New member needs condensed advice

[bitbybug]

Hello, I've had mild dry eyes for 25-30 years. Have never been on medication. Use eye drops occasionally (not very helpful). I exercise, take good quality multivitamins,Co Q 10, fish oil, flax oil, additional Vit C and D.
Looking through the forum, the amount of info is staggering. can anyone point me to one or two articles that sum up the best advice?
Thanks

[Guest]

The absolute best for mainstream treatment guidelines is this one: http://www.tearfilm.org/dewsreport/p...DEWS-noAds.pdf

It will load in PDF format, so skip to page 103 of the PDF (or if you are looking at the page numbers on the document itself, it will show page number 163. There is an outline on page 104 of the PDF (or document page number 164)

If you read that entire chapter, you'll find it offers a good discussion on what is known about the various treatment options.

[Rebecca Petris]

Hello, I've had mild dry eyes for 25-30 years. Have never been on medication. Use eye drops occasionally (not very helpful). I exercise, take good quality multivitamins,Co Q 10, fish oil, flax oil, additional Vit C and D.
Looking through the forum, the amount of info is staggering. can anyone point me to one or two articles that sum up the best advice?
Thanks

Can you tell us a little about your symptoms? (Pain? Grittiness? Light sensitivity? burning? blurred vision? other? When you say mild, do you mean it hardly bothers you, or do you mean your doctor classes it as mild?)
...and your diagnosis? (The ubiquitous meaningless "dry eye" diagnosis? lagophthalmos? blepharitis? other?)
...and what your eye doctor is saying if anything about it?

[bitbybug]

Can you tell us a little about your symptoms? (Pain? Grittiness? Light sensitivity? burning? blurred vision? other? When you say mild, do you mean it hardly bothers you, or do you mean your doctor classes it as mild?)
...and your diagnosis? (The ubiquitous meaningless "dry eye" diagnosis? lagophthalmos? blepharitis? other?)
...and what your eye doctor is saying if anything about it?

Rebecca,
By mild, I mean that my dry eyes is a problem only when I do lots of reading or computer work/and/or am in hot, dry, windy environment. If I curtail these activities, it clears up. However, I write as a hobby, and reading is my life!

My ophthalmologist is not concerned, has never pursued a diagnosis, just says, "you should use eye drops every day and blink a lot when you read."

As for symptoms, I'd say no real pain, just uncomfortable enough to make me stop reading, and some blurred vision if I persist in reading and they get really dry. No grittiness, eye discharge or light sensitivity. I'm one of the lucky ones. Incidentally, I don't have dry mouth either. Other ocular problems: eye pressures on the watch list, very mild cataracts. I'm 70, female.

[bitbybug]

The absolute best for mainstream treatment guidelines is this one: http://www.tearfilm.org/dewsreport/p...DEWS-noAds.pdf

It will load in PDF format, so skip to page 103 of the PDF (or if you are looking at the page numbers on the document itself, it will show page number 163. There is an outline on page 104 of the PDF (or document page number 164)

If you read that entire chapter, you'll find it offers a good discussion on what is known about the various treatment options.

SAAG, I've downloaded it. Thank you very much!

[NotADryEye]

This is a great document even though it is a bit out of date. For example, intraductal meibomian gland probing is not yet listed as a mainstream treatment, although I personally think it should be.

SAAG, thanks for posting.

[Rebecca Petris]

I think my condensed advice would be:

1) When you're writing or on the computer,
a) Wear goggles for maximum moisture retention/reduction of evaporative loss
b) Give yourself a visual reminder to blink LOTS more frequently,
c) Adjust your screen so you're looking straight or down slightly, never up.

2) Look for a doctor who will take an interest in diagnosing you properly.

3) Before you go, download and fill out the OSDI. Take it with you to your appointment and discuss w/ dr.

4) Ask them to tell you, as a bare minimum:
a) How is my aqueous tear production?
b) How are my meibomian (oil) glands doing: Can you see oil coming out? Is it enough? Is it clear, turbid, toothpaste, or...? (And if the answer is anything other than clear and plenty, after you go home start researching MGD.)
c) How is my blink?

If you've read the doc SAAG linked to, you'll learn lots more questions to ask too

[bitbybug]

Rebecca, Thanks. Good advice all. I've been reading up on MGD. I just listened to an audio on ReachMD.com about MGD/dry eye and its relationship to Omega 3 (re-esterfied triglyceride form). Anyone interested, registering at ReachMD.com is easy. Search for the audio by Dr. Gregory Smith. Search terms dry eye, omega, and Smith should bring it up. I'd put the link here, but it's l-o-n-g. Very interesting 15 minute interview.