MMA fighter with DRY EYE problems

[martin93]

Hi all and happy Holidays !!!

At first I want to thank DCRdryeye,who encouraged me to do my first post here,and also i apologize for my english

I've been having eye problems for over 4 years.In the beginning my eyes felt a bit uncomfortable,frustrated by the wind and the sun light,but i was able to handle it.Then i started feeling HUGE dryness under the upper eyelid

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/ef47d

I still feel the "core" of the dryness there,don't have redness or foreign body sens.,but when there is wind or airconditoner i feel pain there,my eyes produce extra water(reflex tearing i think) to fill the dry spots,but it feels even worse and hotter.

So then I made my 1st appointment and went to a doctor,he spotted some tiny pappilas on the upper eyelid margin and told me i have Vernal conjunctivitis.He prescribed me artificial tears,corticosteroid eye drops and antihistamine pills. After several months he said that the pappilas are almost disappeared,but my symptoms weren't improving,contrariwise-they were getting worse(then i wasn't told that the antihistamines dry the eyes).I also made skin and blood test and according to them i have no allergy.

In next 2 years i went to 10-15 different doctors and proffesors,some told me to drink more liquids,and that dry eye is not a big deal ,and artificial tears and lubricant can make my eyes feel better,But they DIDN'T.I was done TBUT test on the slit lamp ,and the result was 2 sec,before evaporation, in the next year i tryed:
Restasis
Plugs
Systane Balance
Gels
Artificial tears all kinds
No effect for me..I quited my MMA training ,because my eyes got so bad,that i felt embarrassed to look the people in the eyes,because of the dry eye sensation,and the others were thinking i'm a shy boy.I'm not but did't want to tell them my problem..

I started looking for a solution in internet and found DryEyeZone community (thanks for the awesome forum and the helpful themes !!! ).I also concluded my meibomian glands are clogged up and suppose that my eye lipid layer is not "spreaded" enough to cover the circled zone on the picture.
Last month I started taking :
flaxseed oil
tetracycline 4 time a day
the "NAC stuffs" plus vit.C
warm compersses plus extra lid hygiene
no results so far,but keep waiting

I'm thinking about "probing" in Germany in future,because there must be something,which can help me,i'm too young to give up ..
I Really Want to take up training again,and that's my Christmas wish hah

Thank you for reading the whole story,and DON'T give up

[martin93]

Guys may i ask you if i am the only one with dryness "deeply" under the upper eyelids only ,or it is common for dry eyes?
Please answer,it's important to me.
Thanks in advance!

[DCRdryeye]

Hi Martin, I'm very happy you wrote a profile about your experience. When you speak about dryness 'deeply' under the upper eyelids, are you referring to the part that's closer to the brow bone? How does the dryness feel to you? Is it scratchy? Can you feel friction when blinking? Is there a cold sensation? What have you found that gives you the best temporary relief? I've heard of this symptom and it's not all that uncommon.

It's sad you quit your martial arts because of dry eye. I personally did Wing Chung Kung-Fu years ago and trained incessantly with it for years. Due to over training I had to quit from dislocating my thumb joints.

I've found exercising and working up a sweat relieves my dry eyes. The body produces more heat during exercise and so the eyes have more moisture. I remember training martial arts in the summer and using a water spray bottle on the face to cool down, but wouldn't that also help relieve dry eyes?

[Hopeful2]

Hi martin93,

Yes I too experienced 'dryness' under the lids, at the tops of my eyes. . . at least I believe it was dryness. What I know for certain was that it was awful pain at the tops of my eyes. With more pain in my drier right eye. I was ready to take just about any kind of pain killers to manage the pain. I don't know that this kind of pain is very common. When the doctors unsuccessfully attempted to treat my pain with antidepressants, I decided that I needed to do something to manage with the pain.

I had read somewhere that someone had experienced relief with meditation. So, I embarked on my own relaxation program. I focused on making the area around my eye relaxed. I experienced some immediate relief and within two weeks of this practice the irritation at the tops of my eyes went away.

I had lasik surgery 7 months ago and I do think that my eyes are starting to heal. I still have a short 3 sec TBUT, but I do notice that my meibomian glands are producing more oil and my eyes feel moist almost all the time (except with prolonged computer use or reading . . . or during the night). Last night, I went for a walk with a group of friends, without any goggles! I was running late and forgot to bring them and because there seemed to be no wind I thought I would be okay. The walk back was into a light wind and my eyes managed fine with the cold windy air. They just teared up a bit and felt fine once I was inside.

Hope this all is of some help to you. There are many people on this site with a lot of experience managing dry eyes. Someone might be able to offer more specific advice.

Best of health for the new year!
Hopeful2

[martin93]

So we are kind of former colleagues
here are my answers:
-The dryness sensation is here http://www.freeimagehosting.net/73ef2 (can u open the link)?
-I feel temporary relief only when i squeeze my eyes harder ,but only for few seconds
-When i blink and after sec i literally feel how the tear layer evaporates there(the part ofthe picture)and it starts burning sens. and hypersensitivity to air/wind
-I don't feel friction when blinking,it is smoothly
I went to an opth. recently and he can't explain me why that dryness is only there ,and the inferior part of the eye is normal....

[Hopeful2]

Martin, does the doctor actually see dryness at the top of your eye (as shown on your diagram)? My doctor did not see any dryness and could not understand why I was experiencing so much discomfort above my eye. He thought maybe it was some kind of referred pain to dryness elsewhere.

I think the pain I had was related to the eye muscles. I was so frustrated with my dry eyes that I was holding a lot of tension in my face and around my eyes. Once I started the relaxation exercises, the pain literally went away. I never felt any friction with blinking either.

Are you experiencing any eye strain? Have you tried putting eye drops (artificial tears) onto the top part of your eye? Do you experience it at all times during the day? What kind of eye discomfort do you have during the night?

[DCRdryeye]

I had a look at the picture Martin and didn't expect the dryness to be so high...it's practically right on the top part of your eyeballs. I'm wondering if the actual mucous membranes "surrounding" that part of the eye could be related because "squeezing" your eyes harder could be moving the eyeballs milimeters from their usual position. When the squeezing stops they spring back into the same position. I'm thinking in terms of using a "mucous membrane" restorative strategy by using nutrients and herbs known to balance and provide precursors to the mucous membranes. Here are a list for you:

Vitamin A (at least 20,000IU a day)
Zinc
Vitamin C (at least 2,000 mg day)
Lysine (at least 1,500 mg day)
Vitamin E (500 mg day)
Probiotics
Golden Seal
Berberis vulgaris
Eyebright

I always advocate the importance of quality and quantity. The supplements need to be from a reputable company and taken in the correct doses. From the above list keep Vitamin E and Probiotics in the refrigerator.

I wonder if damage from a previous eye infection or low grade inflammation is the culprit to the upper eye dryness? There are so many possibilites.

[martin93]

Hi,Hopeful2!
Yes ,the doctor saw dryness at the top of the eyes.And yes i do feel eye strain there,but only at the top of the eyeball,it's not related to my eye muscles.
I don't feel discomfort at night when my eyes are closed.I experience it during the day from morning till night.

DCRdryeye,
your theory is completely right in general.But i think that squeezing is related to balancing the tear film ,because the anterior and inferior parts are normal(don't feel them dry).And in addition when go out(cold/wind) the upper part instantly starts watering(only there).
Next week i have an appointment with one dry eye specialist ,and i will keep in touch with you,to tell what he has said !

[littlemermaid]

Martin93, Did you ever wear contact lenses?

[Storm]

I found it helpful after putting in drops to put my head way back and massage my eye lids to get the fluid to the upper part of the eye. Yes eyelids get sore. I recommend preservative free eye drops. They are less abrasive although I need more of the preservative free drops in a day.

[martin93]

-Just get some news from the opth.specialist, he established very low degree of astigmatism and prescribed glasses.The doctor said that i see excellent,but the brain has to make more effort ,because the astigmatism interferes.He recon the pressure under the upper eyelidsis due to astigmatism.(i thought it is due to the dryness)

-He spotted many pappilas under the lid margins and told me that maby is the main reason of the severe dry eyes.That is vernal conjunctivitis and according to the opth. it's uncurable.My allergy tests are negative,but the sunlight rays commonly were the "alergen".. Allergy to sunlight?! omg why me...
Often it disapperars after puberty(i'm18),but it is not surely...Anyone here with vernal conjunctivitis?

-I was told before for the vernal conj.,tried corticosteroids(almost without relief) and antihistamines long time.After no relief i thought maby it isn't VC,but the opth now is 100% sure.Also tried cyclosporine 2% for two weeks(i know i have to give it more time),but it burned so bad...i couldn't stand it.

Any advices ?

[DCRdryeye]

At only 18 yrs of age, you surely don't have "age related dry eyes" so we can rule that out hehe. What is he going to do for the astigmatism? maybe the dryness sensation on the top of your eyeballs could have been "pressure" of the ocular muscles trying to keep the eyes straight? this might be relieved through glasses. Have you ever had your Meibomian glands expressed?
I've never tried cyclosporine but have read that it often stings for the first minute of so after application.

[martin93]

Yes 2% particularly is terribly painful..Yesterday my meibomian glands were expressed,but nothing came out and the doctor said that when you strain your eyes to see better(dry eye/astigmatism or both.. for instance) your MG are inclined to clogging.Today i ordered the glasses,but i doubt that very low degree astigmatism could bring so intensive pressure in the eye.. The pressure decreases when i look down and increases when i look up.

Next week i'll give the glasses a try but don't believe that astigmatism could cause that kind of problem?

[sazy123]

Martin, have had allergy testing for type 5 hypersentitivities. True test. Dont rule out allergies until you have had this done.

I tested negative to the standard skin prick tests etc. But the skin patch testing (true test) i am slightly allergic to perfume. Mary on this site had dramatic improvments after findind out that she was allergic to chemicals in perfume and bedding.

My inner eyelids look like allergic conjunctivitis, not vernal, still not sure if it is allergic.

I get relief from looking down- that is because my eyelids are covering my cornea and i cant feel the buring of an exposed cornea to the environment. Not sure if its what you are talking about.

Tips: Steroid drop before restasis can help with the burning. Keep restasis cool. Also- close your eyes after and keep closed until restasis absorbs- i have no burning if i do this.

Hope that helps.