Clothing stores and sudden eye stinging

[No tears in ATL]

So I rarely shop in stores, but today I was forced to for about 1.5 hours. I was in a few stores such as TJ Maxx and Target and was in the clothing section of each. After leaving, my eyes were stinging and red in the most unbearable way. This is not the case if I am in a grocery store. The fluorescent lights are bothersome, but I'm generally ok outside of the freezer aisle.

I was told when I took classes in costume design that clothes in stores are often soaked in formaldehyde, or a formaldehyde derivative after dyeing, which is why they should always be washed before wearing. So I'm just curious if anyone else has this problem? I think dry eye leaves us open to a good bit of chemical sensitivity without an adequate barrier to wash those fumes away. The same thing happens if I burn candles or am in a room with heavily perfumed/hair-sprayed people. Sigh.

[Eileen510]

I completely agree with your statement "I think dry eye leaves us open to a good bit of chemical sensitivity without an adequate barrier to wash those fumes away. " I have the same problem shopping in large clothing or rug stores - I end up with redder and drier eyes than usual, and normally with a headache. I have MGD, bleph, and RK - and I have had the same problem before RK when I wore contacts. I had hope after RK and without contact this would go away, it didn't.

[LaDiva]

Hi NoTears,
You are right on with this. I first noticed it about seven years ago in Marshall's. I think Eileen's explanation is a good one. Kohl's is another place that kills me. Part of it is the heating/cooling system sucking all of the moisture out of the air. Yuck and ouch.

[Scout]

The age old question . . . are your eyes hypersensitive due to dry and inflamed eyes or are your eyes dry and inflamed due to environmental hypersensitivities?

Since my LASIK in 1999, retail shopping is a challenge. If it is not the chemicals in the clothing, it is the chemicals in the cleaning products or the air quality or the fragrances or pretty much anything environmental.

Hypersensitivities are not traditional allergies so they are very hard to test for and to diagnose. Most of us use trial and error. They are also difficult for people with dry eyes to understand sometimes as well, because the ocular surface feels dry and scratchy like dry eyes. But instead of lacking moisture, the surface of the eyes are reacting with a surface inflammation to an environmental irritant. Extra drops at that time usually do not provide relief. (At least for me). Removing the substance or removing yourself from the area with the irritating substance and using cold compresses helps me. Going shopping with goggles or moisture chamber glasses would be a solution, as well.

My worst nightmare of shopping are the big retail stores like Macy's or Dillard's in enclosed malls. You have to enter the darned store THROUGH the fragrance section with (it seems like) miles and miles of fragrance counters! Sometimes I can't even make it to the escalator before I have to run out of the store.

Scout

[No tears in ATL]

Oh, good to see I am not the only one! What an interesting experiment it would be to test the indoor chemical load for the mall. Between the clothing, the fragrances, the carpeting, even places like Sears (sometimes inside/adjacent to malls) that stock automotive items--the smell alone of rubber makes me gag--we might be safer hanging out at the nuclear reactor!

[Mawsky]

Had a similar experience when at a RV show a couple of days ago, in the past I've noticed a sensitivity to the new RV's I also believe it is Formaldehyde in them that bothers me, in the past I just didn't feel so good, kinda woosy and light headed and weak. but this year was the first time since my eye problem, and my eyes had been really good all day until we went through a few of the new RV's I agree that before while it did have a negative effect on my general body now with my lack of tears to wash away the bad chemicals my eyes felt it. I also think that my eyes are always inflamed and any small irritation feels like a big one now. Lighting bothers my eyes too and my eyes are always worse at work or at home on the computer, I think it's not just the lack of blinking tho because I don't notice it at all when I'm on my Ipad. I think it may have to do with the light coming off the screens. Sorry you had this problem and hope your eyes are better now.