When you're sick, are your eyes better?

[dianat]

Chocolate makes me feel better on so many levels. I'll bet it's more complex than just a placebo effect.

There was a man who used to post here who listed atomic fireball candy as one methods he used to make his eyes feel better...

[Zarla]

also when you're sick and off work, you're usually resting and sleeping a lot and that ALWAYS benefits dry eye.

[NYer]

Not me, Zarla! My eyes are the dryest when I'm sleeping. Doesn't matter if it's during the day or at night. Generally, when I'm awake, my eyes aren't too bad - it's when I'm at rest that's the problem (especially since I like to rest).

[Blueyes]

Well, I just wrote in my thread yesterday that I am currently sick with bronchitis and my eyes feel 100% normal. I am just wondering what is causing this miracle: the fact that I am not at work (though I am in bed with my laptop most of the time - so the computer factor is out), or the fact that I have been on antihistamine and codeine syrup... or maybe the fact that I haven't eaten anything for 3 days cause my throat hurts so bad?

[kitty]

I have a theory...

I am still getting over this flu bug. My fever finally broke this morning. Within several hours my DES symptoms were back to baseline and I was hitting the drops again. I wonder if it is the fever that is responsible for so many of us experiencing and improvement in DES when we are sick? We know that some cases of DES are auto-immune in nature. Fever is the result of our immune system working in overdrive. Fever increases interferon in the blood. I found in some veterinary literature that interferon increases tear production in dogs with DES. Did everyone who posted an improvement in DES when they were sick happen to have a fever?

[NYer]

First of all, poor BlueEyes...I hope you feel better soon!

Kitty, I don't think it's the fever. I had a fever, yes, but not for the whole time that I was sick and not for the whole time that my eyes didn't need drops.

My own feeling is that it has something to do with the mucous production in your system.

[eva b]

just another theory...

about the dry eyes being better when we're off sick.
Someone mentioned that it wasn't down to not using the computer, cos they were sitting with a laptop in bed...

so...could it be really environmental? ie, being out of the office environment, with air conditioning, air movement, fumes coming off machines (someone told me the other day that printers gave off very toxic dust), formaldehyde coming off office furniture.............

just a thought

[NYer]

Nope...I work from home. The place where I work and the place where I'm sick are exactly the same spot. Not only were there no environmental differences, I was sitting in the same spot. (Or in my bed, 6 feet away from my desk).
So it's not environmental.

[Blueyes]

First of all, poor BlueEyes...I hope you feel better soon!

Kitty, I don't think it's the fever. I had a fever, yes, but not for the whole time that I was sick and not for the whole time that my eyes didn't need drops.

My own feeling is that it has something to do with the mucous production in your system.

Thank you, NYer! I am recovering slowly, I already feel much better today.

I do not think it is fever either, I had it for about 3 of 7 total days of being sick. I think we need to consider what meds we are taking during the time of illness, for example anti-allergy meds. I think it is the key in my case. I feel better now and I did not take today any promethazine w/codeine syrup, but Robitussin DM instead (in order not to be so drowsy) and my eyes are already 20% worse. They feel a bit irritated and have a little more red veins...

[Blueyes]

I am back to work and back to my miserable self. As soon as I reached the office my eyes were pink. They actually started stinging already on the train. Funny, for that few days sick in bed I almost forgot how bad they might feel...