What not to do when your eye is pink and mucousy

[Rebecca Petris]

Don't ignore it day after day.

Don't keep saying to yourself, "I'm sure it will be fine tomorrow" when each day it is - if you would only stop to think about it - clearly worse than the day before.

Don't put moist spongy things on your eye all night when it's in questionable condition.

As you've guessed, this post is about where I went wrong this week. I started out Monday with my eye a bit pink and I noticed an unusual amount of mucous buildup. It happens sometimes – allergies or whatever, I suppose – and I never pay much attention because it generally goes away within a day or two.

By yesterday, I was taking out my scleral every couple of hours to rinse off globs of mucous so I could see. Last night I was saying to myself "Hm, I think I might need to see the doctor in the next day or two." And just before bed I had a fleeting thought that maybe Tranquileyes wasn't such a good idea that evening. But I've been so dry the last few weeks and really struggling with that really bad grit and mini-erosion sort of things in the right eye in the morning, and I just couldn't face a night without coverage. In retrospect I should have at least taken out the moisture pads and used it dry.

So I got what I deserved, and woke up in the middle of the night with my eye half swollen shut, half stuck shut by gunk, and feeling bruised. No sclerals for me today = no vision = squinting at the screen from a few inches away.

If it's not better by Sunday, I'll be adding to this list something like "Don't try and scrape by with the remains of a primitive antibiotic an ignorant urgent care outfit recently gave your unsuspecting husband for your kid. Go get some proper drops to deal with it." As you can see, I am incorrigible, so this is my little confessional of sorts.

[Silverlady]

Ye CATS REbecca!!!

Even I in my old age dotage know better than to do all of what you have just described above. You only have one set of eyes and yours aren't the best anyway! Remember, Girl????!!!! Get yourself to the doctor ASAP!

Billye

[brudni]

Tranquileyes

I tryed the tranquileyes moist for night and it made my episcleritis worse. I am allergic to mold so I have given up on anything most at night directly on my eyes.

What kind of eye mask do you suggest for those allergic?

[Rebecca Petris]

Billye, thank you, that's just what I need - figured I wouldn't make it to the doc today unless I embarrassed myself into it!! I will, I will.

What kind of eye mask do you suggest for those allergic?

Brudni, I have not had the chance to do a whole lot of research on sleep mask options but I've looked at most of the products from Dream Essentials who are a market leader in sleep masks. The one I personally think is the most dry eye friendly is the Escape, which has cut-outs so that there is nothing actually touching your eyes. It's also very comfortable and has a good snug adjustable strap (I sometimes recommend it to people who have trouble with the Tranquileyes wrap being either too tight or too loose). Easily washable. Manufacturer says to wash by hand and air dry but, well, personally I never pay attention those kinds of instructions, I just toss them in the laundry.

Here's a link. Click on the picture to see the underside so you can see what I mean about how it doesn't touch.

[Rojzen]

good reason; resilience

Wishing you a rapid and full recovery, there, dear Rebecca. . .As someone who also operates in occasional denial, with a new or worsened symptom, I've come around to accepting that we sometimes exercise imperfect judgment because of the constant background of symptoms we experience. . .Since we're always either in pain or very uncomfortable, some additional redness or discharge doesn't quickly register as actionable. . .

Just this week, I have deferred getting help for something new that appeared on my eye in the middle of a night. . .I knew enough to stop the Restasis, but I've just watched the thing, and bided my time till this coming Monday, when I see my doc on Ohio. . .

Not to jinx anything. . .but our ocular surfaces seem amazingly resilient, don't they, given the constant abuse they suffer, just from defective tear quality that accompanies whatever disorder we have. . .

[liz56]

Rebecca, I'm sorry about the problem that you had yesterday into today. I hope that you get some relief soon!

I know what you mean about letting things slide, and we do it because it works-- sometimes. I got a little conditioner in my right eye on Tuesday, and Thursday morning I woke up with my bottom lid red and swollen, feeling like someone punched me. So, I... let it go. I put a hot washcloth on it before bedtime and another time when I got up at 5:00 a.m. Well, it's much better and clearing up. Once we have an experience when it *does* clear up, we expect it can again. It's hard to tell sometimes.

[Lucy]

Hope you see the doc asap, Rebecca. Could be an infection or even a corneal abscess. I really wanted to add something though about covering the eye while it's inflamed, infected etc.

When I had a bad corneal abscess a few years ago, my doc told me do not cover the eye! This makes for a great breeding ground for germs, infection etc. In essence, if any of has irritated, red, infected eyes--or think we do--that's the time to leave off Tranquiles and other masks. Of the few good lessons I've gotten from Dr. Butcher, that is one that stays with me.

Let us know how you make out.

Lucy

[GeorgeT]

Hi Rebecca,

I am very sorry to hear that !!!
Hope will be better soon! Does it work for you to put drops in is every 30 min?
When I had an overnight blood shoot, I got right of it in three days using drops every 30 min. A doc gave me steroids for my first blood shoot....

ALL BEST!

George

[brudni]

Thank you Rebecca! I will look into that new kind of mask. Sorry about your eye. I know how upsetting it is to get wake up with any pink or mucus. Always a scare for me!

Good luck and thank you for this site and all your help.

Brudni

[liz56]

Escape Mask

Thank you Rebecca! I will look into that new kind of mask. Sorry about your eye. I know how upsetting it is to get wake up with any pink or mucus. Always a scare for me!

Good luck and thank you for this site and all your help.

Brudni

Hi, Brudni. I just bought my second Escape Mask with the cut outs, which arrived yesterday! I love it. I bought two so that I can toss one in the wash and still have a fresh one on hand. I cannot have things touching my eyelids (at least not for a while), because of recurrent corneal erosions that happen when my lids stick to my epithelium. Before I had the problem that brought me to this site, I had discomfort in my eyes, and one thing that I did was pull the sheet up over my head to create a little, still, warm environment. I did not think I was doing it for my eyes, but now that I think about it, I probably was. This mask makes it much easier to breathe than sleeping like a mummy. :-) I just wanted to say how much I like mine and think that you will enjoy it, too.

[Silverlady]

OK Rebecca

Are you sufficiently embarrassed enough to go to the doctor?



Billye

[Rebecca Petris]

Here's an update: - Oh, and before that, another moral or my story: trying to go see the eye doctor last thing on a Friday afternoon this time of summer is not really smart.

I spoke with the doctor yesterday afternoon and explained how the eye was and what I was doing. We agreed I'd just stay on the antibiotic and reassess today. The eye is visibly improved to a great extent at this point. Still a bit mucousy and weepy but the swelling is mostly down and it's not so pink. So, seems to be getting under good control at this point.

Thanks, everyone, for the kind wishes (and Billye for being my accountability partner! )