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Headache, sore eyes, eye strain, light sensitive etc
Hi
I've been having some problems in the last year or so, and this seems to be a good place to post about them to see if anyone has any comments, suggestions or general thoughts. There are a few links to pictures of close ups of my eyes + lids too. This is quite a long and detailed post (sorry!) but the upshot is I think I have a Chalazion in each upper eye lid and possible Posterior blepharitis.
Quick summary:
32 year old white male living in the UK. Work in IT, hence a lot of computer (LCD screens) use both at work and home.
March 2007 started to get some headaches, eye strain, light sensitivity if I played on the computer really late, with symptoms sometimes lasting a couple of days. Finally went to the optometrist, and they gave me a prescription for glasses primarily to correct an astigmatism in my right eye (I knew this eye wasn't 20/20 for a couple of years). Symptoms went away shortly after, or at least they didn't bother me too much, though I finally got the glasses a few months later, but then didn't really wear them.
December 2007 - again got problems which I perceived were due to playing on the computer later at night (eye strain), and lighting problems in the office at work. Research a lot on the Internet and started paying attention to lighting conditions, eye exercises etc to stop the headaches etc, without much effect.
January 2008 - decided I'd have to go to an Optometrist (this time the one my parents use and not a high street chain). They give my a prescription specifically for VDU use with some magnification. They also say the glasses I'd had from the previous year (and only started to wear recently without much benefit) were probably not suitable for VDU use as they had a correction for myopia which I don't have, and would make the esophoria in my right (astigmatic) eye a problem, whereas my convergence was pretty good otherwise.
Got new glasses and although can definitely see near work clearer with them, a few weeks of always use them with VDU + reading didn't really make much difference. If I don't wear them it doesn't seem to matter as far as I can tell.
Went back and although they were helpful, basically the upshot is I've been referred to my doctor. Though a few more tests have shown I possibly have high cholesterol (arcus in my eyes), and a die test showed I have some dryness of my eyes - but not major and basically to use artificial tears (I'd bought some anyway and they don't really do that much for me)
Over this time (Dec 07 - now) I've been trying to analyse the symptoms I've been having, and investigate factors which may be contributory.
Symptoms:
- Sore eyes. Not all the time, and sometimes I can wake up with uncomfortable eyes, other times occurs during the day at work, at night etc. I can live with this and have artificial tears I bought a month ago to use if I feel I need to (I only bother around 3 times a week at the moment).
- Head Ache. This is the problem I find hardest to live with as it affects my quality of life. I'm also not the kind of person to take medication (pills etc) unless I really need to, though occasionally I'll pop a Neurofen if it's a Friday night etc and I feel I deserve a break! Again not all the time - seems centred around the eyes. Often I'll push against the side of my nose/eye and this helps - particular my left eye which has the best vision but often seems to have worse discomfort. Recently found warm compress against eyes and forehead help leading me to the assumption this is both eye related and a tension headache.
- General eye discomfort. Hard to articulate really. It's my perception that the sides of my eye nearest my nose sometimes hurt or are strained. Can't expand much on this really. Perhaps leads to the head ache.
- Sticky Eye in morning. For the period of about a week a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that waking when during the night, often I'd get discomfort when opening my eyes for the first time taking around 30 seconds for it to subside. My eyes did feel sticky. Usually I wake after about 4 hours to go to the bathroom, and this is when it would occur. Going back to sleep and waking at 7 am and I'd usually be OK. Hasn't happened for a while though as I say.
I also have a minor ptosis with my upper left eye lid, although this doesn't affect my vision and I only recently noticed this (and reading on the net etc). Photos show I've had this for at least 7 years so probably isn't a problem.
I've been reading the Internet for eye disorders etc and trying to determine what is causing my troubles. Last night I took some photos of my inner eye lids, and think I may have a Chalazion in each upper eye lid and possible Posterior blepharitis (I don't have any scale, crud, foreign body sensation (well maybe occasionally)).
Some pics (cropped so you don't have to look up my nose!):
Left Eye (the better vision one, but usually feels worse)
Prattstar - links to pictures removed at user's request
Right Eye
Prattstar - links to pictures removed at user's request
The lumps are pretty obvious - I assume these aren't normal and aren't just an artefact of the way I'm inverting them with my fingers etc? Also, do my eye lids look too red possibly indicating Posterior blepharitis? Do I have meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD)?
The lumps actually look huge in the photos. Though you can't see them externally, and as I say I'm not really aware of them. I'm hoping they are causing my head aches, eye soreness etc - and maybe even the astigmatism in both my eyes.
I'm using warm eye compresses which the Internet says may help - plus this does help tension headaches in this area anyway. I appreciate my questions might not be able to be answered with a forum post and a couple of pictures - Doctor will probably be next week or the week after, but I thought I'd post here to see what others thought.
TIA - JLG
I've been having some problems in the last year or so, and this seems to be a good place to post about them to see if anyone has any comments, suggestions or general thoughts. There are a few links to pictures of close ups of my eyes + lids too. This is quite a long and detailed post (sorry!) but the upshot is I think I have a Chalazion in each upper eye lid and possible Posterior blepharitis.
Quick summary:
32 year old white male living in the UK. Work in IT, hence a lot of computer (LCD screens) use both at work and home.
March 2007 started to get some headaches, eye strain, light sensitivity if I played on the computer really late, with symptoms sometimes lasting a couple of days. Finally went to the optometrist, and they gave me a prescription for glasses primarily to correct an astigmatism in my right eye (I knew this eye wasn't 20/20 for a couple of years). Symptoms went away shortly after, or at least they didn't bother me too much, though I finally got the glasses a few months later, but then didn't really wear them.
December 2007 - again got problems which I perceived were due to playing on the computer later at night (eye strain), and lighting problems in the office at work. Research a lot on the Internet and started paying attention to lighting conditions, eye exercises etc to stop the headaches etc, without much effect.
January 2008 - decided I'd have to go to an Optometrist (this time the one my parents use and not a high street chain). They give my a prescription specifically for VDU use with some magnification. They also say the glasses I'd had from the previous year (and only started to wear recently without much benefit) were probably not suitable for VDU use as they had a correction for myopia which I don't have, and would make the esophoria in my right (astigmatic) eye a problem, whereas my convergence was pretty good otherwise.
Got new glasses and although can definitely see near work clearer with them, a few weeks of always use them with VDU + reading didn't really make much difference. If I don't wear them it doesn't seem to matter as far as I can tell.
Went back and although they were helpful, basically the upshot is I've been referred to my doctor. Though a few more tests have shown I possibly have high cholesterol (arcus in my eyes), and a die test showed I have some dryness of my eyes - but not major and basically to use artificial tears (I'd bought some anyway and they don't really do that much for me)
Over this time (Dec 07 - now) I've been trying to analyse the symptoms I've been having, and investigate factors which may be contributory.
Symptoms:
- Sore eyes. Not all the time, and sometimes I can wake up with uncomfortable eyes, other times occurs during the day at work, at night etc. I can live with this and have artificial tears I bought a month ago to use if I feel I need to (I only bother around 3 times a week at the moment).
- Head Ache. This is the problem I find hardest to live with as it affects my quality of life. I'm also not the kind of person to take medication (pills etc) unless I really need to, though occasionally I'll pop a Neurofen if it's a Friday night etc and I feel I deserve a break! Again not all the time - seems centred around the eyes. Often I'll push against the side of my nose/eye and this helps - particular my left eye which has the best vision but often seems to have worse discomfort. Recently found warm compress against eyes and forehead help leading me to the assumption this is both eye related and a tension headache.
- General eye discomfort. Hard to articulate really. It's my perception that the sides of my eye nearest my nose sometimes hurt or are strained. Can't expand much on this really. Perhaps leads to the head ache.
- Sticky Eye in morning. For the period of about a week a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that waking when during the night, often I'd get discomfort when opening my eyes for the first time taking around 30 seconds for it to subside. My eyes did feel sticky. Usually I wake after about 4 hours to go to the bathroom, and this is when it would occur. Going back to sleep and waking at 7 am and I'd usually be OK. Hasn't happened for a while though as I say.
I also have a minor ptosis with my upper left eye lid, although this doesn't affect my vision and I only recently noticed this (and reading on the net etc). Photos show I've had this for at least 7 years so probably isn't a problem.
I've been reading the Internet for eye disorders etc and trying to determine what is causing my troubles. Last night I took some photos of my inner eye lids, and think I may have a Chalazion in each upper eye lid and possible Posterior blepharitis (I don't have any scale, crud, foreign body sensation (well maybe occasionally)).
Some pics (cropped so you don't have to look up my nose!):
Left Eye (the better vision one, but usually feels worse)
Prattstar - links to pictures removed at user's request
Right Eye
Prattstar - links to pictures removed at user's request
The lumps are pretty obvious - I assume these aren't normal and aren't just an artefact of the way I'm inverting them with my fingers etc? Also, do my eye lids look too red possibly indicating Posterior blepharitis? Do I have meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD)?
The lumps actually look huge in the photos. Though you can't see them externally, and as I say I'm not really aware of them. I'm hoping they are causing my head aches, eye soreness etc - and maybe even the astigmatism in both my eyes.
I'm using warm eye compresses which the Internet says may help - plus this does help tension headaches in this area anyway. I appreciate my questions might not be able to be answered with a forum post and a couple of pictures - Doctor will probably be next week or the week after, but I thought I'd post here to see what others thought.
TIA - JLG
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