Minority with blur/fluctuating vision as primary symptoms?

[Krikkiboy]

Hello everybody,
Excuse me for my English, I am not a native speaker (Belgium).

It's my first post here because I only discovered this website recently.
After reading a lot of posts, i can conclude that a lot of you are having symptoms like VERY red eyes, a lot of pain (like there is sand there eyes) and very dry eyes (I mean now tears or liquid at all).

I am suffering from dry eyes for seven years now, I had to give up my commercial job that I was doing for 8 years, I have tried a lot of treatments and paid a lot of money to doctors who can't really help me.. So far, I am in the same situation as most of you here.
But wat is different i don't have the symptoms i described before, the mainproblem for me is a blurry vision and a constant change in my view. Doctors told me that my glands are relatively open and there is liquid coming out, but it is like thoothpaste. In other words: it is constantly infected and this would cause my blurred end changing vision.
I would like to change some experiences with people who are having the same symptoms as I do. Other advices or conversations are welcome to. Thanks a lot in advance!

Chris

[Rebecca Petris]

Hi Chris - I talk to people similar to you regularly but they are in a minority on the bulletin board so you may not get a response immediately. I'm going to change the thread title to help get their attention.

[Joseph]

I have the same thing as you do and I too thought it was only me with these symptoms. Thankfully Rebecca told me that I am not along and this is a part of dry eye disease because I felt like I was the only one with the vision problems. You are lucky like I feel that I am to have found this website, and you will find a wealth of knowledge here that is truely awesome. You are not alone.....

[mgshutterbug]

Hi Chris, I do not have red eyes, but do have gritty feeling and other unpleasant symptoms, exacerbated by slight breezes, hot or cold. My vision is blurry, and gets to point I can't see print at all the drier my eyes get. And when reading/typing, I definitely don't blink enough, hence vision becomes blurrier. Don't know that this helps...but I'm sure there are a number of other folks who experience what you do.

Maria

[Krikkiboy]

My condition and Lipiflow

Hello,

First of all thank you Rebecca for changing the title and helping me forward to come in contact with other people suffering from the same symptoms as I do.

Also Thanks to Joseph and Maria for responding and writing encouraging words.

I will explain a little more of my condition: because of my blur and fluctuating vision I have dificulties to focus my view on a certain point. When having eyecontact (so in every social and professional contact) with other people, you are actually focusing on the eye(s) of your speakingpartner. Then my brains are constantly trying to clear my vision and forcing my eyes to accomodate, which makes my eyes go wider and closer, which makes change in my face. Besides it is giving me headache and making me tired, it creates an unpleasant situation for the person I am speaking to because it is not very nice to speak with a somebody who is nervous and looking in different ways. It's difficult to explain, I hope you do understand what I mean. This conversation problems became psychologicaly and physicaly to much for me when I was constantly speaking with customers on my work. I needed to quit my job and I decided to go to the university and study to do something with my life, until things (hopefully) get better, and I could find a new job afterwards.

LIPIFLOW:
When I heard of this new technology, I immediately sent an e-mail to the company. The told me that Lipiflow was (lucky for me) available in Belgium. I went to the eye-clinic and there I heard that this technology wouldn't be a help for me, because the glands on my eyelids were open open and that the problem is an underlying inflammation of my meibomian glands (that's why they produce a thoothpaste-like liquid). Lipiflow isn't helping the inflammation of my meibomian glands (it is just opening blocked glands on the eyelids). I was really disappointed becuase I hoped this was something that could improve my sight. On the other hand I am glad that this dr. was honest and didn't charge me for a treatment that wouldn't help. So I am posting this to warn people with the same condition: do not spent immediately so much money, be well informed and ask two advices before paying this treatment.

An other thing I would like to share about Lipiflow (for those it can help), in Belgium the treatment is cheaper than in the US: for each eye, they charge 250€ (current rate dollar/€ is 1.29 dollar = 1 € so that makes 322 dollar for an eye! If you are travelling to Europe, it is worth thinking of doing it here, because I've heard that in the US it costs 750 dollar per each eye)

I hope I gave you some utile information about Lipiflow and the price in Europe.

Best regards,
Chris

[Jenn1]

@Krikkiboy, can I ask what the cause of your eye problems is?

[Krikkiboy]

Hi Jenn,

I don't know what the exact cause of my condition is.

-I didn't had surgery or lasik or other things
-I don't have Sjögren or other systemic diseases that are often mentioned on websites
-I am not wearing lenses, just glasses for whatching TV or driving
-I am 32y old, so it's not related to age
-I am not taking medications that can cause dry eyes
-....

What I do know is that the liquid produced by my meibomian glands is of bad quality, like toothpaste. My dr. said that I have meibomitis (inflammation of the meibomian glands). But nobody can tell me what the cause is of this condition. I have also symptoms of dry eyes, but not that it is really a big problem (a little red, my eyes are feeling tired sometimes (especially when I read or in the evening), a little itchy), the big problem for me is, as already mentioned, blur and fluctuating vison NON STOP, every day. And things get worse already seven, maybe eight years now. :-(
But I try to stay optimistic... :-)

Have a nice day
Bye
Chris