Eye question

[trueman]

With Sjorgens and the dry eyes... Do you feel it most in the morning? Through night? I feel like it's difficult to open my eyelids properly and takes about 15mins to get them moving. I also feel like I have grit in my eyes. I'm not that bothered by it through the day too much like the dry mouth. Just wondering if this sounds similar?

Also wondering does the dry eyes then contribute to pain behind eye? Or headaches? I'm presently walking around with sunglasses on all day due to pain and bright light irritating me.. The celeb look ha ha..

Thank you!

[Echo1988]

Hi. I suffer with dry eyes usually morning and night with the gritty feeling in my eyes. I now use hylo forte eye drops, which help a lot. I think that you can buy them from a pharmacy. I get them on prescription as I have a pre payment certificate, so it's cheaper for me. Have you had a recent eye test? I am slightly short sighted and get headaches if I don't wear my glasses. I hope that this helps. X

[trueman in reply to Echo1988]

Thank you Echo. Appreciate response. I've never thought too much about it before just found it irritating. But beginning to think maybe my mouth, nose and eyes are drying out enough to cause the intense weeks of 'sinusitis' and ear inflammation? Thus the intense headaches? Getting a few bloods today and results Friday. Depending what tests done I will ask for relevant tests for Sjorgens on Friday. Can a GP do these blood tests? If you know..

It definitely bothers my first thing in the morning and night. I remember my last flare up mentioning the eye lid problem to my GP then and he paid no attention. So I just reckoned it was me moaning again about nothing!

But this dentist I visited has been super and is really pushing for my GP to do relevant tests and plans to speak to my GP tomorrow to reinforce this. The new GP I'm with since my last flare up/moving house seemed concerned about the eye issue. I mentioned having lost vision in one eye a couple times in night too but only for like a minute. Then it came back. I had eye tests maybe a couple years ago during a similar problem. Got very slight prescription and have been wearing them since headaches started again. Because I've been told there seems to be nothing wrong in past just assumed it was all in my head..

[Echo1988 in reply to trueman]

Unlikely to be all in your head. The headaches could quite possibly be related to the dry ears and sinuses. I don't know what the tests are for Sjorgens, so don't know if the GP can do the tests. But your GP can certainly refer you to a rheumatologist. I hope that your dentist can help, they sound good. X

[Natura]

I just got confirmed for dry eye. Knew I had it, just lazy about treating it. Finally got some dry eye drops from health store. Works well. I also take Thera tears which is a supplement of omega 3 fish oil and flaxseed. Eye dr said I could try that if I didn't want to use a prescription drug ( which I prefer to stay away from). I have been taking for a week. Working pretty good. Will see how winter is. I had trouble opening eyes in morning then. And gunk in them in the morning. Eye dr told me to get house humidifier for the winter. We have a wood stove which aggravates it too. Good luck

[trueman]

Thanks Natura. I don't get any gunk. Is that typical or can it just vary? I just get sticky eyelids as in they are difficult to open and close. It's evening and I'm finding it uncomfortable and sore to move my eyes left, right up and down. They feel like a lot of grit in them. It's weird.

Is the sore movement part of it too?

Thanks for replying

[Maureenpearl]

Please go to your Dr or Rheumy and get proper treatment for your dry eyes as you can get ulcers in your eyes if they continue to dry out. I have on prescription Hylo Forte, Viscotears and Lacrilube. The latter I use at nights as its very greasy and last a bit longer than the others so you can sleep but each time I turn over I instil Viscotears into my eyes.

For my dry mouth I chew gum and for my nose I use KY jelly because I use ambulatory oxygen and can't use oil based products.

Hope this is of some help, of course you can always have your eyes checked to see what is causing the pain. Please don't leave it as your sight is precious.

God bless xx

[milkwoman]

Yes, for me, eyes are bad in the morning and also, after a long day. I wear contacts so I know I make things worse for me but I prefer them over wearing glasses.

I use gel at night (Bausch & Lomb Soothe Nightime) and when I wake up, it can take awhile for me to clear the film off my eyeballs. Today my eyes felt particularly gritty and it took drops and about 15 minutes for my eyes to clear and feel better. I like the Systane preservative free drops.

I can get all-day long headaches from my dry eyes. Those are the worst as no pain reliever seems to help. Not a bad headache per se, but one that is tiring. Light sensitivity is also becoming more and more of an issue.

I plan on speaking to my rheumy at my spot next week since my eyes have def gotten worse since I've see her last.