So I went to see Professor Alio at the Vissum Clinic in Alicante, I think it's the best decision I have made since the start of my eye problems 16 months ago.
He was genuinely interested in finding the cause of the burning pain in my left eye, as was his team of doctors/optometrists, it is an exceptional place.
Meibography showed my glands were normal - they said I was Grade 0-1. I saw on the screen myself that all my glands were there and were at full length except for one which was at 80%. This was pretty shocking as when I had Lipiview last summer in London, we saw that 50% of my glands had atrophied while most of the rest were dormant. At the time I was told I was Grade 3-4 on the MGD scale. So I do not know what happened in the meantime, I hadn't been doing anything in particular except wiping my lid margins religiously with tea tree oil, which I stopped last month when I was told I didn't have blepharitis. Whilst I am glad/surprised my glands have returned back to normal, the burning sensation in my left eye has remained the same as ever so I am confused more than anything.
Keratograph showed tear meniscus height was average. Schirmers test results were 18mm in right eye, 13mm in left.
My corneas are healthy, there is no staining.
Professor Alio told me I have ocular surface disease and that I was a classic case of someone whose symptoms are disproportionate to the signs.
To address the burning pain and inflammation, he injected the steroid trigon-depot in my left eyelid and told me to use PRP drops for 6 weeks. He was confident that the burning will be gone after that, so let’s see.
So far nothing has changed in terms of pain since starting on the PRP, my left eye is still burning non stop. However the redness has gone - my sclera are white since returning to the UK and have remained so since, which is something to be positive about.
I am keeping my expectations low as usual. I'll post an update in a couple of weeks time.
He was genuinely interested in finding the cause of the burning pain in my left eye, as was his team of doctors/optometrists, it is an exceptional place.
Meibography showed my glands were normal - they said I was Grade 0-1. I saw on the screen myself that all my glands were there and were at full length except for one which was at 80%. This was pretty shocking as when I had Lipiview last summer in London, we saw that 50% of my glands had atrophied while most of the rest were dormant. At the time I was told I was Grade 3-4 on the MGD scale. So I do not know what happened in the meantime, I hadn't been doing anything in particular except wiping my lid margins religiously with tea tree oil, which I stopped last month when I was told I didn't have blepharitis. Whilst I am glad/surprised my glands have returned back to normal, the burning sensation in my left eye has remained the same as ever so I am confused more than anything.
Keratograph showed tear meniscus height was average. Schirmers test results were 18mm in right eye, 13mm in left.
My corneas are healthy, there is no staining.
Professor Alio told me I have ocular surface disease and that I was a classic case of someone whose symptoms are disproportionate to the signs.
To address the burning pain and inflammation, he injected the steroid trigon-depot in my left eyelid and told me to use PRP drops for 6 weeks. He was confident that the burning will be gone after that, so let’s see.
So far nothing has changed in terms of pain since starting on the PRP, my left eye is still burning non stop. However the redness has gone - my sclera are white since returning to the UK and have remained so since, which is something to be positive about.
I am keeping my expectations low as usual. I'll post an update in a couple of weeks time.
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