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Hi everyone,
After searching the web for a long time and reading a lot of posts on this forum, I finally decided to share my story with you.
I'm an 18 years old and I live in Belgium (Antwerp area). And oh yes, I'm male.
4 years ago I started wearing contact lenses. I hated my glasses and now I could finally get rid of them!
I could wear my contacts as long as I liked and my vision was just wonderful. And it really boosted my self confidence too.
I followed everything my optician said: no longer than 8 hours a day, try to give your eyes a rest in the weekends and so on, I took good care of the lenses, replaced them when it was due, I was careful with the fluid...
About a good year later, I started to notice that my eyes would sometimes be uncomfortable and dry at the end of the day.
And gradually I could not tolerate them any longer. I thought it was just temporary dryness and a week rest would maybe fix the problem.
And everyday, when I took them out, everything was fine. No symptoms whatsoever.
At the same time I was doing a vacation job: breaking down an old corridor at my school. There was a lot of dust (probably unslaked lime and a lot of other rubbish) in the air and I didn't always wear protection because it troubled my sight.
But other people did the same and I still thought the problem with my eyes was not a big deal.
Well I soon figured that my eyes wouldn't recover as quickly as I hoped. In fact, they just didn't. Bye bye contacts...
But more disturbing was the fact that I discovered working at a computer had the same effect on my eyes now.
(I have been fascinated by technology all my life, working with all kinds of programs, websites and gaming hours on end, me and my cousin.)
Well, that was... annoying. Just annoying. Because I figured everything would one time go back to normal. I still wondered when I could wear contacts again.
But some months had already passed and I started to worry. So I visited an eye doctor at the local hospital (one of the best, I heart)
He just send me away with some moisturizing eye drops. But I could still not wear my contacts.
I also had eye drops to get the red out. For some months I used these two types of drops just when I needed them. Back then, I didn't realize the dangers of those to get the red out.
But my symptoms wore off and I could (almost) live as I had always done.
Next summer we would go on holiday to America, the west-coast. Everything went fine until we got to Death Valley, Vegas and Brice Canyon. (10% air humidity or so...)
It was pretty much one of the worst experiences of my life.
The pain was the worst I had ever had and far worse than any pain anywhere else but it just makes your day so miserable.
Like a miracle, it went by and i did the Grand Canyon, filled with joy. But I was also terrified that it would come back.
And indeed, next Christmas was the worst of my life. The whole two weeks of my vacation were just plainly miserable.
My eyes were so dry and painful I could hardly enjoy anything, let alone people having fun at parties...
After the holidays, it became a bit better. I could go to school without much problems, but computer/tv/cinema/riding a bike was just off limit.
It was as if something died in me. Everything I had enjoyed my whole life was taken from me.
Thank God I still had some other things to enjoy. I could still sport and play the piano.
I went to a few other eye doctors. One prescribed cortizone drops and that helped for a while.
The other just the usual rubbish about eye drops, and when I told him that doesn't help at all, he said he couldn't help me any further.
So I had my g.p. make an appointment at the university hospital.
In the mean time I tried countless kinds of drops.
In the mean time I graduated and started my studies as civil engineer.
the first weeks were good, not really much symptoms except for computer use
I could go to the lessons and go out without much trouble, let's say the two most important things in a student's life
But then I had the appointment. The specialist gave me Vita-pos, an ointment with vitamin A.
It didn't work. Mornings were extremely painful and at the end of the day my eyes were completely irritated, tough not really dry.
I had a terrible time and trouble going to the courses and feeling socially isolated. Since my dry eye problems, I was already a bit less social.
Going out was sometimes a problem and I hate it to constantly remind everyone of my 'little' problem of which they will never fully understand the consequences.
The next appointment with the specialist: now I got some kind of anti-allergy drop and an ointment to keep my eyes lubricated (I could use this whenever I needed it)
But to no avail... My eyes are constantly dry, sore, painful. I can't enjoy anything anymore.
Even sports. I hardly go to the training anymore and I avoid the people that used to be close friends.
They all 'know' of my situation but can't relate to how serious this problem is for me.
And I can no longer relate to their little problems, their hopes and dreams. It all seems so irrelevant. I feel like I'm totally isolated.
And what's probably even worse, I know that with my condition I will never be able to do a job as an engineer properly.
I'm getting very depressed and I can't even produce the energy to study for my exams. It has all become so pointless now.
I've even briefly thought of suicide, but that's not a way I'm ever going to choose...
But how can I ever be able to live my live to the fullest if I cannot even do and enjoy all these little things in life?
Recently, I started researching as much as I could and I figured I probably have blepharitis. My symptoms are worse when I wake up and in the evening and my eyelids are dark red.
I still have reflextears when my eyes are very irritated/dry/riding a bike... so I guess any Sjogrens etc... is out of the question an I just have evaporative dry eye.
And I think that once one part of your eye is infected, maybe the rest is also affected including less goblet cells etc...?
The specialist at the univerity hospital told me they're never sure what's the cause of dry eye. Is this possible? Or did those people not get the proper trainig back in those days (because dry eye is just recently becoming hyped?)
I still have no explanation for the fact that it took my eyes a full year after I quit my contacts before the symptoms began. I guess my blepharitis (if I have it) kicked in then.
Does anyone have an explanation for that?
This is my regime now until my next appointment in March:
- 3 times a day 500mg flaxseed oil (the advised dose)
- 2 times a day a pill of Nutrof (contains omega 3 from fish oil)
- multivitamin/mineral pill in the morning
- 20 mg zinc in the morning
- humidifier: air humidity at 80% all the time
- Scrub the eyelids twice a day
- Systane balance as often as I need it
I have a set of tranquilleyes but I rarely use it because it's just too much hustle to boil water for one session. I ordered 4 extra sets at the pharmacy that will arrive withing 2 weeks.
I started with the flaxseed oil a week ago. I read that for some people it has done miracles, but I guess it was just too much to hope for that it would cure me too...
(I read something about honey, but I'm rather reluctant to try such alternative methods)
Thanks for taking time to read this. If anyone has some more tips on how to recognise blepharitis (I'm still not sure what I have) or how to treat it, much appreciated.
I know a lot of you can relate to the proces I have been going throught and the daily pain and suffering. I've read some incredible stories on this forum and I can't tell you how much
I admire the people who have struggled with this condition for years without end, always trying to make the best of it.
I hope from the bottom of my heart this pain will one time go away, but I'm losing hope very quickly. Please help me.
Sincerely,
A fellow dry eye patient...
After searching the web for a long time and reading a lot of posts on this forum, I finally decided to share my story with you.
I'm an 18 years old and I live in Belgium (Antwerp area). And oh yes, I'm male.
4 years ago I started wearing contact lenses. I hated my glasses and now I could finally get rid of them!
I could wear my contacts as long as I liked and my vision was just wonderful. And it really boosted my self confidence too.
I followed everything my optician said: no longer than 8 hours a day, try to give your eyes a rest in the weekends and so on, I took good care of the lenses, replaced them when it was due, I was careful with the fluid...
About a good year later, I started to notice that my eyes would sometimes be uncomfortable and dry at the end of the day.
And gradually I could not tolerate them any longer. I thought it was just temporary dryness and a week rest would maybe fix the problem.
And everyday, when I took them out, everything was fine. No symptoms whatsoever.
At the same time I was doing a vacation job: breaking down an old corridor at my school. There was a lot of dust (probably unslaked lime and a lot of other rubbish) in the air and I didn't always wear protection because it troubled my sight.
But other people did the same and I still thought the problem with my eyes was not a big deal.
Well I soon figured that my eyes wouldn't recover as quickly as I hoped. In fact, they just didn't. Bye bye contacts...
But more disturbing was the fact that I discovered working at a computer had the same effect on my eyes now.
(I have been fascinated by technology all my life, working with all kinds of programs, websites and gaming hours on end, me and my cousin.)
Well, that was... annoying. Just annoying. Because I figured everything would one time go back to normal. I still wondered when I could wear contacts again.
But some months had already passed and I started to worry. So I visited an eye doctor at the local hospital (one of the best, I heart)
He just send me away with some moisturizing eye drops. But I could still not wear my contacts.
I also had eye drops to get the red out. For some months I used these two types of drops just when I needed them. Back then, I didn't realize the dangers of those to get the red out.
But my symptoms wore off and I could (almost) live as I had always done.
Next summer we would go on holiday to America, the west-coast. Everything went fine until we got to Death Valley, Vegas and Brice Canyon. (10% air humidity or so...)
It was pretty much one of the worst experiences of my life.
The pain was the worst I had ever had and far worse than any pain anywhere else but it just makes your day so miserable.
Like a miracle, it went by and i did the Grand Canyon, filled with joy. But I was also terrified that it would come back.
And indeed, next Christmas was the worst of my life. The whole two weeks of my vacation were just plainly miserable.
My eyes were so dry and painful I could hardly enjoy anything, let alone people having fun at parties...
After the holidays, it became a bit better. I could go to school without much problems, but computer/tv/cinema/riding a bike was just off limit.
It was as if something died in me. Everything I had enjoyed my whole life was taken from me.
Thank God I still had some other things to enjoy. I could still sport and play the piano.
I went to a few other eye doctors. One prescribed cortizone drops and that helped for a while.
The other just the usual rubbish about eye drops, and when I told him that doesn't help at all, he said he couldn't help me any further.
So I had my g.p. make an appointment at the university hospital.
In the mean time I tried countless kinds of drops.
In the mean time I graduated and started my studies as civil engineer.
the first weeks were good, not really much symptoms except for computer use
I could go to the lessons and go out without much trouble, let's say the two most important things in a student's life
But then I had the appointment. The specialist gave me Vita-pos, an ointment with vitamin A.
It didn't work. Mornings were extremely painful and at the end of the day my eyes were completely irritated, tough not really dry.
I had a terrible time and trouble going to the courses and feeling socially isolated. Since my dry eye problems, I was already a bit less social.
Going out was sometimes a problem and I hate it to constantly remind everyone of my 'little' problem of which they will never fully understand the consequences.
The next appointment with the specialist: now I got some kind of anti-allergy drop and an ointment to keep my eyes lubricated (I could use this whenever I needed it)
But to no avail... My eyes are constantly dry, sore, painful. I can't enjoy anything anymore.
Even sports. I hardly go to the training anymore and I avoid the people that used to be close friends.
They all 'know' of my situation but can't relate to how serious this problem is for me.
And I can no longer relate to their little problems, their hopes and dreams. It all seems so irrelevant. I feel like I'm totally isolated.
And what's probably even worse, I know that with my condition I will never be able to do a job as an engineer properly.
I'm getting very depressed and I can't even produce the energy to study for my exams. It has all become so pointless now.
I've even briefly thought of suicide, but that's not a way I'm ever going to choose...
But how can I ever be able to live my live to the fullest if I cannot even do and enjoy all these little things in life?
Recently, I started researching as much as I could and I figured I probably have blepharitis. My symptoms are worse when I wake up and in the evening and my eyelids are dark red.
I still have reflextears when my eyes are very irritated/dry/riding a bike... so I guess any Sjogrens etc... is out of the question an I just have evaporative dry eye.
And I think that once one part of your eye is infected, maybe the rest is also affected including less goblet cells etc...?
The specialist at the univerity hospital told me they're never sure what's the cause of dry eye. Is this possible? Or did those people not get the proper trainig back in those days (because dry eye is just recently becoming hyped?)
I still have no explanation for the fact that it took my eyes a full year after I quit my contacts before the symptoms began. I guess my blepharitis (if I have it) kicked in then.
Does anyone have an explanation for that?
This is my regime now until my next appointment in March:
- 3 times a day 500mg flaxseed oil (the advised dose)
- 2 times a day a pill of Nutrof (contains omega 3 from fish oil)
- multivitamin/mineral pill in the morning
- 20 mg zinc in the morning
- humidifier: air humidity at 80% all the time
- Scrub the eyelids twice a day
- Systane balance as often as I need it
I have a set of tranquilleyes but I rarely use it because it's just too much hustle to boil water for one session. I ordered 4 extra sets at the pharmacy that will arrive withing 2 weeks.
I started with the flaxseed oil a week ago. I read that for some people it has done miracles, but I guess it was just too much to hope for that it would cure me too...
(I read something about honey, but I'm rather reluctant to try such alternative methods)
Thanks for taking time to read this. If anyone has some more tips on how to recognise blepharitis (I'm still not sure what I have) or how to treat it, much appreciated.
I know a lot of you can relate to the proces I have been going throught and the daily pain and suffering. I've read some incredible stories on this forum and I can't tell you how much
I admire the people who have struggled with this condition for years without end, always trying to make the best of it.
I hope from the bottom of my heart this pain will one time go away, but I'm losing hope very quickly. Please help me.
Sincerely,
A fellow dry eye patient...
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