think i'd rather not be here anymore than live with dry eyes... "

Lots of us think like this all the time. I think like this quite a lot myself. However, it should be stated. When you go through a period of very bad dry eye and come out of it for say a good long period of relative relief, with a good quality of life - and then reenter a bad period - you then know it won't be like this forever as you've been here before. This gives me hope when I feel like what you said.

As a matter of fact there have been lots of times when I was thinking why did I have such thoughts about not wanting this life. Especially when times are good and I am not thinking of my eyes - the good periods.

So hang in there. You will find a solution. You may just not have conquering it yet.

I'll be honest, every day I wake up I think "that is right I have that condition called MGD and it looks like it's with me for the long term". When I think of how it was before I had MGD and how much I took my eyes for granted. Having the condition has changed my life - yes in a lot of negative ways - but definitely in a truly positive way. I feel it is more important to live life knowing how precious it is and for those parts of me which work fine i.e. my legs, arms, blood pressure and every other aspect of my health which is fine, I really appreciate that. No doubt age will catch up on those eventually however I find it great to have a new appreciation for those things now. Lots of people live their life and worry about things which are not important. Having this condition has made me realize the importance of what I do have which works and when I take a breath each day I am thankful that I can do this myself. I think of those who need a machine to do that simple action for them. Each breath I take, regardless of my eyes feels wonderful.

I hope I have not gone too deep! I just want to contact you on your comment. You are not alone. I and lots on this forum are of the same mentality.

This forum is brilliant for asking questions and getting positive feedback. Keep positive. You solution is out there which will give you a great life. Ask questions to the forum or PM my anytime!

Kevin

[Gemma90]

Thank you for all your comments, I appreciate it.

I think the hardest thing about it for me is that im only 24. I look around at all the other people my age and think how to them, they don't even realise what pain/discomfort your eyes can cause... Also, my eyes used to be one of the things I actually liked about myself. Now of course, they can't be with all they have put me through and how they can sometimes look. I feel embarrassed making eye contact with people at times cause I think they must be thinking 'Wow her eyes are veiny'. I just want to cry thinking about it but im about to go to work so not a good idea. :P

One thought i've had for a long time, is that maybe something like Candida is to blame? For a few years now i've not felt myself, I feel run down quite alot, my energy levels are so low that sometimes i'll go to bed in the daytime. My tongue always has a yellow coating to it (some days worse than others) and I have had an on/off fungal nail infection. Also flakey patches of skin on my face and eyebrows. I have had numerous blood tests which hasn't showed anything up, I feel like I should see my GP again but I don't feel im taken seriously and always leave the office disappointed and having not moved forward.

[khmedia]

Thank you for all your comments, I appreciate it.
One thought i've had for a long time, is that maybe something like Candida is to blame? For a few years now i've not felt myself, I feel run down quite alot, my energy levels are so low that sometimes i'll go to bed in the daytime. My tongue always has a yellow coating to it (some days worse than others) and I have had an on/off fungal nail infection. Also flakey patches of skin on my face and eyebrows. I have had numerous blood tests which hasn't showed anything up, I feel like I should see my GP again but I don't feel im taken seriously and always leave the office disappointed and having not moved forward.

Hi Gemma. You are very welcome. That is what the forum is all about. Helping others. I totally understand. You see others around you the same age and they take their eyes for granted. I am 35. I see my work colleagues, family and friends having great conversation and they last thing they are thinking is anything to do with their eyes. I've found this aspect very difficult to accept as you can feel isolated.

Interesting some of the similarities in your health with my own. Not at the moment but for a long period of time I too was Googling 'yellow coating on tongue' as I had this. I've also felt tired. They may be a link - it is so hard to know. I no longer get any yellow coating. Perhaps once every 6 months so I don't think in my case that is linked. However it was interesting that you mentioned this similarity. It has made me start thinking.

I'm not a medical person however for your energies etc a tonic (this is not related to your eye condition by the way) may be an idea to get you back in order. I've no idea if your diet is good. The tonic is just my own non-medical personal recommendation more than anything.

[Daniel2]

Yeah I dont know either, Im 25 but this started when I was 23. This really has affected my life, and had to drop some classes at my University because the pain was unbearable. I hardly can use the computer and I'm doing an effort just typing this.

Still I will not lose hope, thers gotta be smething that works for me and in the meantime I try to live as healthy of a life as possible, exercising and eating healthy so it doesn't inflammate the eyes worse than they are.
I'll be praying for you.

[justbob]

One of our docs did recommend reducing Hylo drops and substituting Bausch & Lomb Minims saline 0.9% (vials) because he thought she was becoming sensitive to them.

Eeek, if that happens to me I'm done for, I need the lubrication.

Lots of us think like this all the time. I think like this quite a lot myself.

Me too, made to guilty for feeling this way, but if I lost a leg I could still do 80% of what makes life worth living, so why is dry eye "insignificant" when it effects almost everything (also costs a fortune)?

I feel like I should see my GP again but I don't feel im taken seriously and always leave the office disappointed and having not moved forward.

Almost don't want to go and face more disappointment?

[Alex91]

Hi Gemma
I feel so related, I suffer from dry eyes too and I'm still so young Im a 23 yr old girl now but it started 2 years ago when I was 21 and studying my professional career, I suddenly felt soo tired and it felt like I was very sleepy but then I realized that i felt that way even when I have had a nice sleep so I went with my eye doctor and he told me that I was suffering this condition and I felt so sad like you state and maybe a little bit scared too because Im young and already suffering from this :/ sometimes Im just wondering what are my next years going to be, if its going to get worse... some days I just felt so bad about it and I was feeling so much pain and thought the same way you did and I thought I was over reacting but now I see that at least I'm not the only one haha, I hope everything works out for you and I totally understand what you are going through, I also look at my friends my brother and sister and it's like agghh they dont even know how this is, they think im always exagerating :/ So I hope you can feel some support from all the people here

[Amanda]

I decided to book an eye test a few weeks ago because of the fact my eyes still have dry days every week. (I've been noting it in a diary) And I have developed a little small white spot on the inside of my lash line which i've now been told is a blocked gland. Because of suffering from severe dry eye I went on Anti-depressants last summer and so far *touch wood* they have made things better for me. I lost the weight I had gained and my skin cleared up, my periods feel more normal again. But I still have dry eyes!! Im 24 years old and I just don't understand why this has happened to me or how to reverse it. On bad days, I just think i'd rather not be here anymore than live with dry eyes... its affected my life in such a big way and if I had one wish it would be to take it away so I could enjoy my life and feel more normal again.

Btw, the eye hospital last time I went in October, advised me to start using diluted baby shampoo on my eye lids... which I had been doing quite alot. I told the optician at my eye test and she told me that I should stop doing that because I was cleaning away my eyes natural oils and instead start using my eye bag alot more and put in drops 2-3 times a day. (I don't believe the drops thing because I've heard too much of this can make it even worse cause your eyes no longer need to lubricate themselves.) so im not quite sure whats the best thing to be doing for my eyes anymore.

I also completely understand. My dry eyes started at age 19. I am 37 now and they have progressively gotten worse (not to make you depressed). It often causes me anxiety and depression, but I am trying to manage my life and find ways to overcome this. I think you should read about several of the treatments people have tried on here. Baby shampoo KILLED my eyes. I never use it.

have you been to an opthalmologist yet?

[Guest]

Hi Gemma,

I'm sorry to hear what you've been going through, it isn't nice but things will get better. Sometimes it's just a case of trial and error to see what works for you. One thing I will say is when you do start recovering try and refrain from reading to many horror stories on the net. I started to get consumed by it and it would kick start my panic attacks - just concentrate on you and take information that you think will benefit you.

Everyone has very different ways on how to control this. So what I'm suggesting might help - or you may find another solution more preferable.

An important part of having MGD is keeping your eyelids and eyelashes clean, but baby shampoo is definitely too harsh! There's specialised eye products out on the market, ocusoft being one of them which is far more gentle to your eyes. For myself I use a very diluted tea tree foam which is antibacterial (I believe it helps killing the mites which supposedly breeds on our lashes - nice!) once a day of gently cleaning your lids should suffice. Anymore than twice a day would be tampering with them too much - I think - and may cause irritation.

It sucks but if you do wear eye makeup stop for the time being. Throw out any of your eye makeup as well because it may contain bacteria that had harmed your eyes.

Ask your GP or opth for a course of doxycycline - a popular antibiotic which helps towards inflammation of the eye. This helped my Mgd/blepharitis (the two normally go hand in hand).

I'm sure you know about warm compresses on here - designed to open up the glands and keep them functioning. I use a specialised mask for this (Blephamask) and my eye consultant says keep it on for at least ten minutes - it needs that time to work. When I was really bad I did this once a day - I don't use it at all now.

In other ways to support your eyes here's all the obvious advice - omega 3 is the supplement recommended time and time again as it's meant to be very helpful towards dry eye. Keep hydrated by drinking lots of water - try resisting sugar - if you use drops hylo forte is a good brand but go for preservative free. Do not succeed 2 - 3 drops a day - just focus on natural eye stimulation. And most of all don't give up hope, I've gotten so much better and so can you. It sucks having this so young I know but it's just a blip in your life and you will overcome it! X

[Gemma90]

Thank you guys for your replies. Its makes me feel better to know im not the only young person dealing with this. (Although I don't wish this on anybody!) When i've been at my worse, my work suffers... cause I can't concentrate on anything else but the discomfort/pain and have headaches from it. And it hasn't gone unnoticed by my manager. Like you said Alex, people who haven't ever felt dry eyes think we are exagerating and just using drops is all we need to do to get better.

My treatment at the moment, is using my eye bag and Systane Ultra Drops and taking Flaxseed Oil in liquid form. Although these help abit, I do think the cause of Dry Eye Internally needs to be sorted out... I just wish I knew how to find out what it is! I was recently on an Anti-Fungal Medication, Terbinafine... and I hoped my Dry Eyes could of been caused by some sort of Skin Yeast infection... I've stopped taking it after 3 weeks because of the risks (Liver Damage) but I can say it hasn't improved my Eye situation... although it did clear up flaking around my eyebrows for a short time.

[KatieT]

Hi Gemma. Your post nearly made me cry. Your entire posts sounds EXACTLY like something I would post. I developed dry eye when I was 16 years old. I was foolish and thought I would grow out of having constant red and irritated eyes. I let this go on for over four years without seeing a doctor. I finally went to an optometrist in December of 2014. I am now 21 years old... I got lower punctal plugs and I thought that magically, my eyes would become beautiful and white again. I was very wrong. I was left with a red, dirty glow with clusters of permanent red veins in the inner corners and squiggly veins all over my eyes. It has devastated me beyond explanation. I would give anything to turn back the clock and get treated right when I developed symptoms. I have been referred to the Duke Eye Center in Winston Salem NC and I am praying about Scleral lenses. I have tried so many things and nothing has made a significant difference. I hope so much that I can get Sclerals and my prayers will be answered. It is so emotionally painful to suffer from dry eye and have NO ONE understand. That is why I am so thankful to have found this website. I have also suffered from depression and am finally getting professional help for it. Keep fighting and know that you are not alone. Doctors always tell me "You're so young" with a frown on their face (When talking about my dry eye) It hurts my heart to hear it. But I will not give up. Good luck to you!

[ejw1992]

Gemma, your story sounds exactly like mine! I've had a really bad fungal nail infection for about 3 years!! During that time my eyes have had dry patches (i also wear contacts and have since I was 14) I'm now almost 24 so that probably has something to do with it and my dry eyes have got SO bad. But I'm sure the fungal infection has something to do with it! I'm now on terbinafine and have been for a month or so. Wondering if that has made my eyes worse or what?! How are you feeling with your eyes now?