Weird dry eye?

[sophie0416]

Hi guys so everyone knows my story and how my dry eye started due to birth control, BUT, I thought I should share this because it didn’t immediately started, it took a while, it kind like advance to what it is right now and maybe someone might have an insight or thoughts about this! I sent the same paragraph to farmgirl:

here’s my issue and my totally detailed story on how this started: so of course birth control bla bla bla, BUT, at the beginning I had dry eyes but I was able to wear makeup, it didn’t bother me; after a few months I started to feel a little irritation, but it was only during my periods.. so I knew that after my period I could wear makeup. But suddenly, one month, I just couldn’t; even not on my period days my eyes just began to get supper irritated and itchy with anything near them, eye creams even foundation irritated my eyes. So I stopped the birthcontrol in April, and I started taking all my vitamins, and now a few months later, I can tolerate foundation concelear, etc. But anything eye related I can’t, eyeshadows mascara etc, it just kills me. Do you have any idea of what it might be?

and in my work I usually use a computer but is not so much. My eyes are tired at night and it’s my fault cause I keep using my cellphone and tablet.

but what I’m saying is my eyes progressively advance it wasn’t like an inmediate dry eye issue!

Thoughts about this?

[farmgirl]

Hi Sophie:

Sounds to me like cascading events. When someone is as young as you without anything obvious like having had lasik it seems to me, (bearing in mind I am not a doctor and am only making observations based on years of participating in this forum) that there is a good possibility that it is years of computer/cell phone/tablet/TV/video game usage that pushes many young people over the edge. Often there is the computer work from work/school/university which is an obligation and then the rest is recreational but it goes on all day pretty much. In the past we never had the well documented, computer related problems, that many young people are experiencing today. I have stated before on this forum that even since I joined in 2012 I have seen a huge increase in dry eye in young people.

Then you add a few drops into the mix to solve the problem but don't make any changes to mitigate what may have put you there in the first place and now you get sensitized to the chemical stew that we put in/on/near our eyes. The process of inflammation starts and if nothing changes it is like a cascading waterfall.

Now...kudos to you for getting those mebomium glands working better and paying more attention to the needs of your body in the form of nutrition, and backing off on the makeup...you are making progress, but I can assure you, it is a process to find what works for you and what doesn't. You need to learn patience and to listen to your body. If it is telling you that you can now use foundation, concealer etc...great you are making progress, see you are improving already. Are there things you could be doing to help them out more...yep, by your own admission 'My eyes are tired at night and it’s my fault cause I keep using my cellphone and tablet.' So pay attention, your body is talking but you are...apparently.... not listening to everything and it will continue to rebel.

Pay attention to everything and do everything in your power to avoid known irritants. Use your mic when texting, limit your social media to 10-15 min/day, keep computer usage to a minimum as well as TV and NO video games. Just as you would avoid makeup because it irritates your eyes, you must avoid computers when you can, if you feel they are contributing.

So the good news is that as you improve you can reintroduce those things that you love back into your life but learn to keep it in balance. I can almost guarantee you that in time, with effort and patience you will improve. You may always have to be careful but just as you have already improved in the last few months, I predict you will end up in a place of relative comfort. You may never be able to take your eyes for granted again but I will be very surprised if you don't improve a lot....

I'm rooting for you....cheers....F/G

[PhoenixEyes]

Hi,

If you can perhaps have allergy testing done, including to the ingredients in the eye makeup products you're using. There is some study that suggests that hormones can control histamine release. Histamine / allergy intolerance may lead to conjunctivitis on the eye, giant papillary conjunctivitis under eyelids, inflammation and irritation. Histamine intolerance is certainly something that could build up over time. I've seen some mention of people going on a low histamine diet and finding it helpful for dry eye etc.
This article is science language heavy but collates a lot of research to do with hormones and histamine levels:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3377947/

Regarding computer / mobile usage, everyone is different, I think it's highly dependent on vision, gland function and blink rate. Maybe this would be an unpopular theory but I wonder if perhaps the rise in computers is in some cases (not all) highlighting earlier the problems people have in those areas that went largely undetected before. You could check with an optician just to make sure there isn't anything going on there affecting your ability to focus. There was an interesting post on the DryEyeZone Facebook recently:

I just left the new doctor's office... Interesting to say the least. He saw SLIGHT mucus strands in my right eye but my left eye looked good, glands looks great in both eyes and vision is 20/20. When he walked in, I was looking at my cell phone and when the door opened I looked up and immediately closed my right eye... because it kills me to keep both eyes open. Of course, he asks what's going on with my right eye and I tell him the story and he says, "Now cover your left eye and look at me." Well, "Funny you should mention that because when I cover either eye, the other eye is more than fine." He types lots and lots in his laptop, takes lots of photos of my eyes, looks at my eyes from every angle possible and says, "I'm going to bring you back in for a binocular vision test. The symptoms of a binocular vision disorder and dry eye are EXTREMELY similar. Your eyes look so good that I want to start with this.... but if you're finding some relief with Freshkote don't stop." So, I go back in early January to start my testing!

There are glasses with blue light blocking that have a slight magnification to help with focus on screens. Also lots of apps and settings you can do if you're light sensitive. I have all webpages reversed to white text on black and use a dark browser and Windows theme.

A list of Computer / Mobile Aids for Dry Eye Sufferers I made using tips on the forum and dry eye Facebook groups.

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s539/...ccca48b4d019d4

[sophie0416]

Hi PhoenixEyes and farmgirl,

Like always, thank you so much for your response.. great link by the way Phoenix..

I don't even know what to say I mean I feel super guilty I feel like I messed up my eyes (WHICH I CLEARLY DID) and I've ruined my life...I'm only 26 now and I can't even believe I have this type of horrible disease.. it changed my life forever! I can only remember when I was like 15 and going to parties every weekend and not even removing my eye makeup at night, or getting home late and I would turn off the light so my mom wouldn't know I was awake and watch youtube videos until like 2am in the morning..

Something just opened my eyes I don't believe now I have dry eyes due to birth control.. I mean maybe it triggered but it's not the main reason! Clearly I haven't taken care of my eyes my whole life.
I have every single step to get dry eyes:

-I don't, well, I didn't, take care of my eyes.
-Didn't even remove my makeup
-I always got new glasses until it was absolutely necessary, never when the doctors told me to (I was forcing my vision)
-I'm low on vitamin D (almost non existent in my body)
-birth control messed up with my hormones
-used my very small phone to watch videos until past midnight with the lights off forcing my eyes every night


Guys.. how can I be tested for Sjögren's syndrome? I've been reading about that too and I'm surprised all the matching symptoms I have.. AM I becoming HYPOCHONDRIAC!

[MGD1701]

Hi Sophie

Sjögren test:
in USA there is Sjo (blood) test, done by eye doctors. It can detect Sjögren S about 4.5 years earlier than the normal test.
Lucky you as we do NOT have it here yet.

Now you know the problems, you still can get it under control, like me.

[PhoenixEyes]

If you're very low on Vitamin D aren't the doctors giving you megadoses? Recently I was found to have low Vitamin D and prescribed 50,000 iu a week, then tapering to monthly doses of some lower amount I think. I have a lot of different aspects to my condition so it's not my only factor but everything helps and I recently heard from someone on Facebook who says they're doing much better now they have their Vitamin D levels sorted. They had suspected neuropathic eye pain and they say the pain is almost at zero now.

Certainly work out something with your optician for your vision. If you feel you can only get good vision with contacts then certainly consider scleral lenses which some opticians can fit. There are some hybrid ones if a full scleral is too daunting such as SynergEyes. You can try software to reduce glare (e.g. f.lux) or things like non-prescription EyeZen glasses etc. if needed in addition to the sclerals. Some find sclerals alone help their light sensitivity though.

Sjorgen's I think you see a rheumatologist to investigate it via blood test and if that comes back negative some people require a lip biopsy to fully rule it out.

[sophie0416]

Thank you for your response! Well I just call and made an appt to see her tomorrow cause I’m really suffering I want more blood tests they haven’t done allergy tests I believe I really need that!!! And I don’t wear contacts or Scleral omg I get so nervous just to think about it I use regular glasses hahaha

[farmgirl]

Sophie, Sophie, Sophie, close your eyes, take a deep breath, hold it, hold it, hold it...now let it our slowly through your mouth and let all the stress and tension go out with it. There, feel better?

I thought you said that your eyes were much better since you got the oils flowing better and started taking Vit D and oils. I thought you said that you could at least now wear foundation and concealer.....baby steps. For sure there was no one cause for your problems there are always co-morbid factors and like wise there usually no single cure.

I am pretty sure that you have not ruined your eyes for life, it just seems like that. I have been where you are x10 and I know for a fact I will never be cured but I am so-o-o-o much better than I was...it is just a process and it takes time, not to discourage you but in my case years. You reach out, people make suggestions, you try some, you don't try others and by trial and error and the process of elimination you find out what works and what doesn't for you personally. Heck on this post alone I can count at least 7 suggestions, you can't beat that.

We are all on a learning curve and most of us would have done things differently given another chance but regrets will not solve anything, however knowledge is power and you are learning. We are all learning even years later. I dare say that we are almost all guilty of taking our vision for granted and whether we are 25 or 95 vision is still probably our most important sense....who knew our eyes were so complex.

[MGD1701]

Hi Sophie,
I can not agree with framgirl more, knowledge is power - dry eye is too new and we dont have many experts nor treatments available -
but I have managed to put it under control with lots of learning/experiments.
You are lucky as you are in USA with all resources which no other countries have.

[sophie0416]

Thank you guys : ( ... I just I get really down when I have this episodes, something triggers my dry eye and I don’t know what it is!!!!! It makes me so anxious and mad!!!! If I won’t be able to wear makeup for the rest of my life at least I want to know WHY! And why me!! I’m in my doctors office right now and even she feels frustrated she’s like well I really don’t know what else to say or to give you...

so when doctors tell you it’s a really big bummer..

they’re going to do more blood tests to check if ihave that sjogren's syndrome and vitamin A deficiency... and she mentioned something about gut vitamins pro vitamins or something?

[PhoenixEyes]

And I don’t wear contacts or Scleral omg I get so nervous just to think about it I use regular glasses hahaha

Oh sorry, I think I got things mixed up with another thread about the contact lenses thing.
I'd just consider moisture chamber glasses then with your prescription in (Ziena, 7 Eye, WileyX etc.) or adding EyeZen coating or another that is meant to help with focusing on screens to your existing glasses.

[sophie0416]

Thank you.. believe me I try to keep up with all the different tricks you guys tell me.

Ive invested more money in “hypoallergenic” makeup, now I’m trying Clinique. I’m wearing it right not and it’s not causing me to want to rip my eyes off! So that’s a good sign. I’ve heard that they test every single product more than 7200 times, and if a person has a reaction they reformulate the whole product : + ... no wonder why they’re so expensive!

[farmgirl]

So Sophie: I am happy that you are finding some makeup that is hypoallergenic....but....PLEASE don't throw it all on at once. Start with one product for a FULL week. If you are OK with that then add another and so on until, if you do have a problem, you can nip it in the bud and you will at least know which product is the offender.

[sophie0416]

Thanks farmgirl!
Yes I believe this makeup will work good for me. Although this days I don’t know why but something is triggering my dry eyes, like I mentioned in other posts I was getting better, almost no dry eyes at all, but yesterday ugh it was so uncomfortable! I was trying to enjoy the night Black Friday shopping but my eyes kept burning! (I didn’t wear any makeup, nothing in my face absolutely nothing) ugh I’m so done with all this seriously! One day I’m better the other day I’m on day one again...

[Faith1989]

Sophie. My eyes have been bad too! It's driving me nuts. I think it's because I'm getting my period soon to be honest. I've needed to use steroid drops just to get through the day. I'm also burning Whyyy me