I am new and I need help before it s too late!!

[hantzec]

Hello guys, my life has drastically changed since about 3 weeks ago. I am only 18 years old and this problem is really affecting my life and mental health . I hope I can address it ASAP before it further worsen. I need some guidance and thoughts on my situation here please. So this whole thing started 2-3 weeks ago, I ran out of my usual contact lens (biofinity toric) and I decided to wear my other brand of contact lens (b&l purevision) which I bought some time ago just to try.

I had previously tried out the purevision contact lens and they dont feel as good on my eyes. However, I insisted on wearing them because my usual ones ran out and I had to wait until my new order arrives. Likewise, my eyes feel uncomfy (strained&dry) after putting them on like the first time I wore them. However, I thought it may be a good idea to just keep them on for me to get used to them. So I wore them for like 6-7 hours but I noticed that after taking them out, my eyes were still uncomfy. Usually my eyes will instantly relieve if I take out my contact lens but they didnt. I had stopped wearing them since then. Waking up the next day, my eyes were still uncomfy. The sensation is like my eyes are dry,strained and sore but closing them doesnt relieve the uncomfiness.

It gets better throughtout the day but worse before bed. I had tried to put some eye drops but they dont seem to relieve my eyes. Anyway, I only went to an ophthalmologist after 10 days because that previous night was unbearable. My ophthalmologist told me that my eyes were extremely dry and he blamed it to the contact lens, but i had stopped wearing them for more than a week at that time! He then prescribed me vismed gel and liposic eye gel. He wants me to apply the vismed gel in each eye for every hour for the first 5 days, and 1 tube ea day for the following days. My eyes got comfy on the first 2 days but starting on the 3rd day my eyes felt like popping out and really uncomfortable.

I ve read somewhere on the internet saying that too much eyedrops will hurt the eyes' natural function and also best to avoid eye ointment. This made me cut down on the use of vismed unless my eyes are really really uneasy. As of right now, my eyes still get dry/uncomfy occasionally on a day and it really changed my lifestyle man. My uni is starting next month and I really hope that I can wear my contact lens again like the good old days. But my eyes are already uncomfy even with my glasses on .

My eyes used to be healthy and dont have any major problem. Moreover, I would only wear my contact lens for maximum 12 to 14 hours ea day and I dont sleep with them on I take them out when I reach home everytime. I am really miserable right now and I really blamed myself for wearing that contact lens. All these wouldnt happen if I wait for my usual contact lens Do any of you have an insight of my cause of dry eyes or any suggestions or anything?? Can my eyes recover back to the good ol days? It has only been 2 weeks or more and I cant stand it already!! Thanks in advance and I appreciate you for reading my story and please excuse my english I am not a native speaker.

[littlemermaid]

Hi hantzec, were the Bausch & Lomb Purevision lenses supplied each month? Just wondering if you got an infection if they were not newly opened.

[hantzec]

Hi hantzec, were the Bausch & Lomb Purevision lenses supplied each month? Just wondering if you got an infection if they were not newly opened.

The one I wore were newly opened and my opthalmologist told me that I only have dry eyes and nothing else.

[LaDiva]

I am not a doctor, but am thinking that if you stop wearing contacts and baby your eyes for awhile that things will get much better. You can safely use drops if they don't contain preservatives. It might take some time before you see improvement, but I am very hopeful for you. Unfortunately, it sounds like you cannot wear contact lenses, so definitely stay away from Lasik and PRK as that is what caused my severe dry eye. You might also try putting a warm compress on your eyes a couple of times a day and see if that helps. If you are sleeping on an old pillow, buy a new one. Unless you have an underlying illness, I see no reason why your eyes cannot improve. Best wishes to you and please keep us updated.

[waterbee]

Hello guys, my life has drastically changed since about 3 weeks ago. I am only 18 years old and this problem is really affecting my life and mental health . I hope I can address it ASAP before it further worsen. I need some guidance and thoughts on my situation here please. So this whole thing started 2-3 weeks ago, I ran out of my usual contact lens (biofinity toric) and I decided to wear my other brand of contact lens (b&l purevision) which I bought some time ago just to try.

I had previously tried out the purevision contact lens and they dont feel as good on my eyes. However, I insisted on wearing them because my usual ones ran out and I had to wait until my new order arrives. Likewise, my eyes feel uncomfy (strained&dry) after putting them on like the first time I wore them. However, I thought it may be a good idea to just keep them on for me to get used to them. So I wore them for like 6-7 hours but I noticed that after taking them out, my eyes were still uncomfy. Usually my eyes will instantly relieve if I take out my contact lens but they didnt. I had stopped wearing them since then. Waking up the next day, my eyes were still uncomfy. The sensation is like my eyes are dry,strained and sore but closing them doesnt relieve the uncomfiness.

It gets better throughtout the day but worse before bed. I had tried to put some eye drops but they dont seem to relieve my eyes. Anyway, I only went to an ophthalmologist after 10 days because that previous night was unbearable. My ophthalmologist told me that my eyes were extremely dry and he blamed it to the contact lens, but i had stopped wearing them for more than a week at that time! He then prescribed me vismed gel and liposic eye gel. He wants me to apply the vismed gel in each eye for every hour for the first 5 days, and 1 tube ea day for the following days. My eyes got comfy on the first 2 days but starting on the 3rd day my eyes felt like popping out and really uncomfortable.

I ve read somewhere on the internet saying that too much eyedrops will hurt the eyes' natural function and also best to avoid eye ointment. This made me cut down on the use of vismed unless my eyes are really really uneasy. As of right now, my eyes still get dry/uncomfy occasionally on a day and it really changed my lifestyle man. My uni is starting next month and I really hope that I can wear my contact lens again like the good old days. But my eyes are already uncomfy even with my glasses on .

My eyes used to be healthy and dont have any major problem. Moreover, I would only wear my contact lens for maximum 12 to 14 hours ea day and I dont sleep with them on I take them out when I reach home everytime. I am really miserable right now and I really blamed myself for wearing that contact lens. All these wouldnt happen if I wait for my usual contact lens Do any of you have an insight of my cause of dry eyes or any suggestions or anything?? Can my eyes recover back to the good ol days? It has only been 2 weeks or more and I cant stand it already!! Thanks in advance and I appreciate you for reading my story and please excuse my english I am not a native speaker.

Hi, welcome to the forums.
It's very early days for you, there is a good chance you'll see a big improvement if you don't actually have any medical issues with your eyes, (and even if you did, things nearly always improve too) you should use the drops you've been given so your eyes can recover gradually as Eyes can be slow to heal (4-6 weeks for mucus layer to repair if that's a any help)keep your eyes moist to prevent any discomfort, don't hold back! Also I would completely stop stressing about your contacts, and just focus on getting improvement without the added pressure of a time table.

[hantzec]

Thank you guys so much, this is very encouraging! I will stick to a tube of vismed ea day and definitely will try the warm compresses. I know I shouldnt fret about wearing contact lens and focus on recovery now. By the way is changing my pillow gonna help?

[LaDiva]

Hi hantzec,
If you have allergies, or Demodex Mites, changing your pillow can be huge. Demodex live on everything and everyone, and it is not an indication of hygiene, but if you have old bedding, and especially an old pillow, it is a hangout zone for them. If you do an internet search, or search this board, you will find more information. They are busy at night, so bedding is the party spot!

[hantzec]

I just changed my bed few months ago so i guess it is unlikely? By the way I cant seem to distinguish between dry eyes and eye strain, I mean if I only have dry eyes why wont my eyes feel relief if I put my vismed gel in? I am not sure how to describe but i think the eyedrops soothe my eyebalsl abit but i can still feel the muscle surrounding my eyes are very tired and sore. The degree of my eye strain varies so.....I think I have dry eyes + eye strain maybe?? I am a heavy computer user but am now trying to limit myself . Usually eyestrain doesnt last thing long right?

[littlemermaid]

It does sound like inflammation. Maybe it's helpful to imagine this like soft tissue damage - we rest it and treat it carefully to enable healing, careful not to overstretch it. Does a cool compress help? Sounds like you need to absolutely minimise screen-time over the summer while this is healing so it's not a problem at university, and even then monitor it in future. The problem is when the eye surface is already dry, and there's reduced blinking. Adjust the screen so minimum eye surface is exposed. Practice blinking exercises. We are usually careful with increased sensitivity in the eyes and reduce or eliminate unnecessary chemicals in the environment - eg hypersensitive hair shampoo, non-perfumed detergents etc. It helps to keep the bedroom dust-free and minimise possible allergens because reduced tear film can't wash them away as normal. Some people use a humidifier.

Do your eyes get worse outside, or better? Do you have meibomian gland dysfunction? Have you looked at diet and oil supplements? Any signs of damage to eye surface? Any signs of allergy? Are your eyes worse at night, or when you wake up in the morning? La Diva advises well

We are very solutions-orientated here, as you can see, so hopefully you will find more good suggestions on what's worked for different people.

[hantzec]

But my ophtal said they are only dry and nothing else I will be going to a different ophtalmologist on Monday so I hope this time can better diagnose my problem. Personally i think it is more than just dry eyes, more like constant eyestrain along with dry eyes. I ve come across this site and I can relate to a few but not all of the symptoms he listed though, http://eyestrain.sabhlokcity.com/ Especially the one he highlighted in yellow, I can feel the uncomfiness and slight pain even if i close my eyes. I am very lost right now aihh... Anyway,I know for sure that i have to address my dryness first...

[littlemermaid]

The eye docs you've seen did not explain that dry eyes cause inflammation? Very interesting on eyestrain there. Wish you the best. Keep us posted so we can all learn from you too.

[waterbee]

But my ophtal said they are only dry and nothing else I will be going to a different ophtalmologist on Monday so I hope this time can better diagnose my problem. Personally i think it is more than just dry eyes, more like constant eyestrain along with dry eyes. I ve come across this site and I can relate to a few but not all of the symptoms he listed though, http://eyestrain.sabhlokcity.com/ Especially the one he highlighted in yellow, I can feel the uncomfiness and slight pain even if i close my eyes. I am very lost right now aihh... Anyway,I know for sure that i have to address my dryness first...

I hope you find some answers when you have your appointment, maybe make a list of a few questions to ask while there? If your eyes are dry ask your opthomgist if it could be caused by allergys/mdg/tear deficient/eye strained, just everything you might wonder about. I forgot to mention, you can also go to your doctor and be referred to a specialist and get drops on repeated prescription if your in the UK.

[No tears in ATL]

I was you about 8 years ago. As a long term soft contact lens wearer (20+ years), doctors came to the conclusion that my corneal sensitivity was reduced over time, eventually causing severe dry eye.

I was told not to wear them again, and could not even if I tried. Wearing glasses full time going forward is something you should consider; besides, glasses are cool nowadays.

I haven't read all the posts, but I am also hoping your doctor prescribed a short course of steroid drops (Lotemax is commonly used here in the U.S.) to get the inflammation down quickly. That will make a real difference in your comfort, but is not something you can use long term. It won't hurt to ask.

[hantzec]

I have worn my contact lens for one year only ! So unfortunate man... , btw my eye soreness/strain sensation seems to go away when my eyes arent so dry so yea... I also noticed that the more eyedrops I put the heavier my eyes feel. I can feel slight pressure behind my eyes if I put alot of eyedrops, I am not quite sure how to describe. One last question, do warm compresses benefit dry eyes more or cold? I seem to get better relief from cold though..

[hantzec]

Hello guys, sorry for the late update. So I went to another eye doc the other day, she did the fluorescein test and found out that my eyes have poor tears especially on my left eye. Is this type of dry eye called tear-deficient?? She also told me that my left eye has a little inflammation and prescribed me Optive advanced drop along with Acular Ophtalmic solution. Anyway, my main issue now is that I will get terrible eyestrain when I am wearing glasses. The eyestrain sensation gradually build up when I wear my glasses.

Sometimes it can become really pain and unbearable, it feels like migraine around the area of my eyes and it is not the ocular surface kind of pain I get from dry eyes. It feels more severe on my left side, which is my dryer eye. I am not sure if I can put it correctly. My eye doc bassically said it is related to my dry eye because the tear kinda act as a middle agent between my eye and my glasses, it regulates the power of my glasses. Therefore, my eyes have to adjust itself because my tear isnt doing its job and thus they get tired and I feel eyestrain. I also have my glasses prescription updated too.

I think my problem here is similar to this thread. http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showt...ng-Eye-Glasses This issue really affected my lifestyle, I cant be on my glasses for long. My uni is starting next month . Besides, I am trying to avoid contact lens for now until my dry eye is solved. I am not sure if contact lens can solve the eyestrain though, I havent experimented yet. So I am wondering whether this problem is common among dry eye patients? Is there a solution for me?