Dry eyes? Help from LupusUK

[PMRpro]

lupusuk.org.uk/dry-eyes-and...

Every month the wonderful LupusUK publishes a Topic of the Month. This month it is about dryness of eyes and mouth - which have been subjects for a few posts recently. Hope the link is useful - and there are links to Sjogren's sites too just in case you want to look more closely because there is a lot of overlap and if you have Sjogren's syndrome you are 4 times more likely to have PMR than the general public who don't have it. And having just read one - did you know Sjogren's Syndrome is the UK’s second most common autoimmune rheumatic disease? No, me neither. And you know - it could well be the reason for a lot of the younger presentations of ?PMR.

[Longtimer]

Thanks for this info...

[Suet3942]

I have dry eyes and find that flaxseed oil really helps. Takes about 4 weeks to kick in

[stellafmdm]

Thanks PMRpro

They tell me I have dry eyes because they water all the time!! especially the left one. I've been given drops to make them water even more!!! Seems odd to me, but it could be so I suppose.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to stellafmdm]

The dry eye refers to the normal production of real fairly viscous tears that protect the surface of the eye. When they don't appear the eye produces copious amounts of thinner tears to replace them - and they spill over making your eyes water. That is one of the early signs - but everyone ignores it blaming age or cold or the wind. The drops aren't to make them water MORE - they are thicker and should help protect the eye surface.

[stellafmdm in reply to PMRpro]

Ah! now I understand! Thank you

[Twopies]

I have severe dry eyes...never a problem in my life before pmr. Now I have concretions (which must be removed--yikes!), corneal edema, and corneal erosion. I blame it all on pmr, as I wore only reading glasses before it started. Oh, yeah, I have worsening cataracts, too. I know age is a factor, but my eyes were perfect before pmr.

[bunnymom]

Thanks for the info. I recently had the puctual (sp) plugs put in my eyes. A breeze to have done and a great help.i also have a dry nose and mouth. Thank you auto immune system

I now have other routines to deal with all this.