Chronic Eye Fatigue For Two Years With No Answers

[CoryE]

Hi, my name's Cory. I'm a 28-year-old, otherwise healthy male. For the last two years I have been suffering from extreme eye fatigue. It doesn't happen all the time. In fact, I'll go for weeks with no trouble, then out of nowhere it'll hit me and last for days, weeks and sometimes months. It is debilitating, as I feel I can accomplish absolutely nothing when it occurs.

I don't spend large amounts of time staring at computer screens or phones. My eyes are not sore, itchy, red or puffy. Though they will sometimes water profusely upon waking up.

The feeling can only be described as an overwhelming desire to close or tightly/forcibly squint my eyes. They just feel SO, SO, SO tired, although, my body is not tired at all. As soon as my eyes are closed, I feel relief and everything feels normal, until I open them again.

I've been to two eye doctors who say my eyes look completely fine, albeit maybe a little dry. They recommended that I start using Retaine MGD medicated eye drops that don't seem to help, neither does allergy medication. I get 8-10 hours of sleep a night, and sometimes, as soon as I open my eyes in the morning, it starts and will last all day. The only variable I've found is that it feels better when I'm in the shower, or outside, though it's not always a huge change.

I'm desperate to find an answer, as I feel this is starting to rule my life, and it scares me for my ability to have a normal life going forward. I would love to talk with others who may be going through the same thing as me and can carry a bit more insight. Thank you!

[cathy8889]

Hey, Do you feel like there is pressure behind your eye sockets or above them just below eyebrows? Cath

[CoryE]

Hey, Cathy. Thanks for the reply.

I don't feel any pressure, behind my eye sockets or above them.

[tired_eyes]

Hi Cory,

I am experiencing EXACTLY what you experience. It's good to know that I'm not alone! However, instead of having periods where I don't feel it, I feel it every day. I used to feel great after 8 to 9 hours of sleep. Now, when I wake up from my alarm or my daughter, my brain and body feel awake, but my eyes are soooo tired. There have been moments where I didn't have to go anywhere, that I'd close my tired eyes and end up falling asleep. I've had days where I've slept 12 hours and my eyes are still tired. I put eye drops in my eyes to help wake them up. They drink and drink and drink the drops. They are so thirsty. They still feel dry and feel as if I could keep pouring drops into my eyes.

Here's my eye history: My eyes are more sensitive to bright light than others. I figured it's because of my light eyes, but it may have been because of my dry eyes. Drafts, wind, or fans irritate my eyes. I feel like I have to blink a lot more than others (which means I always lose the staring contest). In the mornings, after I've gotten up and showered, my eyes start to run like a runny nose. I have to explain to others that I'm not crying, but that my eyes are watering. After 20 minutes of that nonsense, my eyes feel somewhat normal. My eyes don't burn, like others.

My eye doctor, for the last two years, has told me that my meibomian glands are all clogged. She suggested hot compresses, eye massage, medicated and over the counter eye drops, and even put me on an antibiotic. None of those things have worked for me. On Tuesday, I'm getting evaluated for the Lipiflow, but from my research, I should have some open ducts. I'm wondering if the machine will be able to pop open the ducts (like pimples). If not, I won't go through it, because it would be a waste of money. My next option is to get my glands probed, but I might have to travel a long distance to get this new procedure done.

So, did any of your doctors noticed if your glands were open or blocked? Did they even check? If not, find a doctor who can evaluate your glands. Check out some YouTube videos on how to extract your meibomian glands. If you can get some glands to excrete the oil or to get old oil out, then it might help you. I know my problem is that my eyes are not getting the oil from the meibomian glands, which means the tears are evaporating too quickly and is causing my eyes to be so tired. It's negatively affecting me. I'll keep you updated.

[tired_eyes]

Hey, Do you feel like there is pressure behind your eye sockets or above them just below eyebrows? Cath

Hi cathy8889, I have the same thing going on with my eyes as Cory. I don't have pressure behind my eye sockets or above them just below the eyebrows when I'm dealing with my tired eyes. However, occasionally, during the day, I'll experience that. I figured it was because my sinus was clogged. I know to take a sinus pill, nose spray, and pain medicine to take that pain away. After everything kicks in and starts draining, I feel better. Do you know something about eyes and that kind of pressure that go hand in hand? Maybe my assumption is wrong.

[heyjude0701]

Hi cathy8889, I have the same thing going on with my eyes as Cory. I don't have pressure behind my eye sockets or above them just below the eyebrows when I'm dealing with my tired eyes. However, occasionally, during the day, I'll experience that. I figured it was because my sinus was clogged. I know to take a sinus pill, nose spray, and pain medicine to take that pain away. After everything kicks in and starts draining, I feel better. Do you know something about eyes and that kind of pressure that go hand in hand? Maybe my assumption is wrong.

My eyes get fatigued very quickly too, and are extremely sensitive to light. PROSE scleral lenses have helped, but I have been unable to wear one of the lenses for the last 4 months and I am struggling with the symptoms again. When I wore both PROSE lenses, there was much improvement in the fatigue and light sensitivity but now it seems to be as bad even while I am wearing one lens as it was before I started using PROSE. I have been wearing TheraSpecs outdoor sunglasses for the last couple of months; in addition to the usual sunglass color and polarization, they have a reddish tint that filters out high frequency light. These have been the most comfortable sunglasses I have found yet. I just ordered a pair of indoor TheraSpecs progressive lenses with my reading prescription; I am hoping that will help with indoor light and reading. There are some buildings I cannot go into at all because of the lighting (most department stores and big box stores, and homes or offices with CFL lights).

I am sick and tired of people telling me to take a nap or to pay attention when I close my eyes, even after explaining that I am listening to them and I am not sleepy but I need to close my eyes because of a dry eye condition where my eyes get fatigued and are sensitive to light and I can't keep them open. I try not to complain about it, but people forget and make insensitive comments like that. I feel like carrying a sign that says I'm sorry if closing my eyes offends you but I need to close them because of an eye condition.

I don't want to sound too negative, because there are lots of things you can try that will help, at least a little. I use Refresh Plus drops constantly, get them in bulk at Costco; the PROSE scleral lenses helped; hoping I can get a new lens fitted soon, and the glasses that filter out high frequency light help too. I'm sure others here will have other suggestions. Maybe you can find a few things that help you too.

[tired_eyes]

Hello, again. I had my eyes evaluated by one of the LipiFlow machines. Apparently, I don't blink all the way and my doctor and I think that if I don't blink all the way, then maybe I don't close my eyelids all the way when I'm sleeping. Maybe that's why my eyes are so tired in the morning. I need to retrain my eyes to blink with more contact along with warm compresses, eye massage, and extracting the oil out of the glands. *Here's a suggestion that I'm going to try for the first time tonight: My Dr. told me to put the eye gel in my eyes, fold up some gauze and tape it onto my eyes - to keep them closed all night. I'm really hoping this works!!

heyjude0701 - I'm so sorry you have constant tired eyes. If I were you, I'd walk around with sun glasses like a movie star. They should be really dark or maybe like mirrors, so that people can't see you close your eyes !

[heyjude0701]

Let us know if taping with gauze at night works. A few years ago I had tried sleeping with TranquilEyes, thinking that maybe my eyes didn't close all the way or maybe my CPAP blew air into my eyes at night. I used the Tranquil Eyes for a few weeks and it didn't make a difference for me. I hope it works for you.

When I get my indoor TheraSpecs, that is exactly what I am going to do! The indoor ones have a dark rose shade and when I have them on, nobody will know my eyes are closed

[tired_eyes]

So I tried doing what my doctor said - by folding up some gauze and taping it to my eyes and I could still open my eyelids, so I knew it wouldn't work. My husband said that he knows what to do. He said I need to start with a small cut up piece and work my way up to larger and larger, so that it fills the eye cavity. I hope he's right. I wonder if tying a bandana or scarf around my eyes would work?

heyjude0701, that's wonderful that you will be getting those glasses!

[heyjude0701]

you'd think that there could be some kind of non-irritating eye-glue that you could put on the eyelid margins, sort of like a temporary crazy glue that could keep your eyes shut for a few hours. I guess that is too much to ask for :P

[tired_eyes]

you'd think that there could be some kind of non-irritating eye-glue that you could put on the eyelid margins, sort of like a temporary crazy glue that could keep your eyes shut for a few hours. I guess that is too much to ask for :P

Okay inventors, out there: here's an idea!! Either eye glue or some sort of mask to keep eyes closed!

[waterbee]

Okay inventors, out there: here's an idea!! Either eye glue or some sort of mask to keep eyes closed!

Would an eye mask work? I need some thing like this as I wonder if I may have the same issue with sleeping.I wear sunglasses 50 percent of the day with a baseball cap to deal with the light, it's not to painful (with these shields) but my eyes are always so heavy and tierd and the light wears them out twice as quick! I've just moved house and have yet to put up curtains so am walking around looking like a movie star trying not to be recognised in my dressing gown, sunglasses and cap! (today while vacuum cleaning. The passing postman looked at me like I was mental. )
By the way - I some times get a feeling of pressure behind the eye, quite often really. is this a big deal? I mentioned it to my ophthalmologist via an email and she didn't seem to overly concerned.

[geminijo]

Oh waterbee, loved the mental image of you being spied while vacuuming in your getup by the postman! Thanks for the laugh I also have got a strange feeling of pressure behind the eyes (right more than left), am back to the optometrist on Monday so will definitely be mentioning...Also has anyone tried the new Systane Hydration drops? I started about a week ago and immediately liked the soothing sensation however after using only this solely for a week my eyes are feeling dry again from the moment I wake to the moment I go to bed and have today started back on the Systane Balance as feel it provides more moisture? Would be interested to know if others are using the Systane products and what their preference is....

[tired_eyes]

Would an eye mask work? I need some thing like this as I wonder if I may have the same issue with sleeping.I wear sunglasses 50 percent of the day with a baseball cap to deal with the light, it's not to painful (with these shields) but my eyes are always so heavy and tierd and the light wears them out twice as quick! I've just moved house and have yet to put up curtains so am walking around looking like a movie star trying not to be recognised in my dressing gown, sunglasses and cap! (today while vacuum cleaning. The passing postman looked at me like I was mental. )
By the way - I some times get a feeling of pressure behind the eye, quite often really. is this a big deal? I mentioned it to my ophthalmologist via an email and she didn't seem to overly concerned.

Waterbee and everyone else. I wrote - jokingly that I wondered if a bandana tied around my eyes would work. I have memories of playing pin the tail on the donkey and not being able to see. Well I tried it and it kept my eyelids closed! I couldn't believe it. I thought I was going to have to create some sort of eye mask, because others I've tried don't work. I put drops in my eyes and then night time eye gel in my eyes and then tie my silky bandana around my eyes. If feels weird as my eyes roll around, but when I fall asleep, it doesn't wake me up. I feel like it makes a difference. It's not a fix, but my eyes are not as tired. Plus after getting the LipiFlow done and keeping up with heat masks and expressing the glands have helped too.

My allergist and my eye doctors have told me that the pressure is sinus pressure. It makes my eyeballs hurt! I have to put counter pressure on the top of my eyes to get some relief. As soon as I feel that, even if my nose is clear and I can breathe - I take sinus medicine (nasonex) and a sinus pill. When it kicks in, my sinuses drain and the pressure disappears! Just because our noses aren't clogged and the nose isn't running doesn't mean we don't have sinus issues going on.

[waterbee]

Waterbee and everyone else. I wrote - jokingly that I wondered if a bandana tied around my eyes would work. I have memories of playing pin the tail on the donkey and not being able to see. Well I tried it and it kept my eyelids closed! I couldn't believe it. I thought I was going to have to create some sort of eye mask, because others I've tried don't work. I put drops in my eyes and then night time eye gel in my eyes and then tie my silky bandana around my eyes. If feels weird as my eyes roll around, but when I fall asleep, it doesn't wake me up. I feel like it makes a difference. It's not a fix, but my eyes are not as tired. Plus after getting the LipiFlow done and keeping up with heat masks and expressing the glands have helped too.

My allergist and my eye doctors have told me that the pressure is sinus pressure. It makes my eyeballs hurt! I have to put counter pressure on the top of my eyes to get some relief. As soon as I feel that, even if my nose is clear and I can breathe - I take sinus medicine (nasonex) and a sinus pill. When it kicks in, my sinuses drain and the pressure disappears! Just because our noses aren't clogged and the nose isn't running doesn't mean we don't have sinus issues going on.

I wonder if have allergic reactions too hearing this, I quite of often get a dry throat In summer and horrible cold symptoms with no actual cold (cough, runny nose etc) What are you allergic too? Can nasonex be brought or is it prescription only?


I agree about lipoflow helping too, I had lipoflow in one eye a month or two ago, my insurance only covered one! I see a big difference in my better eyes stamina (treated eye) I walk around with my bad eye closed much of the time as its so weak compared to the treated eye. (Beacuse I already don't look mental enough in my cap and sunglasses!) It's amazing really as I was told I was not a good candidate for the treatment and it would wear off in a few weeks! Some times I have to question whether even some professionals know what they are talking about.