New Diagnosis!(And weird method working)

[romeodakins]

I went to a ophthalmologist this time and the person said I don't have Blepharitis. He said my lashes don't have debris at all. So all this time I was basically just putting baby shampoo in my eye for no reason. The doc said my oils are too thick so they don't come out of my meibomian glands. He said my problem might be linked with a skin condition I had called eczema. He told me to use some type of otc drop or something that would help with the eczema dry eye problem.

I have something else to share that was odd in a good way. I was using my thermalon compress much more frequently(about 3 times a day and I reheat it 3 times per session to last 10 minutes). The heat triggered some type of virus that made a nasty scab with blisters on my face(from my other thread I thought it was a burn, it's not!). So during the past few days(about 5 days), I was using nothing on my eyes. Nothing at all. My eyes were feeling great! Not like completely healed great but it was feeling much better than normal. This feeling continued from around friday till now. Now, the great feeling is suddenly turning back to the normal dry feeling. I still can't do the compresses because of my scab(which is disappearing now from my prescribed pills). I hope to test my method again soon where I frequently did compresses for 2 days and then stopped for 5 days.

Also, my doc said my oils are too thick so it doesn't get out of my glands. Does this info open up any new ideas I can try? I wanted to ask my doc but that time I had to go somewhere really urgently and left without asking all my questions.

[littlemermaid]

Romeodakins, What pills did the doctor prescribe for the scab and blisters? And what did the eye doctor prescribe? Have you found some lubricant eyedrops that make you more comfortable?

Have you got your computer use under control? It helps to keep the environment damp eg with humidifier or wraparounds, change sitting/screen position so minimum eye surface is exposed and you are looking down, make yourself blink frequently not stare, and obviously take regular breaks set by a clock and preferably, go outside and rest your eyes looking at the distance. Did you get an eye check for the double vision? There's a blink programme link on Dryeyezone http://dryeyezone.com/. Are you studying?

Can you use a wheat bag rather than the Thermalon compress? It sounds quite dangerous for you. Some people like to take fish/flaxseed oil like Theratears to help with meibom. Other people here have found they are doing too many compresses and making their eyes sore, like you, and reduced it to only what helps.

Cleaning the eyes carefully is important - what are you doing for that now?

Is your diet very healthy now, drinking lots of pure water? Do you still have signs of eczema or have you fixed it?

Wow! Did you pay for your doctor's appointment? or are you in the public health service?

[romeodakins]

Romeodakins, What pills did the doctor prescribe for the scab and blisters? And what did the eye doctor prescribe? Have you found some lubricant eyedrops that make you more comfortable?

Have you got your computer use under control? It helps to keep the environment damp eg with humidifier or wraparounds, change sitting/screen position so minimum eye surface is exposed and you are looking down, make yourself blink frequently not stare, and obviously take regular breaks set by a clock and preferably, go outside and rest your eyes looking at the distance. Did you get an eye check for the double vision? There's a blink programme link on Dryeyezone http://dryeyezone.com/. Are you studying?

Can you use a wheat bag rather than the Thermalon compress? It sounds quite dangerous for you. Some people like to take fish/flaxseed oil like Theratears to help with meibom. Other people here have found they are doing too many compresses and making their eyes sore, like you, and reduced it to only what helps.

Cleaning the eyes carefully is important - what are you doing for that now?

Is your diet very healthy now, drinking lots of pure water? Do you still have signs of eczema or have you fixed it?

Wow! Did you pay for your doctor's appointment? or are you in the public health service?

I think it was public. I don't do lid scrubs anymore because I don't have debris/blepharitis on my eyes. I haven't had eczema for years but the doc said it was linked to my eczema. I don't know what the pills are.

[romeodakins]

Turns out the drops my doc told me to get were some allergy drop. Is this drop only for temporary relief? I don't like when doctors do that. I don't care about temporary relief. I want long term relief. I also want to mention when I use the allergy drops it burns my eyes. Is it supposed to do that? Also what my doctor said was my oils are too thick so they don't come out of my meibomian glands. This doesn't seem too bad is it? Too thick is better than too thin right? So how would I get them thinner to the right size? Also if they are too thick so they don't come out, would squeezing the meibomian glands and pushing out oil be useful? Also I just want to make sure, the meibomian glands are only located on the lower lid right?

[LaDiva]

Believe me romeo, if I knew how to make the oil thin, I would tell you because I have the same problem. I take TheraTears Nutrition, which is fish oil and I don't know other Omega oils. Before my eyes got really bad, the fish oil pills helped, and I guess they still do, but my eyes are still bad when I take them. Best of luck to you.

[browneyesblu]

Turns out the drops my doc told me to get were some allergy drop. Is this drop only for temporary relief? I don't like when doctors do that. I don't care about temporary relief. I want long term relief. I also want to mention when I use the allergy drops it burns my eyes. Is it supposed to do that? Also what my doctor said was my oils are too thick so they don't come out of my meibomian glands. This doesn't seem too bad is it? Too thick is better than too thin right? So how would I get them thinner to the right size? Also if they are too thick so they don't come out, would squeezing the meibomian glands and pushing out oil be useful? Also I just want to make sure, the meibomian glands are only located on the lower lid right?

Meibomian glands are in all 4 lids, about 25 in each lid. Thick oil is a sign the glands are inflamed. Some very respected researchers believe the glands get clogged and then inflamed. You may have opened them with the compresses. Once open the inflammation should recede and the oil should return to normal if there is not too much damage. You should not try to squeeze them yourself.

Other things that can help are anti-inflammatory drugs. These come in topical (Azasite, erythromycin ointment, steroid drops) and systemic (doxycycline, minicyline). Allergy drops can also reduce inflammation so those may help you as well. If they don't, ask the doc about some of these other treatments. You can also try cold compresses.

And no, it doesn't sound too bad if the glands are now only inflamed not clogged. But without diagnostic tests I really don't see how your dr. can be sure of that. Did he try to express your glands? Sometimes they squeeze, sometimes they use a metal device with a flat paddle on the end, called a Mastrota paddle, which they press against your lids. Does any of that sound familiar?

[littlemermaid]

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dry-eye...roduction.aspx Dry eye syndrome information with more links on the right.

Romeodakins, Do you get very anxious at the docs? Does someone go with you? As soon as the doc gives you a prescription eg eyedrops or pills, you can look it up on Google and if you've got any questions, speak to the doc's clinic again immediately.

Are you using lubricant eyedrops?

Can you see an eye doc regularly so they get to know you and your eyes? Then they can try different things and work out with you what might help, and if that's no good, you can find another doc you like.

[romeodakins]

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dry-eye...roduction.aspx Dry eye syndrome information with more links on the right.

Romeodakins, Do you get very anxious at the docs? Does someone go with you? As soon as the doc gives you a prescription eg eyedrops or pills, you can look it up on Google and if you've got any questions, speak to the doc's clinic again immediately.

Are you using lubricant eyedrops?

Can you see an eye doc regularly so they get to know you and your eyes? Then they can try different things and work out with you what might help, and if that's no good, you can find another doc you like.

I don't see them regularly, just like once every 1 or 2 months.

Also my eyes are starting to get inflammed so I think my glands are clogged. My doc looked up that I had eczema in the past and he just said that my dry eye may be from the eczema. I sent my doc an email but he hasn't replied yet. I might go to the same doc again.

For now I only use the allergy drop twice a day.

[littlemermaid]

Romeodakins, Don't you find tear substitute eyedrops helpful? Are you using anti-allergy eyedrops twice a day that burn your eyes because the doc has diagnosed an allergy?

[romeodakins]

Romeodakins, Don't you find tear substitute eyedrops helpful? Are you using anti-allergy eyedrops twice a day that burn your eyes because the doc has diagnosed an allergy?

The doc said the allergy drops may help because he thinks the eczema(skin condition) is causing the dry eye. What do you mean tear substitute drops? You mean like normal lubricant ones? I don't really like those, I get like relief for a few minutes then it's dry again.