[Q114] 4. I'd like to share more about how my dry eye symptoms STARTED (optional)
02/28/2021 102555558 I've experienced multiple causes of "dry eye". 1963 - living in Atlanta, GA, humid much of the year. I began wearing rigid contact lenses to correct severe myopia and significant astigmatism. Whenever my eyes felt dry, I would remove lenses, clean them (Lobob was my preferred cleanser), use rewetting solution, reinsert my lenses and resume my life. Discovered very early that preservatives were a problem for me. Tried several OTC eye drops - made my symptoms worse, so I discontinued OTC eye drops. Sterile saline was somewhat helpful. 1976 - moved to Colorado mountain community. Living at 8500 ft elevation. Dry eye symptoms became noticeably worse. Appointment with a wonderful practitioner - diagnosed me with hypoxia of my corneas. I switched to a slightly smaller diameter gas-permeable rigid lens and life was much improved. Continued to use Lobob cleanser on a daily basis. 2006 - bilateral cataract surgery. multi-focal IOL implants. LASIK to touchup astigmatism. My vision was the best I've ever experienced (20/15). No glasses needed for reading. Some dryness - used a variety of OTC drops (all PF). Refresh Plus PF was best for me. 2014 - surgery (see #3 above). No tear production in my affected eye. Serious struggle to find relief from the pain that dry eye was causing. Trying every PF OTC product I could source. Present - Still struggling with corneal erosion, daily discomfort. Most days I can manage to mitigate the symptoms with Celluvisc (refrigerated), nighttime ointment (B&L Soothe), Tranquileyes goggles.
02/28/2021 102532371 I now know that not only did i have fibromyalgia but also dysautonomia and likely Sjogren’s Syndrome. However i do not test positive for Sjogren’s but my specialist still thinks i have it. When i became peri-menopausal, i started having regular corneal erosions. Weekly. I did not know i had sjogren’s because i have a form of sjogren’s that is neurological sjogren’s. This population doe not test positive for ssa or ssb antibodies typically and thus are told we don’t have the condition but we do. I now also have a negative lip biopsy which leads doctors to think i don’t have it, but not true.
02/28/2021 102520970 I had lost weight due to cancer and treatment, and then struggled to regain it because of eating disorder tendencies. All of this also occurred during and following some unusual stresses and menopause that was accelerated by cancer treatments. My opthamologist says my dry eye problems are a result of corneal scars from RK surgery 30 years ago.
02/26/2021 102386923 I thought it was allergies, and treated it that way for several years.
02/26/2021 102366559 Have had keratoconus for many years leading to corneal transplant in left eye. Must wear hard contact lenses - glasses are not a viable option. Environmental allergies to pollen etc. cause mucous build-up almost immediately after putting them in and must take out to clean frequently and use antihistamine drops and tablets for some relief. Live in Los Angeles area subject to frequent dry Santa Ana winds which contributes to condition. Severity began increasing a year or two ago (global warming?).
02/25/2021 102268374 I first became aware of dry eye issues more than 25 years ago when I realized that wearing contacts was just an impossibility. I've tried so many types of soft lenses, those with the ability for increased gas (O2) exchange, those with more hydration, those that can theoretically be worn overnight or for multiple days. No matter the lens, all were excruciating after 4 hours or so. After giving up on lenses I had intermittent dryness issues that I've tried many different drops for. About 5 years ago I noticed water constantly streaming down my face from my right eye, and occasionally from my left. It gets so bad at times that I often wedge a tissue between my eye and my glasses, just because it's easier to deal with. I often abrade the tissue at the corners of my eyes from so much eye wiping. Wearing scleral lenses is the only thing that has stopped the watering. I get relief while wearing them but also for 1-2 days afterward, even if I don't wear them on consecutive days. I have thought in recent years that this is a symptom of my dry eye issues but I have also been recently diagnosed with map dot fingerprint dystrophy so that may be impacting it as well. My other dry eye issues are burning and ALWAYS feeling like there's something in my eyes.
02/25/2021 102226919 I was born with broken Limbal rings in both eyes. My eyes were terrible as a child and I had glasses prescribed at age 6. Of course, I did not wear them. I was in hard contact lenses by the time I was 11 as the glass lens was to far away for me to see. It was an BIG issue with the dry eyes which progressively got worse over the next 28 years. To the point I could not stand having the contacts in my eyes. Somewhere in the middle of that journey - I was switched to Gas Perm lenses. I had a serious Astigmatism. In 2020, I has LASIK surgery - I could not stand the contacts any longer and this has also been a journey. When he did the surgery, the left eye was -9
02/23/2021 101889717 My eyes have been burning my entire life. In my late 30s the pain became serious enough to need to have my tear ducts cauterized.
02/23/2021 101873065 I was a contact lens wearer since about age 15 (I am now 59). During both of my pregnancies (age 28 and 39) I was not able to tolerate the contacts in my eyes because they were too dry. I gave up contacts completely at about age 36.
02/21/2021 101638063 This was a gradual development of drier and drier each year.