Is it dry eye? Please help.

[Myth]

Hello, I have had a problem for months now. My eyes sting horribly, usually when I wake up and when I'm going to sleep, it happens throughout the day as well but at these times it is consistent. They usually start to water, quickly followed by extremely painful stinging and they veins are constantly red (is this permanent?). This happens several times a day and the only way I've found to relieve it is to either take a shower or run to the sink and wash my eyes out. After washing them out they feel fine for a while, but eventually it comes back.

I don't know if this is dry eye, my doctor seemed to think so though. It kind of seems like my skin is secreting something that is getting into my eyes and causing them to sting because when I rinse them out they're fine for a while. I tried a prescription eye drop that the doctor gave me but as soon as I use it the stinging starts and I have to wash them out.

My eyes don't feel dry, gritty, etc., which also has me confused. I don't have any allergies and benadryl hasn't had any effect. It's also sometimes only in one eye, left or right, and sometimes in both. Does this sound like dry eye or something else? If it's not dry eye, does anyone know what else it could be?

[MGD1701]

Hi
I used to have terrible sting which improved after the LipiFlow. I no longer suffer it for 7 months.
Possible reasons: Erosion (then you might need ointment at night), dry eye, cornea, inflammation.
I also find wash eyes with running warm water help. Lid hygiene helps too, twice a day at least.
If your eye dr did not examine/press your glands for their function and said you dont have dry eye, wise to get the 2nd opinions.

[CharlieGreenEyes]

MGD1701 is right. It could be a corneal erosion and/or abrasion. Which can be caused by dry eye (mine is).

Seems like we all have varying symptoms when it comes to dry eye issues. Not everyone gets gritty feeling and/or dry feeling. I actually get different problems at different times. A few years ago I used to get the gritty feeling much more than anything else. Now I get burning and/or stinging more often. I guess it's because there are different causes and types of dry eye? I have MGD (meibomian gland dysfunction) which causes my dry eyes.

Did your doctor tell you possible causes for your dry eye and what type (i.e. mgd, or something else)?

Was it a GP or an eye specialist like an opthalmologist you saw? Ask for a referral to an opthalmologist if you haven't seen one - especially if the symptoms continue and/or get worse.

Do you know what eyedrops you were given? I've tried lots of different eye-drops (some on prescription, others over the counter) because it seems some work better than others - seems to vary depending on each person. Also I've found some eyedrops stung badly at first but after using for a few days or a week or so, things got better. If you don't want to try the same drops again, ask the doctor to try some different ones.

Just wanted to add. It sounds promising reading how your stinging is gone, MGD1701, after Lipiflow. Good to hear. My bad eye is stinging quite badly right now. My opthalmologist mentioned lipiflow and I'm even more interested in trying it now.

[MGD1701]

MGD1701 is right. It could be a corneal erosion and/or abrasion. Which can be caused by dry eye (mine is).

Hi Charlie
Actually mine is too. Unfortunately, doctors only detected dry eye (not even MGD) some years later.
Big Lesson for me: Wise to learn/explore new things by ourselves!

[CharlieGreenEyes]

Hi Charlie
Actually mine is too. Unfortunately, doctors only detected dry eye (not even MGD) some years later.
Big Lesson for me: Wise to learn/explore new things by ourselves!

Hi MGD1701, completely the same for me - learned my lesson not to just accept one (or even several) doctor's when it comes to dry eye and/or MGD. I'm fairly confident that my eyes wouldn't have got as bad as they did if I've been taken more seriously and given better diagnosis and treatment when the problems started. We shouldn't have to explore so much on our own - but it certainly seems that we need to (unless and until things change).

[JohnLegend991]

Try castor oil, it worked well for me...