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Preservative sensitivity/allergy and contact lenses...Eureka moment....?
Help and advice please you lovely people!!!
Only two months now with eye problems, so nothing compared to some of you, I know.
But I think I hit upon something today and I'd love to hear what you think.
I've been wearing lenses for about nine years now. I wear montly lenses from Specsavers, currently elite monthlies.
Eight weeks ago, I noticed my eyes were quite red while wearing my lenses, so I stopped wearing them and went onto my glasses.
After a week of over the counter anti-biotic drops, they were better but not great so I went to the eye hospital where they diagnosed a viral infection and told me to continue with the drops, a steroid drop and artificial tears (Viscotears).
Although the redness improved a bit, it changed. My eyes were no longer very bloodshot, but they felt dry and "tight", and the tiny veins were quite visible, making my eyes look dull and a bit sore. I started looking at Dry Eye Zone forums -- thank you for so much advice and information
I returned to the eye hospital last week and was told I was sensitive to the preservative in the Viscotears and given a different brand, and also told I had dry eyes which may or may not improve.
I last tried to put my lenses in two weeks ago. Wham! New ones straight out of the packet, within a minute my eyes were bright red and sore so I took them straight out.
Managed to get a contact lens check booked for tomorrow, the optician tells me to come with my lenses in and I say I just can't, they're too painful. No worries, he says just bring them with you and show me what happens.
So I'm mulling this over. Today, my eyes have been clear and bright. No redness at all, and the dry feeling has all but gone. I used a tiny drop of Blink this morning (I couldn't bear faffing with gloopy Celluvisc!) and a very tiny drop of Celluvisc at lunchtime, but they've felt ok all day.
So I decide to try my lenses ahead of tomorrow to see what happens.
Hang on....new packets of lenses are cased in preservative, right?
So I rinsed a new pair really, really well in saline and pop them in.
That was three hours ago and my eyes still look and feel ok. I've put a couple of drops of Celluvisc in my right eye, as it was red below the iris, but that seems to have gone now.
Am I right in thinking the new lenses are sealed in foil with a preservative?
Could that be what caused the redness, despite the infection having cleared up?
I've been going crazy thinking I'll never be able to wear lenses again.
Could this have been the problem?
Many, many thanks for any help or advice
Only two months now with eye problems, so nothing compared to some of you, I know.
But I think I hit upon something today and I'd love to hear what you think.
I've been wearing lenses for about nine years now. I wear montly lenses from Specsavers, currently elite monthlies.
Eight weeks ago, I noticed my eyes were quite red while wearing my lenses, so I stopped wearing them and went onto my glasses.
After a week of over the counter anti-biotic drops, they were better but not great so I went to the eye hospital where they diagnosed a viral infection and told me to continue with the drops, a steroid drop and artificial tears (Viscotears).
Although the redness improved a bit, it changed. My eyes were no longer very bloodshot, but they felt dry and "tight", and the tiny veins were quite visible, making my eyes look dull and a bit sore. I started looking at Dry Eye Zone forums -- thank you for so much advice and information
I returned to the eye hospital last week and was told I was sensitive to the preservative in the Viscotears and given a different brand, and also told I had dry eyes which may or may not improve.
I last tried to put my lenses in two weeks ago. Wham! New ones straight out of the packet, within a minute my eyes were bright red and sore so I took them straight out.
Managed to get a contact lens check booked for tomorrow, the optician tells me to come with my lenses in and I say I just can't, they're too painful. No worries, he says just bring them with you and show me what happens.
So I'm mulling this over. Today, my eyes have been clear and bright. No redness at all, and the dry feeling has all but gone. I used a tiny drop of Blink this morning (I couldn't bear faffing with gloopy Celluvisc!) and a very tiny drop of Celluvisc at lunchtime, but they've felt ok all day.
So I decide to try my lenses ahead of tomorrow to see what happens.
Hang on....new packets of lenses are cased in preservative, right?
So I rinsed a new pair really, really well in saline and pop them in.
That was three hours ago and my eyes still look and feel ok. I've put a couple of drops of Celluvisc in my right eye, as it was red below the iris, but that seems to have gone now.
Am I right in thinking the new lenses are sealed in foil with a preservative?
Could that be what caused the redness, despite the infection having cleared up?
I've been going crazy thinking I'll never be able to wear lenses again.
Could this have been the problem?
Many, many thanks for any help or advice
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