New in town

[3dprinted]

Hi everyone!

I've been reading this forum for around a month or two.
I'm a 28yo programmer from Poland (please forgive my grammar and poor vocabulary). I've been suffering from dry-eye on/off for about 3 years now.
My disease started in June 2015 as a result of a foreign body in my cornea. I've developed RCE as a result and had 3-4 episodes since then.
The most serious erosion took place in March 2018. The doc said that it's been a viral infection. After around 2-3 weeks my cornea was fully healed, but my vision acuity dropped from 20/20 to 18/20. I also realized that my dry eye symptoms were much worse than previously. I never actually realized that it's a dry eye before.

I feel that my eye is very sensitive, I don't feel pain, no. I sometimes feel a foreign body sensation, but it usually quickly goes away after applying drops.
What makes things worse is the fact that I'm a full time programmer and a nerd that loves to tinker stuff on the computer.

I'd describe myself as a person who follows a healthy life style, rather a good diet etc, working out 2-3 times a week. In June/July 2018 I started following a very strict diet based on my food sensitivities (I'm sensitive to yeast, oats and corn). I dropped the alcohol and coffee completely. Started taking Omega-3. My subjective feeling was that my symptoms almost went away.

In September I did some mistakes such as:
1. Letting myself go on Holidays. I ate yeast (pizza, bread etc), 2-3 cups of coffee a day. Few cocktails during the week.
2. Being around BBQ/campfire.
3. Being on a computer for around 12h a day.

My symptoms are back now and I'm working hard to eliminate the "stress" factors again to see if it helps me.

I find it very depressing that I can't just stop thinking about it. I feel like on a rollercoaster. It's sometimes good and sometimes bad. This is debilitating and somewhat stressful. I have to provide my family.
Does any of you have similar experience and you can share it with me. E.g that despite the feeling of sensitivity:
1. I can continue working
2. Pursue my hobbies

Best regards,
3d printed guy.

[Rebecca Petris]

Welcome!

Couple of questions if you don't mind -

1) Can you describe your symptoms, including the timing patterns?
2) What treatments have you had? Other than the lifestyle/diet aspects, what are you doing for your eyes now?


Are you using, or have you tried, moisture chamber glasses for computer use?

[3dprinted]

Hi Rebecca!

I want to mention that I only have a dry eye in my right eye. I also realized that it's dry eye in July 2018, after finding this forum! I was googling only for Recurrent Corneal Erosion. I was seeing him every month since my last serious episode of erosion and telling him about my symptoms, but it didn't ring any bells for him (it was hard for me to even explain that sensation). In general I think my doctor diagnosed me poorly (it was in August) . He said that it was a demodex, but he didn't do any additional tests like Schirmer's test. He suggested doing eyelid scrubs twice a day for a month(!) and preservative free eye drops. Apart from that I'm planning on visiting a professional dry eye clinic.

After a longer read of the forum, I also started doing warm compresses for 10 minutes (2-3 times a day)

2) To sum up:
- eyelid scrubs
- preservative free eye drops (started in March, after my erosion episode)
- warm compresses (started this week)
- "even" better eye hygiene (started this week)
- holistic approach: omega 3, elimination diet (started in July)

When I use a computer I usually:
- turn on the humidifier
- do 20-20-20 exercises
- use f.lux software to reduce the blue light emitted by a computer

Apart from that in March I was on tobrex antibiotic eye drops and steroids to heal my cornea. The worst symptoms started around April-May.

I have never tried moisture chamber glasses for computer use, but I will consider getting them.

1) My symptoms are:
- In general, the sensitivity of the eye. I sometimes feel that even when I walk, my eye is very sensitive to the air movements. Like someone very mildly blowing into my eye.
- Full/heavy eyelids in the morning
- Eye fatigue/dry eye sensation when I use a computer
- Very rarely, but sometimes in the evening after lots of computer usage I have a foreign body sensation in my eye

I don't think I can't explain my symptom better than just sensitivity. E.g. when I write this I feel the sensation of really minor, but constant pain that is enough to remind me about it. What's more important I don't feel it always. It's on/off. E.g. when i don't use/overuse a computer, I either don't feel it or I feel it less often.

[MGD1701]

I had r.c.erosion for some years - but all +8 doctors just recommended ointment without compress, lid hygiene etc. which only made glands worsen/blocked - I have learnt this just this/last year.

The only way to get it under control effectively and save money/glands:
get an accurate diagnose, including gland function/images, secretation status etc. MGD, dry eyes are not so difficult to treat at early stage, according to Prof. Gupta. She also said even the best dry eye doctor can not see gland atrophy with slit lamp so gland image is important. The problem is most doctors still do not detect/treat it early enough - likely lack of knowledge. Recently I visited 2 doctors who have never seen gland images & one still only recommended drops and another even performed schirmer in a wrong order.

your pain is likely due to corneal issue. After LipiFlow, I still had (sharp, sudden) pain but I do not have it for about 1.5 years.

if you have big discomfort when wake up, likely: demodex or your lids are not sealed (although maybe close).

Moisture glasses with lens blocking blue light is so great.

meanwhile, good to educate ourselves as dry eye is too new.

[3dprinted]

What you're saying makes a lot of sense to me. I'm waiting for a visit in a real dry eye clinic.

your pain is likely due to corneal issue. After LipiFlow, I still had (sharp, sudden) pain but I do not have it for about 1.5 years.

So what you suggest is that maybe I don't have a discomfort because of a dry eye, but because of a corneal issue. That makes sense I will be sure after the diagnostics.

if you have big discomfort when wake up, likely: demodex or your lids are not sealed (although maybe close).

Today I woke up and my eyelids were glued together. I'm wondering if it's a part of warm compress treatment. One question regarding the demodex in people who had it, when it's cured do the symptoms magically go away?

[MGD1701]

eyelids glued together, likely blephartis - lid hygiene (twice a day), warm compress help. I had that too especailly when erosion occurred -
could not even eyes for 1-3 days but +8 doctors just told me use ointment - so terrible.

demodex is hard to detect/treat. Most doctors do not check it. only tea tree oil can kill them.

If you care to know more, perhaps read my old post
http://forum.dryeyezone.com/forum/ar...a-tea-tree-oil

[Rebecca Petris]

After a longer read of the forum, I also started doing warm compresses for 10 minutes (2-3 times a day)

Just want to mention that I personally feel a common mistake in dry eye treatment is overdoing heat treatments, which can increase inflammation and irritation in the lids (too much heat, too often, and/or too long). If there's a medically compelling reason I'd try to get guidance from a specialist on how long to do it. Though honestly there really aren't even that many specialists that can give detailed information about warm compresses.
[/quote]
1) My symptoms are:
- In general, the sensitivity of the eye. I sometimes feel that even when I walk, my eye is very sensitive to the air movements. Like someone very mildly blowing into my eye.[/quote]

Sounds perhaps like what we sometimes call "menthol sensation" here.

- Full/heavy eyelids in the morning
- Eye fatigue/dry eye sensation when I use a computer
- Very rarely, but sometimes in the evening after lots of computer usage I have a foreign body sensation in my eye

I don't think I can't explain my symptom better than just sensitivity. E.g. when I write this I feel the sensation of really minor, but constant pain that is enough to remind me about it. What's more important I don't feel it always. It's on/off. E.g. when i don't use/overuse a computer, I either don't feel it or I feel it less often.

Yup sounds pretty classic. Everything I'm seeing you write points to probability of relief with dry eye glasses. The medical stuff is all well and good and needs to be pursued, but getting symptomatic relief to support normal visual function can be considered a 'parallel track' in a sense.

[3dprinted]

Rebecca,

I don't know how I missed the notification for this post. Next week I'm seeing a dry eye specialist so I'm hoping to be diagnosed properly.

Just want to mention that I personally feel a common mistake in dry eye treatment is overdoing heat treatments, which can increase inflammation and irritation in the lids (too much heat, too often, and/or too long). If there's a medically compelling reason I'd try to get guidance from a specialist on how long to do it.

I think this happened to me! I've been doing it 2-3 times a day with really hot pads. I'm going to stop or reduce it for some time now. I feel that my lids are much heavier in the mornings since I started doing it.

Sounds perhaps like what we sometimes call "menthol sensation" here.

Thank you! I can finally describe the more accurate term for what I feel! It's a menthol sensation indeed.

Yup sounds pretty classic. Everything I'm seeing you write points to probability of relief with dry eye glasses. The medical stuff is all well and good and needs to be pursued, but getting symptomatic relief to support normal visual function can be considered a 'parallel track' in a sense.

Are we talking about the chamber glasses or a wrap-around glasses?

[Rebecca Petris]

Are we talking about the chamber glasses or a wrap-around glasses?

Anything that has some kind of shield to close the gap between the skin and the frame... keeping all moving air out and allowing humidity to build up.