How do you cope with work?

[amber]

Hi everyone.
Firstly I'd like to say how glad I am to find this site. Myself and my mother have dry eye and I have so many questions.

The main one is, how does everyone cope with work? I work in an office environment and I find that some offices are ok for my eyes, with others my dyes dry up within a couple of hours, which results in the pain setting in a day or so later and it takes 1 - 2 weeks for it to get back to normal. Other offices cause a problem but not as severely as others.

I moved to a new office recently and my (very understanding) boss asked me to spend a couple of days in the new office to check I was ok. I was fine so I moved jobs and someone has replaced my old position. But after 4 days the dry eye started and over the weekend the pain increased. I cannot understand why this is when the other office didn't seem much different and I was ok there. Both have closed windows, things like printers/faxes and computers. I am using the same laptop I took with me. This has happened before and it sends me straight into panic mode. I have a history of stress and a lot of it relates to the worry from thinking I may not be able to cope with work. What is it about offices that sets it off? I know it is not low humidity as I have taken a reading and it is the same in the good and bad offices. If anyone can throw some light onto this I would be so grateful. At the moment I cannot tell my employer what it is I need to be ok so it's impossible for them to help me.

I have tried moving desks away from a group of printers I was very close to - maybe that made it worse? Now the pain is staying the same and I don't know if it's that I haven't recovered from a week ago at the old desk or if there is still a problem. I don't know what to do next!

Do other people work in offices?

My dry eye can vary between quite uncomfortable to so painful I honestly think sticking a pin in my eyeball could not make it hurt any more. Is this similar to what other people experience?

[kitty]

So sorry you are so uncomfortable. Are you using an anti-glare screen on your monitor? Are you taking breaks away from the puter? You could try running a small humidifier next to your desk. Also, see if there are any overhead vents. The maintenance department can adjust them to blow away from you. These are some things that I have found helpful. Sometimes, there is nothing you can do but lubricate and hope the end of the day comes soon! I like to take a break at lunch and get out of the building to give my eyes a rest.

[bassfan]

I am an engineer and sit in front of a computer in an office pretty much all day. I believe the reason my eyes are so bad at work is the moving air. I have a small humidifier (i can recommend you one thats fabulous) and I can see the stream of vapor blowing in various directions at different times. Sometimes it even blows in the exact opposite direction of the nozzle. I think this moving air is what causes the majority of my problems...so I'd take a look at that.

[amber]

Hi Kitty, thanks for the reply.
When I first got dry eye I was working in an office which I now realise was making the problem worse but I had no idea what was wrong at the time. The pain was so bad it was unbearable. I tried everything - sitting near a window, turning the air conditioning on or off (much to the annoyance of others who thought I was just being selfish), ioniser, screen filter, humidifier, lots of plants, you name it. Whilst some of these things may theoretically make a small difference, nothing came even close to making it bearable. I saw loads of doctors and tried numerous eyedrops.

I did nothing with my life except go to work, go to bed when I got home, force the odd meal down and sleep. My young child got pretty much ignored. I got to the point where I didn't think I could continue living like that any more. No one seemed to understand how much pain I was in. Then I had a breakdown which made me stay at home and it improved dramatically.

Since then I have always found this with offices, there is just something in there, I don't know what it is. It doesn't feel quite the same as when I get dust in my eye. Both hurt, but somehow it's different.

I only know of 2 other people personally with severe dry eye, and both of them have given up office jobs because they could no longer cope. One is my mother and she said she always got a tight feeling on her skin and red blotches. I too get red blotches when it's an office that has agrivated my eyes - on my eyelids and just above, uo to the eyebrows. I don't get that from wind, dust etc.

I really want to try to understand what it is in the environment of an office which triggers this as it would at least mean I can explain it to my employer. As things are now I know I cannot go through what I went through before, but I also need to work. Does anyone know anything about what effect things like ozone from a printer would have on dry eye? Would it explain these symptoms?

[amber]

Hi bassfan. The desk where I am now is away from the air con and the nearest unit is taped closed anyway. The air seems pretty still. A tissue doesn't move when I hold it up anyway.I have found at home that a humidifier does help but it doesn't seem to make any difference at work. I think it's because it's a big open plan area so the vapour just disappears.

I'm trying to play spot the difference with the previous 2 offices which were ok and the only thing I can come up with is that those 2 had less machines like printers, photocopiers etc per sq m of floor area and they both had high ceilings. This office has more machines and normal domestic height ceilings.

[Rebecca Petris]

Amber,

Have you tried moisture chamber eyewear?

For most people with this problem I think that eyewear is essential and also is the most likely to give them significant relief.

Take a look at this page for an example of one of the best known products for this - it shows a topdown view of the frame and removeable gasket with foam liner. See also EagleVision's 'moist eye moisture panel' which is more discreet and can be fitted to existing glasses.

If you do not wear glasses at all, consider at LEAST getting a pair of 'plano' glasses to help block airflow. Also, you can try out the concept of a moisture chamber inexpensively by trying Onion Goggles

[dryeyes2]

air circulation, air conditioning

Hi,

From my experience, it seems that many office environments are extremely dry. If there is just the slightest of air circulation or if the air conditioning is on, that is all it takes. I find even in my own home, that I needed to turn up the air conditioning up because I can't tolerate highly air conditioned air. It is almost, if not more, bone dry than heated air in the winter. Even if it is not being directly blown on me, it sucks all the humidity out. I work on the computer and I do have a humidifier in the room with me.

Lately I have been fortunate to work from home, but I had to go to a business meeting at an office. I was there about an hour and a half and that was all it took. My eyes were very painful after.

I have the same issue when I go shopping. So many stores have excessive air circulation. I preplan what I am going to do and put in gel drops right before I go in and keep my fitover sunglasses on while I am in the store. It blocks some air flow, but not completely. So no lingering and looking around for things right now, get what I need and get out. That is frustrating. The same goes for when dining at a restaurant.

I wish there was a good answer for office environments, shopping and restaurants. I have thought about asking managers at stores if they could turn down the air circulation, but I figured that it would probably be pointless.

[Rebecca Petris]

Keep an eye out also for Eye Eco's clear product due out later this year. I understand it can be worn on its own or under glasses.

I agree shopping is the pits. The worst is those 'wind tunnels' you have to go through on the way into a Walmart. I take my sunglasses off and put my hand over my eyes walking through that then put the sunglasses back on.

[untkicker29]

Yes, stores like Walmart are the worst!! I try to not even go to those places (malls, department stores, etc). I dont know why big stores like that are worse than say my home, because the vents are so high and the space is so huge, you wouldnt think air circulating would really affect dry eye that much, but it sure does!!!

As far as office work goes. It can be a very big pain. I know I proabably should wear some type of moisture chamber glasses/goggles, but I just cant get myself to wear them.

[Rebecca Petris]

I know I proabably should wear some type of moisture chamber glasses/goggles, but I just cant get myself to wear them.

That's the crux of it for many out there and I appreciate your putting it so plainly.

This is also the challenge that I am issuing to optical good manufacturers and Eye Eco:

COME UP WITH SOMETHING WE CAN WEAR IN THE OFFICE THAT DOESN'T MAKE US LOOK AND FEEL LIKE WE'RE WEARING GOGGLES. And please, hurry up.

If somebody out there can make moisture chambers hip, we will start seeing some real progress with making dry eye compatible with office jobs.

[amber]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I do think humidity is a factor in a lot of offices. That one I was in when I first got dry eye had humility levels constantly under 30%. But with the offices my company has now, they don't seem dry. It roughly works like this:
office 1: Humidity 60%. Eyes 100% ok, never felt better.
office 2: Humidity 40 - 50% eyes bone dry after an hour, 1 day later they start hurting. Takes about a week to settle.
office 3: Humidity 60% eyes were ok for 3 days then started to feel sore gradually over the next 2 days, though not really dry, just burning. Then got worse over weekend even though away from the office.

My boss is being very patient but my dilemma is I cannot explain this to him!

I'm sure the air quality, for me anyway, must be a big factor. Maybe it is dust or ozone.

I will certainly have a look at the goggles etc available. I do wear swimming goggles on planes and in airports because of the dry air and also ski goggles whenever I'm outside and it may be windy or dusty. Both seem to work ok. The ski goggles, which are really just like sunglasses with elastic round the head and foam round the eye area do not seem to work on planes for some strange reason. Still had sore eyes on a 10 hour flight using them but was ok with the swimming goggles on the return flight.

I have also just heard about a colleague of a friend of mine who recently started with severe eye pain. They eventually worked out it was the computer monitor she was using. She tested one at a time of all the monitors (all the same type, CRT not flat screens) in the office and found most affected here eyes but a couple didn't. But why?????

[Jade9923]

Amber,

What is the cause of your dry eyes? Have you tried plugs? With so much talk about making your environment better, maybe we should first ask you about what diagnosis you have had and what treatment options you have tried. Dr. Latkany has said many times he has yet to exhaust all the options with any of his patients.

My eyes were exactly like yours before I plugged all 3 ducts. The plugs gave me a new life along with a daily lid scrub routine. Do you have a lot of gunk or debris on your eyelashes as a rule?

If I had this support early on I would have gotten myself on a plane to see Dr. Latkany or one of the other dry eye specialists around the country. I ended up being helped but it took several years. Don't rule out that you can't be helped yet. There is always another avenue to go down.

Give us the medical/treatment backround and let all of these extremely intelligent folks here help you out in that regard.

[Jade9923]

make that plugged all 4 ducts

[np1981]

I can cope with the office pretty well, though I need to take breaks from my desk every so often (I take a 10 min walk outside). My employer also replaced my monitor at my request, I now have one that tilts at the base, so i can gaze down at the screen while I work (its about 30 degrees tilt). This has helped me quite a bit, I think it also helps with your blink rate. In the past, looking "up" at a monitor was awfull.

[elaine]

surviving work

I have gotten help from our ocupational nurse, but it has been slow going, requiring doctors notes and assistance from our department head. I was approved for and given a small humidifier, which did not keep my office humid enough, and I brought in a Vornado humidifier from home, which I like better. I work in a basement of an old building. In the summer I have the opposite problem. Humidity of 80$ and a strong mildew smell in my office. After much effort, I received a dehumidifier. I keep it on as much as possible. as the humidity climbs as soon as I turn it off, but the fan's action almost feels like it is sucking the moisture out of me. I moved my desk so my back is to the humidifier, and turn it off as needed. Most recenlty I have applied to be allowed to narrate my discharge summaries (I work in a psych hospital) instead of using the computer. I have a doctors note and have sent a follow-up email but have not heard back. Normally only the in-patient discharge summaries are dictated, and I work in a day program, so it will be a feat to get approved but will help me a lot.
It has taken me the past year to develop the confidence to wear my goggles at work, and not be incredibly self-conscious. My patients are older adults and they are more understanding than other groups. They understand about trying to cope with medical issues and physical decline.
Last weekend I went to New Hampshire and relaxed and I was able to read a whole book without much discomfort. I dont know if it was the clean air, good humidity or being able to relax. Probably all three.
Hope this helps; it makes me realize what a PROCESS it has been to get accomodations as well as to accept my eye problem enogh to ask for them.
Elaine