Gritty Sensation

[ebi1368]

Hi
I have been having this problem for quite a while now.

Most of the time I have this gritty sensation on the corner of my eyes. In the left eye which is the drier one is on the corner close to my nose. On the right eye I have it on the corner close to my ear. When I look at the mirror I can see that my eyes are not that dry but I still have this sensation. It is just driving me crazy.

Dose anybody have these symptoms?

I am 5.5 month post lasik + ocular rosacea and possibly blephartitis and or allergy.

[Guest]

I actually have the exact same issue. When my eyes are dry, it’s the left inner and right outer. My problem is for my eyelids opening at night. I think mine are opening in that way. Just barely breaking the seal of the lids and exposing those areas. I’m not saying that’s your problem, but I know for a fact that’s what’s caused mine. As I tape my eyes shut every night, I notice every day I feel better. Not a little better, exponentially better.

[ebi1368]

How do you tape your eyes?
If someone look at your face when you are sleeping, can she/he tell your eyes are open?
Nobody ever told me that I have my eyes open when I sleep.

[MGD1701]

One doctor in the Uni. hosptial said it was because my eyes were too oily.

[Guest]

How do you tape your eyes?
If someone look at your face when you are sleeping, can she/he tell your eyes are open?
Nobody ever told me that I have my eyes open when I sleep.

I’ve taken pictures of my eyes with them partially open and you can’t see my eyeball. It’s pretty much imperceptible, my wife didn’t know I was sleeping with my eyes open. My corneal specialist did however. I had 3 erosions within 2 months and he said, you’re aleepung with your eyes open and you may have a vent above your head. He was 100% correct. After finding that out I slowly started finding a solution to keep my eyes from opening in my sleep. I tried the bandages, they are great at preventing an erosion, but my eyes still dried out. So I finally found a tape for me eyes and voila, my eyes are FINALLY healing, they don’t have that grittiness at all. The grittiness was the portion of my eye that was open at night, dry as can be. Once I stopped the eye from opening, the cornea is healing. I know that if I can keep my eyes shut at least a solid week, with zero opening, I can feel almost normal. I already feel almost normal and I haven’t perfected this night time barrier yet.

So again, I have no clue if you sleep eyes open, but it’s impossible for you to know. So finding out if you do and then protecting the eye would help you tremendously. Let me ask, when you close your eyelids and try to keep them closed, do they flutter and shake? That’s another sign that my eyelid muscles are weakened.

[MGD1701]

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[ebi1368]

So again, I have no clue if you sleep eyes open, but it’s impossible for you to know. So finding out if you do and then protecting the eye would help you tremendously. Let me ask, when you close your eyelids and try to keep them closed, do they flutter and shake? That’s another sign that my eyelid muscles are weakened.

Thanks for your reply

Yes I do feel my eye lid shake when I close them firmly.
Maybe that is my problem too. What type of tape are you using for shutting your eye at night. Can you please send me the link if you have.

[ebi1368]

I also have such issue - gritty yet oily tear film.
One doctor in the Uni. hosptial said it was because my eyes were too oily.
I remember one doctor/Professor mentioned poor oil quality can be a trigger for dry eye - but did not say gritty eyes.
Well, I eat very healthy - lots of different nuts/oils daily - maybe too much??

Warm compress helps but often I just ignore it as it is bearable.
When it occurs, never in the morning but after 1600 or 2000 - When wake up, my eyes are top.

Do you have water deficient issue? I wonder if it is imblance of water, oil and mucin??

Thanks for your reply

I sometimes feel it later in the afternoon or evening. Sometimes, like today I feel it in the morning. It is so random.

I have AD from lasik I guess. I also have MGD as my lipid layer was so thin especially in left eye. I do have an oily T-zone I do not if that means anything.

Do you have any visual symptoms as well? Like having hard time reading or halo around the light?

[ebi1368]

I just found out something, drop with HA make my eyes gritty. (Even Retain too - sometimes).
My eyes were prefect before putting drops.
My best guess, maybe drop makes tear film imblance or allergy?

Suddenly I came up with an idea - Saline (8 drops/eye) and it helped 85-90% in 30-45 min.
so drop is the trigger for me.

Sorry what is HA?
My eyes are so sensitive. I can not use any eye drop. Even gel eye drop when I use them more than a few times, my eyes feel drier after. I tied a new eye drop yesterday and I do not know if it is related. Man, it is so confusing.

[Guest]

Thanks for your reply

Yes I do feel my eye lid shake when I close them firmly.
Maybe that is my problem too. What type of tape are you using for shutting your eye at night. Can you please send me the link if you have.

Go to dryeyeshop and search eyelocc...these are cheap and effective. You get 50 pairs for I think about 35 bucks...so less than 75 cents a night. So far it’s been the best thing for my eyes.

found a link

https://dryeyeshop.com/products/eyel...on-dressing-30

[MGD1701]

Drop with HA, hyaluronic acid, I have read both drops with HA or lipid are good for MGD - they are not always good for me.

if no drops suit you, maybe try serum, have you tried? Sometimes my eyes are drier after dropping, including Retain.
Seems better try one brand a day or a few day - dont mix too many brands.

My vision is ok so far.

[ebi1368]

Go to dryeyeshop and search eyelocc...these are cheap and effective. You get 50 pairs for I think about 35 bucks...so less than 75 cents a night. So far it’s been the best thing for my eyes.

found a link

https://dryeyeshop.com/products/eyel...on-dressing-30

I usually wake in the middle of night and put a few drops as I feel my eyes are dry. Does it mean that I do not close my eye thoroughly?

[hopeful_hiker]

pythonidler mentioned in his post that serum drops helped him with the grittiness. The same thing happened to me. He said damaged/irritated nerves could create that sensation according to his doc.

I don’t know for sure but since you had a surgery, I would recommend serum. Maybe it will help with grittiness. It is one of the only things that can restore corneal nerves so that they can tell your brain that you need tears.

[MGD1701]

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[Guest]

I usually wake in the middle of night and put a few drops as I feel my eyes are dry. Does it mean that I do not close my eye thoroughly?

thats what was happening to me before I got the three erosions...I would wake up blood shot eyes in pain, id pour drops in and I could feel how sandpaper my eyes were. Sometimes, the eyelids would be stuck together, then the erosions happened. For me, the erosion occurred 100% because my eye was slightly opened. The two lids and the cornea/sclera dried together and got stuck. That wouldn’t have happened if my eye was shut completely. Only the lids would have been glued but the eyeball would be free to move.

But yes, my major symptom was waking up with the driest eyes. It was always different. Meaning, some nights really bad. I may wake up every two hours to put in drops. Some nights I slept through. There’s no pattern really.