New & Confused

[Ander1970]

Hello, I am new I live in Kent.

I have had what I believe to be dry eye for 7 weeks now (not long I know). I have searching on the internet and visits to the doctors and optician.

The optician said it was dry eye and the doctors think so to. I only have it one eye (my left), no redness but have the stinging, dryness.

I also have some eye pain which comes and goes, sometimes aching, sometimes it feels like pinching. This can be in corner of my eye or on the top of the eyelid (well that is what it feels like).

Does anyone else experience pain like this?

At the moment I am using Lacri-Lube which gives me some relief but not much.

I am so glad I have found this board.

Thank you.

[sazy123]

Hiya, it does sound like you have dry eye, aching eye is quite common with dry eye, Pinching im not sure, if its in your eye lid may be you have some blepheritis or/and MGD. Maybe your MG's are clogged and it producing this feeling..

Lacrilube is just a lubricant you should try and treat the problem rather than just using lubrication. I know that can be hard when you live in the UK. Do a search on this site you might find some usefull treatment ideas. And try to find an good eye doctor to assess if your meibium glands are blocked.

hope that helps.

[locky]

Dear ander ,
I also live in kent welcome..... You really need to be assessed by a ophthalmic consultant as you well could have a dry eye with possible mgd or blepharitis if so you may require therapeutic treatment to ease your symptoms..... e.g warm compresses with lid message (to express oils) i take it you have had a schirmer test..... also your eye pain requires a expert opioin
locky...

[Ander1970]

Being Referred

Hi Locky

Thank you for your reply. I am finally being referred to an eye doctor from my optician it has taken its time. Some days are better than others and I only have it in one eye

My glasses have really helped and (touchwood) the pain is not so bad. I use the drops during the day and the lubri care just before I go to bed.

Thanks

[locky]

I am happy to hear you have your referal....please keep me posted with your progress....if you have any questions plz feel free to ask....
locky

[bluebrit]

Hi there
I am a Brit (returning soon!) currently living in NZ and also have dry eyes. I jst wanted to say that Lacrilube doesn't seem to be a good thing to use, I found it felt awful and made my eyes feel worse the next day. There are some indications that this kind of petrolatum (like Vaseline) product is not good for eyes. Please try a gel -type drop at night, I'm sure you can buy them in the UK - such as Theratears Gel, PolyGel, Celluvisc etc and please look out for the preservative Benzalkonium Chloride (BAK) which is one to AVOID (search on here for more info).

Best wishes

[Ander1970]

Got Referral & Copy of Optician Notes

Hi
Thanks for all your replys. Got my referral for the 31st October which is good news. But slightly confused (for a change ) as reading the notes the optician has made it says:

Slit Lamp test performed - no problems visable
RE x / -50 x40 6/5
LE +125 / - 25 x 150 6/5
Discs, Mainlae (cant quite read this word) pupils healthy

recomendation: to use eye drops, lacrilube etc daily.

If my Slit lamp test came back ok, maybe I dont have dry but something else.

Worried again!

[Rebecca Petris]

If my Slit lamp test came back ok, maybe I dont have dry but something else.

Slit-lamp exam findings are often peachy keen for people with dry eye - hence the frustration dry eye patients experience when a doctor says "You look fine to me!". Dry eye assessment involves testing tear function specifically. This is done by things like Schirmer test (for aqueous tear production), TBUT (for tear film stability) and careful examination of the oil-producing meibomian glands lining the upper and lower eyelid margins.

[Ander1970]

Not Sure

Slit-lamp exam findings are often peachy keen for people with dry eye .

Thank you so much for your reply. I am unsure on what you mean by peachy keen. Sorry to be so thick! May be lack of sleep.

[Rebecca Petris]

Sorry, Americanism.... I just mean that your eyes can look quite healthy in a slit-lamp examination and yet you can be experiencing relatively severe dry eye issues/symptoms. If you're given the all-clear on a slit-lamp exam, that doesn't necessarily mean anything at all as regards dry eye.