one eye worse than another?

[cooperbob]

hi everyone...i'm new here, and my story is this...for the past year or so, i've been having problems with my right eye becoming inflamed, burning slighty and feeling swollen, and larger than my left eye in its socket. my doctor and i have been working on this for a while, and he did discover that my eyes seem to be too dry...he said when i blink the tear covering lasts for less than 2 seconds, while most peole's last for 4-8 seconds. I wore contacts for about 14 years, heavily, and i readily admit i didn't use drops as much as I should have during that time. I also have seasonal allergies to pollen, and am highly myopic. My mother also has sjorgen's syndrome. Right now i'm trying to stay hydrated, taking fish and flaxseed oil and using moisturizing drops.

I guess my main question is, have any of you guys had the experience where one eye bothers you a lot more than the other? he says my left eye is dry too, and has looked, as he put it, "pretty beat up" in the past. My left eye never really bothers me though, whereas my right eye seems to flare up from time to time, which can drive me crazy! any suggestions or other information anyone could give me on this would be most helpful. Not only is it bothersome, but I miss wearing my contacts too!

[IanJ]

Hi,

Yes, my right eye is far, far worse than my left eye.

Both my eyes are dry (Blepharitis)....but only mildly. It's been getting gradually worse over the years.

Both my eyes were the same until my right eye suddenly (in the space of 5 minutes) went mega dry just over 2 years ago....and stayed that way!
It's a lacrimal gland defficiency whereby it's almost completely stopped producing background tears. I can however produce tears if I cry or yawn hard. The soreness is basically there all the time but it's real bad one day, then mild the next.

Ian.

[cooperbob]

thanks ian, that sounds about the same with me, though my phases tend to go in larger blocks...it will bother me for a week or two, then fade into the background for a while (but like you say, it never completely goes away), then come back again later. its nice to know that can happen...

[Brighteyes]

cooperbob,

Your condition sounds similar to mine. I had a swollen feeling and occassional flareups in my right eye for approximately 3 years before everything went to hell and both my eyes went bad almost overnight.

[Dave P]

HI - my left eye flares up more than my right eye but both are bad. My eyes have been dry, itchy, red and painful for three years now.

The symptoms did not come on suddenly but have become progressively worse.

I have had allergies all of my life and also stare at a computer screen all day.

I am starting allergy shots this month. I just had a sinus CT - no results yet. I am having computer vision glasses made this month too.

Good luck.

[Brighteyes]

Dave P,

I am just finishing up my allergy shots and haven't experienced any noticable difference in my dry eye symptoms. I had really bad eye allergies when I was younger but the symptoms were completely different than the dry eye symptoms I have now. Hopefully it will work for you though Can you tell us more about these computer vision glasses? I don't wear glasses or contacts but I do stare at a computer all day and my eyes are always worse after work. Thanks!

[Dave P]

I do not hold out a lot of hope for allergy shots either - I took them years ago and did not notice a big difference. But I'm willing to try anything rather than live with DES.

The computer vision glasses come in two types. The first type is simply a slight magnification lens (like weak reading glasses) that might help with viewing computer screens in the 2 - 3 foot range. These glasses are advertised on line and may be available through eye glass providers.

The second type is for people with prescription glasses (like me - I have a stigmatism) where a specific prescription lens should help. My progressive bifocal lenses don't always bring the computer screens into sharp focus (they seem to be better at close and far distances but not the middle distances) and maybe causing eye strain which compounds the DES. These glasses are available through optometrists and opthamologists.

Good luck.

[GeorgeT]

Hi,

Have you guys tried the moisture chamber glasses? They can be fitted on almost all prescription glasses. They are transparent panels that seal the eyes and decrease the evaporation rate.
I have been fitted with these and I purchased the panels from eaglevision for my future pair of glasses.
The fitting is not rocket science and it can be done in 1-1.5h. My fitting was done in Miami by an optician but I am sure there are many who can do it. Once you've been through the process once you'll be ready to try on your own.
Search on this website and you'll find more about it.

Good Luck!

George