How can you work in an office environment?

[pythonidler]

Hi everyone.

I've been a dry eye suffer for about 4.5 years now. I had to quit my last job a couple years ago because the computer usage was making my eyes really bad. I'm a lot better now, but now I'm trying to figure out what I can do for a career. I'm wondering about a couple of things that I hope people here can help me with.

1. For those of you who have dry eye and can continue doing office work with little to no pain, what changes have you made that have allowed you to work on the computer in comfort?

2. For those of you who can't work in an office anymore, what do you do for a living?

This would really help me figure out my career options.

[khmedia]

Very good question pythonidler. I'm only guessing but I think there can be an impression that those who have dry eye who continue to work in an office (like me) are more harden battled to do so than those who chose to give it up (like you). The reality is each person's condition is unique and each of us suffer more or less depending on our condition. I think there is a threshold as to what any person can withstand. About 2 years ago I was at that threshold and my job/career was on the line. 2 years on I am still with the same company. My crisis point came 2 years ago when it literally couldn't move my eyes as there was no lubrication there. It was a scary place. Actually this was pretty much when my dry eye started. Today I still have dry eyes every single day and extreme at night but I guess I've educated myself a small bit too. I am lucky I am not past the threshold anymore where I would have to give things up. Don't get me wrong, it sounds like I can work with no issues. But that is no the case. Once I rack up a given number of hours that is me. Only sleep can rescue me then. I used to work a lot in the evenings on screen but that doesn't happen - sometimes I try it but it just fails as it is too great a pain. Here are a few things I do

- I wear moisture chamber sunglasses in the office and out and about
- I keep my heat bag on my desk and microwave it and do compresses when I need to (about once or twice per week really)
- I try not to use drops during the day and 'survive' until nightime where I use them aggressively
- I also reduced my drive to work over a week by 4 hours as I work 2 days remotely. 4 hours less driving helps too.

I am glad to hear you are feeling a bit better now than when you did when you gave up your job. I hope my reply helps.

[pythonidler]

Thanks for the info khmedia. What were your eyes feeling like at your low point? I take it you started your regimen at that point - were you trying anything else before then?

[Hokucat]

Hi pythonidler. Initially wearing googles, having the fluorescent light bulbs changed to soft white bulbs, and working 6 hours vs 8-10 hours a day helped me. When my eyes started getting worse, getting scleral lenses helped me to use the computer and read and much more comfortably and extensively. Also transitioning from commuting to 100% working remotely helped a lot.

I know from your posts you are aware of and have tried several different treatment options. Did you try sclerals in the past? If you are able to wear these, it helps a tremendous amount with those office tasks involving a lot of staring like the computer, and also with driving.

[pythonidler]

Hi Hokucat,

I only tried scleral lenses briefly at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Since my lease was expiring, I was moving out of state, and I was told that scleral lenses take a few months to get the fit right, I didn't really have time to try them on full-time.

One of my fears with scleral lenses is that they will destroy my meibomian glands in combination with computer use, since wearing soft contact lenses did similar damage before. I still have enough glands that I can be comfortable without sclerals, but with the caveat that I significantly limit my time on the computer.

I suppose at some point when I'm older, the time will come when I need to use sclerals. But right now, I'm very reluctant to use them.

[ltree]

Hi Hokucat,

I only tried scleral lenses briefly at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Since my lease was expiring, I was moving out of state, and I was told that scleral lenses take a few months to get the fit right, I didn't really have time to try them on full-time.

One of my fears with scleral lenses is that they will destroy my meibomian glands in combination with computer use, since wearing soft contact lenses did similar damage before. I still have enough glands that I can be comfortable without sclerals, but with the caveat that I significantly limit my time on the computer.

I suppose at some point when I'm older, the time will come when I need to use sclerals. But right now, I'm very reluctant to use them.

Hello pythonidler, so is there a concern the sclerals would do damage to the meibomian glands? I finally found a clinic that claims to fit them for dry eye sufferers, and I am seriously considering them, in hope of making it easier to tolerate my office environment and allow me to continue working at the computer.

About your initial questions. I am still struggling to work at my current job, and at the office it is impossible to reduce air flow because it ties in with the heating system. At my desk, I run two humidifiers right where I sit, one cold and one warm mist. I have a hygrometer which shows a happy face when the humidity reads 40% - that is when my eyes feel a lot better but only happens on rainy days. Most of the time the humidify is stuck at 20% and the humdifiers do not really make a difference at all, because of the air flow.

My current most valuable skill is still computer related, and it is hard to imagine transitioning to another field anytime soon. I think the best bet is to find an employer that accommodates working remotely, at least on some days.

[Hokucat]

Pythonidler, that's great some of your meibomian glands are still functioning and your eyes are comfortable. I think sclerals are for those who have tried several treatments but are still suffering to the point they cannot do the majority of regularly daily tasks without a lot of discomfort, or cannot do daily functions at all.

I've read conflicting theories whether contact lenses cause damage or atrophy to the glands. I guess like everything else, it can also depend on the individual and circumstances like how much they use the computer, how long of a commute they have, whether they blink enough or completely, etc.

One of my specialists told me to do forced blinking exercises every few hours, with or without contacts, as many people have partial blinks where their top and bottom eyelids do not press together to secrete the oil from the meibomian glands, causing the glands to atrophy. For me that was good advice, because when I do several forced blinks, I feel the oil and moisture, and my glands have continued to improve while returning to wearing sclerals this past year and a half.

Am glad you are doing well, and just need to find a job with less computer use. I think many people would be happy to be in your condition!

[pythonidler]

Hello pythonidler, so is there a concern the sclerals would do damage to the meibomian glands? I finally found a clinic that claims to fit them for dry eye sufferers, and I am seriously considering them, in hope of making it easier to tolerate my office environment and allow me to continue working at the computer.

About your initial questions. I am still struggling to work at my current job, and at the office it is impossible to reduce air flow because it ties in with the heating system. At my desk, I run two humidifiers right where I sit, one cold and one warm mist. I have a hygrometer which shows a happy face when the humidity reads 40% - that is when my eyes feel a lot better but only happens on rainy days. Most of the time the humidify is stuck at 20% and the humdifiers do not really make a difference at all, because of the air flow.

My current most valuable skill is still computer related, and it is hard to imagine transitioning to another field anytime soon. I think the best bet is to find an employer that accommodates working remotely, at least on some days.

Based on my own experience, as well as others' experiences, I think long-term contact lens use may contribute to meibomian gland dysfunction. Wearing a scleral lens, which is basically just a modified contact lens, would probably contribute to MGD in a similar way.

I've been thinking about getting a humidifier as well as a hygrometer - which ones could you recommend?

[pythonidler]

Pythonidler, that's great some of your meibomian glands are still functioning and your eyes are comfortable. I think sclerals are for those who have tried several treatments but are still suffering to the point they cannot do the majority of regularly daily tasks without a lot of discomfort, or cannot do daily functions at all.

That was my understanding as well. I'm definitely not at the point where I need sclerals; however, they sure would make using the computer a lot easier.

One of my specialists told me to do forced blinking exercises every few hours, with or without contacts, as many people have partial blinks where their top and bottom eyelids do not press together to secrete the oil from the meibomian glands, causing the glands to atrophy. For me that was good advice, because when I do several forced blinks, I feel the oil and moisture, and my glands have continued to improve while returning to wearing sclerals this past year and a half.

I've done these exercises before as well, soon after I had Lipiflow done for the first time. For me, since I didn't have a great tear film at the time, it caused my eyelids to partially stick together and caused more irritation to my eye. Hopefully, in the near future after my initial IPL treatments are done, I can try these exercises again.

[Hokucat]

That's funny, I started doing blinking exercises after Lipiflow too. In fact, it was the specialist for Lipiflow who recommended it...after spending $1,200 out of pocket, the blinking exercises was the only worthwhile thing I got out of that visit, but that's another story!

Like you, my eyes were very dry back then. It helps to first use some preservative-free saline or artificial tears like Tears Naturelle Free (drops which are not too thick), and then do the blinking in order to avoid further irritation to your eyes when really dry.

Hope your IPL goes well!

[khmedia]

"Thanks for the info khmedia. What were your eyes feeling like at your low point? I take it you started your regimen at that point - were you trying anything else before then?"

Pythonidler my eyes felt like no lubrication was there at all. Like I was scared to move my eyes (I was a bit uneducated about drops at this stage). This 'crisis' moment happened about 1-2 weeks after I was sitting in front of a barbecue with intense heat. I can't believe my stupidity when I look back. But my RCEs had already started pre that barbecue - So I already had developed dry eye. However that BBQ just intensified my already poor condition - obviously. Education on dry eye is a good thing. It can all be very confusing when we get this condition as it is so new that no one knows what is normal activity. In my case even though I had dry eye because I was told by an eye specialist that 'it wasn't serious' I saw no harm in continuing my life they way I had always done it i.e doing things like barbecues etc like any other person in the summer. I am so annoyed at the specialist telling me that the good news was that I had 'nothing serious'. It is shocking.

Good luck with your setup. I see a lot of posts mention remote working - like I did. It all seems so easy to just mention it as a suggestion to you but I know from my own experience that remote working doesn't get handed out so easily. You have to make a good case to your employer. If they are understanding enough they will accommodate you. But my point is that it will vary with each and every employer. I've had previous employers who were not so keen on remote work but luckily with my current one they have offered me partial remote working.

I've a bit of a theory on computer work versus other work like just a very quick random example 'factory work' or 'waiter in a restaurant'. Whilst I definitely think that using a computer can only contribute to dry eye - given the lower blink rate than other jobs, I still think that it is wrong to assume that another industry will be a breeze in terms of having no complications with dry eye - as situations are likely to present in which dry eyes become awkward. Just thinking out loud really. A doctor once told me that sometimes in life is a job doesn't work for some reason we just have to get another. I was annoyed at the statement as having dry eye could play a part in ANY job. Especially if you take something basic like me wearing moisture glasses. Not a lot of other industries may want this 'look' to be part of their company. Again just thinking out loud. Obviously I could invest in a more descreet normal looking pair of moisture glasses. I am just speaking in terms of the ones I am currently wearing which are dark and thick framed!!

[dryeyesandchocolate]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to provide some insight into something that really helps me.

I currently use this desk humidifier: https://www.amazon.ca/BONECO-Travel-.../dp/B001JL4LZ4

Sure, at first my coworkers joked around, had questions, and even made fun of me for setting up a "spa" or "disco" at my desk! Honestly, all in good fun. To be perfectly honest, I don't mind what others think anyways. But, this has proven to be very useful for me! Sure, my dry eye symptoms are still persistent and my eyes are red and irritated. However, having this humidifier has been great for instant relief. I find I'll be working at my computer and suddenly (probably when I haven't blinked for too long..) my eyes will burn and tear up. I shove my face close to this humidifier and a cool stream of mist calms me down instantly. It also helps if your sinuses are plugged, as I recently had a cold and it helps!

It's not "the cure" but it helps. It feels great. It's a good conversation piece when people come to my cubicle lol. It's affordable because once you purchase it, all you need is water

I hope someone sees this and purchases one for his/herself - it makes me feel better every day

~chocolate

[ltree]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to provide some insight into something that really helps me.

I currently use this desk humidifier: https://www.amazon.ca/BONECO-Travel-.../dp/B001JL4LZ4

Sure, at first my coworkers joked around, had questions, and even made fun of me for setting up a "spa" or "disco" at my desk! Honestly, all in good fun. To be perfectly honest, I don't mind what others think anyways. But, this has proven to be very useful for me! Sure, my dry eye symptoms are still persistent and my eyes are red and irritated. However, having this humidifier has been great for instant relief. I find I'll be working at my computer and suddenly (probably when I haven't blinked for too long..) my eyes will burn and tear up. I shove my face close to this humidifier and a cool stream of mist calms me down instantly. It also helps if your sinuses are plugged, as I recently had a cold and it helps!

It's not "the cure" but it helps. It feels great. It's a good conversation piece when people come to my cubicle lol. It's affordable because once you purchase it, all you need is water

I hope someone sees this and purchases one for his/herself - it makes me feel better every day

~chocolate

Hello chocolate,

Happy to hear you found something that helps for you. Do you think your humidifier increases the humidity where you sit, or is it the part about putting your face in the mist that helps?

Do you clean the humidifier and how often?

I have TWO humidifiers running at my desk (and yes, I live with my coworkers making jokes, my eyes are the most important at this point). My hygrometer tells me the humidity does not change much, at 20%. The humidifiers have been running for a couple of months now and I have a concern about cleaning them properly, without which might give rise to further irritation. What do you think?

The ones I have seem to have a bigger output than yours - the airflow and dryness is quite bad at my office and hopefully yours is better:

https://www.amazon.ca/Crane-Ultrason...midifier-White
https://www.amazon.ca/Honeywell-HWM7...re-Humidifier/

[Guest]

Hi everyone.

I've been a dry eye suffer for about 4.5 years now. I had to quit my last job a couple years ago because the computer usage was making my eyes really bad. I'm a lot better now, but now I'm trying to figure out what I can do for a career. I'm wondering about a couple of things that I hope people here can help me with.

1. For those of you who have dry eye and can continue doing office work with little to no pain, what changes have you made that have allowed you to work on the computer in comfort?

2. For those of you who can't work in an office anymore, what do you do for a living?

This would really help me figure out my career options.

1. The only things that worked for me were to run a humidifier very close to where I was working, wear Wiley-X moisture chamber glasses (I chose the sunglasses style since they looked less unusual than the clear-lens version), using drops regularly, and taking breaks to rest my eyes as needed. I also made sure I explained just how bad my eyes were to co-workers and my boss so they wouldn't think I was slacking off when taking eye breaks. It didn't work perfectly, but helped.

2. Consider the potential impact of the climate where you live on your eyes. For example, if you live in a dry climate (ex. dessert) or climate that gets very cold during part of the year leading to dry indoor air (ex. during winter), moving to a warmer, more humid part of the country (or even a new country, a la "digital nomad") can help a LOT. It did for me. I need humidity of over 60% for optimal comfort, although the higher, the better. I now avoid dry climates like the plague. Buy an inexpensive device that measures the humidity where you're at - this can help you to notice trends in terms of what humidity level is required for you to be comfortable.

(I'm not around the forums often anymore, so if anyone reading this has followup questions, I may not see if for weeks - so sorry! Anyhow, I've posted a lot on here, so if you do a search for my username you'll find what I know.)

[dryeyesandchocolate]

@ltree

It's a good question about actual humidity increase - I don't have a hygrometre but I image this machine really is not enough to increase the humidity much of my overall cubicle, especially with heating vents right above me. I think it's more like having it close to my face that I like. Every maybe half hour I'll get close to it and use the mist almost as a cool compress. I really like this model because I refill the water bottle with our filtered water cooler every day. I prefer that to tap water because our tap water in Ontario has a high mineral content and my humidifier at home builds up scale super easily! That one is challenging to clean; it takes a long vinegar soak to get all the scale off! This desk model is easy to clean though. It comes with a little brush, so once every week or so I use 50/50 vinegar and water to soak it probably 15min to an hour and then give it a gentle scrub and rinse. Maybe I'm overlooking something... but this one is so easy to clean in my opinion! Again, the filtered/demineralized water is key I think.

@SAAG

So glad moving climates has worked for you! It's something I'm looking into, especially since I'm very early in my career with a large international company and have the option to do some country-hopping if I choose I see your posts all over this forum, you are such a great contributor and resource for people! thanks for being awesome


Good luck everyone! One day at a time...

~chocolate