Dry eyes

[Stephanietee]

Does anyone know if there is a forum for people suffering from severe dry eye syndrome. I have a ghastly time with mine and would appreciate support from other sufferers.

Thanks,

Stephanietee

[jan-ran]

That would be Sjögren's syndrome? I believe it is an autoimmune disease, and there is an Australian forum on health unlocked. If you click on the 3 lines at top left and scroll down, there is a browse communities option. You will find it there. Good luck. JanR

[CDreamer]

I have that - have you seen your optometrist? I have mine pretty much under control with wipes, warm pads, drops and massage.

[Nannie-C]

I have similar problems but under control now thankfully. If not had bloods checked for Sjögren's syndrome then get GP to arrange, that will rule that out. Several meds also cause dry eyes and can be controlled by Visco tears or similar, discuss meds with GP or Pharmacist. Wearing dark glasses in the sun helps too. Get eye check up as well. Every sympathy as not a nice

[Stephanietee]

Great advice, thanks everyone. I have along history of this problem and use hyloforte and cellulosic 1% drops and lacriluble at night. Fairly frequently have to go down the steroid route. Warm wipes, eye pad etc etc....... The NHS in its infinite wisdom has discharged me god knows why. I am now going privately so that someone can at least keep an eye (!) on my eyes even if they can't suggest anything . Tomorrow I am going to see a "dry eye care specialist " who apparently cleans your lids out with a special device. One ophthalmologist said it was just a gimmick, another said it is worth a try as what helps one person may not help another.

Thanks again,

Stephanietee

[Stephanietee]

Worked for about a week! My eyelids did feel,much better and cleaner. If it was cheaper I would go every month. Do you have the same problems?

Stephanietee

[Stephanietee]

Thanks, I'll certainly give them a try although there seem to be different degrees of eye scrubs made by this company. Any particular one that you recommend? I currently use blephasol and blephasol to some effect, but could be better.

Stephanietee

[Stephanietee]

Ok I have the ocusoft scrubs plus. What is the next bit?

Thanks,

Stephanietee

[Boombiddy]

Hiya, I think a lot of assumptions are being made here. It is more likely to be simply blepharitis. It is much more common than Sjögrens so it is worth thinking about, especially if you do not have a Sjögrens diagnosis.

In blepharitis, your eyes feel so dry not because they're not producing the lubricant part of the tears, (they are). They are dry because the 'window sills' of your eyes are too greasy, and the grease chases away the tears, leaving your eyes feeling very dry.

I actually had a bleed on the surface of my eye because I'd been ignoring the blepharitis. The eye had got abraded because it was so dry.

Try this, it might work for you, it is what Moorfields Eye Hospital told me to do for the blepharitis:

Boil some water, get a piece of really clean muslin or sheeting or flannel. Dip the fabric in the water, and when cool enough to put on your eyes (bit like a sleep mask or Zorro or something), wring out, hold it over your eyes. It should be just comfortable. Each time it cools, dip it and wring it and reapply. After c 10 minutes the waxes on your eyelids should be softened enough to wipe away. So, dip & wring again, this time wipe gently across and down the top lashes in a sweeping curve. Dip & wring again, and wipe along lower lashes and up. You are trying to clear away the melted waxes and greasiness, om the base of the lashes.

You have to do this every day, like any treatment for this.

A simpler way is, put a tiny bit of Baby Shampoo in some cooled boiled water, dip cotton wool buds in it, clean the 'window sills' of the eyes (the bits you would apply kajal to) with the cotton wool buds. Sometimes this way you can actually see yellow on the cotton wool, it is the greases and waxes coming off.

(Moorfields also suggested this, but because I am so clumsy and am likely to poke myself in the eye, they suggested the hot flannels above).

Also, Supranettes from Boots work ok, no need to scrub.

Moorfields also prescribed eye drops - hypromellose, Celluvisc, that sort of thing.

.

[Stephanietee in reply to Boombiddy]

You would find life a lot easier if you used an eye bag from eyebag.com and either blephasol or blephagel . I steam clean my lids in the mornings and use the eye ag in the evenings. The eye bag really does help.

Stephanietee

[Boombiddy in reply to Stephanietee]

Thanks Stephanietee will look into it.

I was put off the bags by trying one with my Mum, she refuses to keep them on her eyes, (she does have dementia which doesn't help her), but it did seem awkward. And it may not have been the best designed eye mask, so may try again. I don't have a microwave though, hope it doesn't need one.

The benefit of the dip, wring & hold method I describe is that it soothes my sinuses at the same time, so I let the 'mask' extend around my temples. Then finish off with the fabric over face (clears pores and is soothing). And it's cheap.

I actually like the Supranettes/other similar, it's just so much more quick & convenient. Not as cheap though.

[Stephanietee in reply to Boombiddy]

Oops, yes it does. There is another one made by eyesoothe.co.uk which uses hot water and has a strap to hold it on your head. I think we have corresponded over Bisoprolol havnt we?

Stephanietee

[Boombiddy in reply to Stephanietee]

Hiya Stephanietee, yes we have! Hope you are seeing some improvement.

Yes the mask my Mum has needed to be put in hot water and tbh I was not impressed with the overall usefulness, but I will look up the one you suggest as sometimes it's just good or bad design (shape, strap, etc) that makes all the difference.