Dx w/ Dry Eye

[klopez55]

Hello Everyone,

My name is Kathy. I am 55 and recently started having problems while on the internet and while using my Nintendeno DS. While formerly being able to sustain long periods of time on both, I found recently that I would get horrible pain behind my eyes and have to get off the computer or my DS within 10 minutes.

As a result I saw an Optomologist who told me I had dry eyes. She did not do any tests for dry eyes specifically that I know of, like any use any pieces of paper, but she did dialate and look at my retina etc and all looks well.

I think she pretty much had her mind made up as soon as I started talking and describing what the pain was that it was dry eye and went from there.

She told me to use eye drops every 2 hours! Good grief! And they are so expensive!

Is a dx of Dry Eyes consisent if you only have a single symptom of pain behind the eyes or is it usually multiple symptoms? I asked the doctor and she seemed to think you could have 1 or many.

What is your experience here. I'd appreciate any feedback you have.

Thank you

Kathy

[liz56]

Hi, Kathy.

Without knowing much and not being a doctor myself, I still think that typical over-the-counter eye drops every two hours sounds like it might make things worse, especially if the drops have preservatives. My situation is different, because I have a corneal dystrophy, so the outermost layer of my corneas must be treated very carefully and have very dry, burning sensations, sometimes even if I do take care, get good sleep, stay hydrated, and the rest.

When Dwelle and Dakrina come back to the Dry Eye Shop, you might want to give one of them a try. They work for a lot of us and give lasting results after two weeks to a month of use. (It takes the cornea a short time to heal superficially, but I have learned that real healing is something that takes a lot of time.)

In the meantime, you might want to try Genteal Gel. Either the gel drops for moderate to severe dry eye or the gel in a tube for severe dry eye. There is a little blurring, but the comfort seems to last for me longer than most things that I can buy in a pharmacy or grocery store.

Rebecca has a "blinker" that she offers for computer use. I find it helpful. I load it, and it reminds me to blink when I am spending a lot of time on line.

Let us know what works for you and if you can get to the bottom of what caused this onset of dry eye.

Take care,
Liz

[grittyeyes]

If you are going to use drops that often, you may want to try one of the ones without preservatives. Refresh Endura comes in little vials meant to be for one use but there is enough in each vial for about three doses. You would need to use the vial within 12 hours or discard it. Also try warm compresses about 3 times a day. Make a "rice bag", described elsewhere on this site, by filling a sock with raw rice, tying the end and heating it up in the microwave. It stays warm for quite a while.

[klopez55]

Thank you both for your replies.

I agree with every two hours sounding a bit excessive. I was worried about some kind of possible rebound effect---possibly making the dry eyes worse.

I know it happens with nasal sprays. Does it happens with eye drops???

My doc did recommmed either Refresh or Genteal. The Genteal were more expensive so I purchased the Refresh "plus" for sensitive eyes since it was on sale.

To be honest, I don't put it in evey two hours. I don't remember to do that. I just stay away from the computer 90 percent of the day. I check my email once at day, like now and that's it for the day.

When I avoid the computer I don't have pain.

I'm wondering if I just stay away, altogether for a week or so if the dry eye will clear up on it's own (with the use of eye drops to help restore the lost fluid) or if it's now become a chronic condition that I will have to treat life life long. Can the fluild be restored on it's own with a little push?

I'll try the warm compresses too. Thanks for the suggestions.

I'll be back in a few days to check for responses. Thanks soooo much for your help.

[Rebecca Petris]

Hi and welcome...

I found recently that I would get horrible pain behind my eyes and have to get off the computer or my DS within 10 minutes.

...Is a dx of Dry Eyes consisent if you only have a single symptom of pain behind the eyes or is it usually multiple symptoms? I asked the doctor and she seemed to think you could have 1 or many.

Certainly you can have one or many. But pain BEHIND the eyes is definitely not what I'd think of in terms of a typical solo symptom of dry eye. If it were ME, I'd probably head for a second opinion and, contrary to conventional wisdom perhaps, I'd consider asking around for a really good optometrist (as opposed to ophthalmologist) in case this is vision-related. This is just patient-to-patient advice and worth what you're paying for it but reading what you've written, my gut would say you probably have some dry eye (heck so many people do get dry eye symptoms when on the computer... and your age and gender alone are right risk) but it's not necessarily what's causing your pain? Just my $0.02.

[klopez55]

I saw an optomitrist today. I hadn't had my eyes tested in two years.

I didn't say anything about my dry eyes, wanting to wait until the exam was over.

During the testing, when it was the 'which is clearer, A or B?" I had to ask him to repeat it over and over because I didn't have time to chose because it would go blurry before I could choose, which was a new phenomenenom. "Dry eye" he said flatly. "What???" I said. "Dry eye" he said again". "How'd you know?????" I asked flabbergasted!. He replied. "Your eye dried out and that's why it got blurry so fast. You had it for a second while your eye was moist and then it dried out. It got blurry. You have dry eye right?".

Wow.

So that started the discussion.

He said, although somewhat unusual not to have more than one symptom, it does occur with pain as the only presenting symptom. He recommended both the Refresh and GenTeal, with some emphasis on the GenTeal sympathizing with the extra costs for GenTeal.

He also said that I would have it the rest of my life and that no, just avoiding the computer would not resolve it; that my eyes would most likely not get better on their own and plan on life long treatment. Wow. He said my age, 55, possibly my diabetes, are contributing factors.

I do, however, feel fortunate that I have such a mild case compare to many of the posts here, and will not belabor my minor inconveniences.

Thank you all here for your support and your kind words!

[Jen72]

First, I sympathize with your situation sorry to hear it. Secondly I was also told that I would have "dry eyes for life" (post Lasek, in my 30's) and I know that is alot to take in. My dx is one opinion of a single Dr., I dont think that I will have this problem for life, in fact my eyes have improved with plugs etc. What I am saying is dont let this get you down and maybe seek a second opinion.