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Hi,
I visited an opthalmologist in Toronto today and he has diagnosed with blepharitis but I really don't think I have this condition so I just want to post my story so far...(please bear with me this is long. I want to be thorough to get some feedback).
I am a contact lens wearer. I wear them everyday all day (I know this is bad!) but I've never had any major issues. Of course, I got the dry eyes on occassion if I kept them on too long or if I was super tired, but nothing noteworthy. Well, about 3 1/2 weeks ago my eyes started to feel itchy in a way that I've never felt before, like close to my tear ducts, but it wasn't bad and I had to leave for Quebec, so I took off and didn't think much of the itching. On my way to Quebec (about 3 days after my eyes began to itch) the itchiness became more severe. So, the next day I bought some Polysporin from the pharmacy and used them as directed but the ointment actually made my eyes feel like there was sand in them and very irritated. The next morning I went to a walk-in clinic and the doctor gave me fucithalmic acid drops for my eyes and told me it was a bacterial infection and that it would go away in a few days. I stopped wearing contacts right away and used the drops but my eyes continued to get worse. By this time they were so red and painful with discharge.
A couple of nights later, I was having dinner and my left eye just kept tearing so profusely and swelling with a lot of pain. Eventually, I couldn't open my eye so I went to emergency hospital. From there, I was directed to an emergency opthalmology clinic the next morning. The opthalmologist took at look at my eyes with some sort of blue light and told me that I had a viral eye infection,as indicated by green spots on my eyes which appeared with the light and some drops. He said that the spots were viral follicles, and that the infection should clear up on its own in a couple of weeks and to come back then to make sure everything's back to normal. He prescribed antibiotic ointments to prevent secondary infection.
Another few days went by and my eyes were still in pretty bad condition but started to feel a bit better so I was really happy about that.....BUT I became allergic to something in the hotel I was staying at and I decided to come back to Ontario to rest and return to Quebec once I'm fully healed.
It's been about a week and a half since I returned to Ontario and my eyes feel fine (except today they're a tad itchy but I think it's from the drops from the doctor). I went to see an opthalmologist today to make sure the infection is cleared, as the opthalmologist in Quebec told me to do. The doctor checked my eyes and said that there was no sign of a viral infection. He said that I had blepharitis and that that's why I was complaining about my eyes. I tried to tell him the details of my symptoms and how long it's been going on and what the doctor in Quebec told me about the viral infection, but this doctor was in such a rush today, he wouldn't let me speak! He just handed me a pamphlet promoting some cleansing pads used to clean my eyelids, and to not wear contact for another few weeks.
I came home and did a little bit of reading about blepharitis and I don't usually have any of the common symptoms. One of the symptoms is waking up with crusty eyelids which rarely occurs with me, unless I cried in my sleep and except during the period when I had the discharge coming out of my eyes in Quebec. I occassionally get watery or itchy eyes but it's because there's something in them. Also, this is the first time I've ever had an eye infection or any sort of problem like this so I don't know if this is chronic.
So, I'm not expert but I'm thinking of two possibilities: 1. I had a viral infection which completely cleared up since it's been about 3 1/2 weeks now. Although the doctor I saw today doesn't believe I ever had a viral infection, the doctor in Quebec told me, and even showed my friend who accompanied me to the hospital, the green spots on my eyes which he said were follicles. So is it possible that the doctor I saw today mis-diagnosed me based on the fact that I was complaining about my eyes (which he didn't even give me the chance to describe fully) and perhaps some inflammation left over from the recent virus infection? or 2. I have blepharitis and this was my first flare up? And if so, what about the follicles?
I'm sorry this is terribly long but I feel that the doctor I visited today was having a rough day or something. I'm not doubting his competence as a practitioner but really, today was not a good experience and I don't think he had all the information from me that he would've needed in order to diagnose me accurately. I feel so helpless and don't know where else to turn to at this point so any feeback is appreciated. I have to return to Quebec next week and I don't want this to happen again. In the meantime, I'm going to use the wipes the doctor suggested and do the whole warm compress routine, but I would like to learn more about my condition so that next time I see the doctor I will be armed with some knowledge! Thanks a bunch!!
I visited an opthalmologist in Toronto today and he has diagnosed with blepharitis but I really don't think I have this condition so I just want to post my story so far...(please bear with me this is long. I want to be thorough to get some feedback).
I am a contact lens wearer. I wear them everyday all day (I know this is bad!) but I've never had any major issues. Of course, I got the dry eyes on occassion if I kept them on too long or if I was super tired, but nothing noteworthy. Well, about 3 1/2 weeks ago my eyes started to feel itchy in a way that I've never felt before, like close to my tear ducts, but it wasn't bad and I had to leave for Quebec, so I took off and didn't think much of the itching. On my way to Quebec (about 3 days after my eyes began to itch) the itchiness became more severe. So, the next day I bought some Polysporin from the pharmacy and used them as directed but the ointment actually made my eyes feel like there was sand in them and very irritated. The next morning I went to a walk-in clinic and the doctor gave me fucithalmic acid drops for my eyes and told me it was a bacterial infection and that it would go away in a few days. I stopped wearing contacts right away and used the drops but my eyes continued to get worse. By this time they were so red and painful with discharge.
A couple of nights later, I was having dinner and my left eye just kept tearing so profusely and swelling with a lot of pain. Eventually, I couldn't open my eye so I went to emergency hospital. From there, I was directed to an emergency opthalmology clinic the next morning. The opthalmologist took at look at my eyes with some sort of blue light and told me that I had a viral eye infection,as indicated by green spots on my eyes which appeared with the light and some drops. He said that the spots were viral follicles, and that the infection should clear up on its own in a couple of weeks and to come back then to make sure everything's back to normal. He prescribed antibiotic ointments to prevent secondary infection.
Another few days went by and my eyes were still in pretty bad condition but started to feel a bit better so I was really happy about that.....BUT I became allergic to something in the hotel I was staying at and I decided to come back to Ontario to rest and return to Quebec once I'm fully healed.
It's been about a week and a half since I returned to Ontario and my eyes feel fine (except today they're a tad itchy but I think it's from the drops from the doctor). I went to see an opthalmologist today to make sure the infection is cleared, as the opthalmologist in Quebec told me to do. The doctor checked my eyes and said that there was no sign of a viral infection. He said that I had blepharitis and that that's why I was complaining about my eyes. I tried to tell him the details of my symptoms and how long it's been going on and what the doctor in Quebec told me about the viral infection, but this doctor was in such a rush today, he wouldn't let me speak! He just handed me a pamphlet promoting some cleansing pads used to clean my eyelids, and to not wear contact for another few weeks.
I came home and did a little bit of reading about blepharitis and I don't usually have any of the common symptoms. One of the symptoms is waking up with crusty eyelids which rarely occurs with me, unless I cried in my sleep and except during the period when I had the discharge coming out of my eyes in Quebec. I occassionally get watery or itchy eyes but it's because there's something in them. Also, this is the first time I've ever had an eye infection or any sort of problem like this so I don't know if this is chronic.
So, I'm not expert but I'm thinking of two possibilities: 1. I had a viral infection which completely cleared up since it's been about 3 1/2 weeks now. Although the doctor I saw today doesn't believe I ever had a viral infection, the doctor in Quebec told me, and even showed my friend who accompanied me to the hospital, the green spots on my eyes which he said were follicles. So is it possible that the doctor I saw today mis-diagnosed me based on the fact that I was complaining about my eyes (which he didn't even give me the chance to describe fully) and perhaps some inflammation left over from the recent virus infection? or 2. I have blepharitis and this was my first flare up? And if so, what about the follicles?
I'm sorry this is terribly long but I feel that the doctor I visited today was having a rough day or something. I'm not doubting his competence as a practitioner but really, today was not a good experience and I don't think he had all the information from me that he would've needed in order to diagnose me accurately. I feel so helpless and don't know where else to turn to at this point so any feeback is appreciated. I have to return to Quebec next week and I don't want this to happen again. In the meantime, I'm going to use the wipes the doctor suggested and do the whole warm compress routine, but I would like to learn more about my condition so that next time I see the doctor I will be armed with some knowledge! Thanks a bunch!!
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