Plea for help from a newbie dry eye sufferer

[Arcaeon]

Hi all,


I just joined this forum, looks like a great community. I came here to possibly get some advice.

My symptoms are extreme, almost unbearable eye pain and intense redness of the eye after using the computer or, to a lesser extent, reading for about two hours, sometimes even one hour. This also brings on bad 'visual snow' which is like seeing T.V static in your field of vision. It lasts pretty much the rest of the day after that. The optometrist said I have dry eye, which makes sense but I've tried ---

--- Systane, 4/5 times a day
--- Refresh Tears
--- A couple other Carmellose sodium-based products cant remember the names.

These drops do relieve a little bit for about 1-2 minutes but they don't really improve the pain or redness at all. Is there any other drops you could recommend, or do you think (as i do ) that it is not after all a dry eye problem but something else ?

[rubyslippers]

I just got a copy of The Dry Eye Remedy by Dr. R. Latkany. I am halfway through it and it addresses all the things you talked about. It appears to me, to be worth it's weight in cold. Got it at Amazon.

[liz56]

Hi, and Welcome, Arcaeon.

Terri's blog covers some great tips for those of us who are heavy computer users.

http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/blog.php?b=30

What's your doctor say about the problem?

--Liz

[Arcaeon]

I've always suffered from really bad allergies, and the first doctor I went to thought it was eye allergies, and gave me Zaditen. Only thing that didnt make sense though, why would computer use bring on eye allergy symptoms? However this seemed to really have a beneficial effect but it only lasted about three months before things returned to normal and in hindsight maybe it was merely a placebo effect.

The other two doctors I've seen had absolutely no idea what the problem was and just referred me to optometrists. One optometrist found that I had dry eye and was 90% certain this was causing my eye strain. Its just frustrating that the drug store eye drops Systane etc. don't do much for me... is it possible my eye is too dry even for them to help?? Strangely, the one thing that actually relieves pain and strain (if only for about 30 seconds ) is flooding my eyes with plain old water.

[bassfan]

I just got a copy of The Dry Eye Remedy by Dr. R. Latkany. I am halfway through it and it addresses all the things you talked about. It appears to me, to be worth it's weight in cold. Got it at Amazon.

read this book...

[brd888]

[QUOTE=Arcaeon} This also brings on bad 'visual snow' which is like seeing T.V static in your field of vision.

This sounds odd. I have not heard anyone on here describe this symptom.

Bruce

[Rebecca Petris]

I've always suffered from really bad allergies, and the first doctor I went to thought it was eye allergies, and gave me Zaditen. Only thing that didnt make sense though, why would computer use bring on eye allergy symptoms? However this seemed to really have a beneficial effect but it only lasted about three months before things returned to normal and in hindsight maybe it was merely a placebo effect.

A healthy tear film performs a very important protective role for the surface of your eyes. When the tear film is not healthy or is disrupted your eye surface is vulnerable. Now with that as context... Computer use makes you blink far less frequently, so your tear film breaks up, especially if you've got some underlying dry eye problems, leaving the surface vulnerable. Likewise, people who don't normally have ocular allergy symptoms may have them after their eyes become drier.

Strangely, the one thing that actually relieves pain and strain (if only for about 30 seconds ) is flooding my eyes with plain old water.

If rinsing your eyes with water helps you, try Unisol 4 (unpreserved saline) instead - much safer than tap water, and it's cheap. Also if it is allergies i

[Rebecca Petris]

This also brings on bad 'visual snow' which is like seeing T.V static in your field of vision. It lasts pretty much the rest of the day after that.

Can you elaborate on this please?

Does it start in the center and expand, or start in the periphery, or...? Is it moving, literally like snow on an old TV?

Migraine possibly??

[Arcaeon]

A healthy tear film performs a very important protective role for the surface of your eyes. When the tear film is not healthy or is disrupted your eye surface is vulnerable. Now with that as context... Computer use makes you blink far less frequently, so your tear film breaks up, especially if you've got some underlying dry eye problems, leaving the surface vulnerable. Likewise, people who don't normally have ocular allergy symptoms may have them after their eyes become drier.

Can you elaborate on this please?

Does it start in the center and expand, or start in the periphery, or...? Is it moving, literally like snow on an old TV?


Migraine possibly??

Hmm.. the allergy thing makes a bit more sense now. As for the visual snow thingy, well it's like a 'pulsating' sort of dirty looking snow that comes into my field of vision generally all over, but I only get this after the strain has occured from computer use or reading. I've seen a neuro-opthomologist about it, he thinks it is migraines yeah, but there's little anyone can do about it. I don't really wanna take heavy drugs like anticonvulsants which may help. I actually found a really good drop the other day called Thera Tears , which really hydrates and gives me about an hour of relief.. after that back to dry sandpaper hell though. Weirdly, I don't get the eye strain/dry eye feeling if I'm watching T.V.... only close work. Gahhhhh it's so frustrating

[liz56]

Weirdly, I don't get the eye strain/dry eye feeling if I'm watching T.V.... only close work. Gahhhhh it's so frustrating

Arcaeon, what kind of computer monitor do you use? Could it be that a traditional monitor instead of an LCD would help?

--Liz

[Lois]

Dry eye help

I have replied to at least 3 other people on this forum about what is helping me. It is called FreshKote. Finally some relief. It is a perscription drop.
My Lasik surgery was 10 years ago. I have 2 plugs in my right eye and 1 in the other eye. I tried Restasis for 6 month with no relief. I still take Pataday for eye allergies which is a perscription, Doxyycycline for the glands in my eyelids which is also a perscription, and Lotemax also a perscription.
Since I started using FreshKote I rarely use Refresh drops during the day.
I still keep Refresh on my night stand and on occasion will use it during the night.
Hope this helps