Eye strain

[Rocksonfire]

Hi could anyone help me with this problem I have been getting the feeling that my eyes are strained and sensitive to light would this be related to thyroid problems I have had surgery to remove the right side of my thyroid and I am not currently taken any meds for this ?

[greygoose]

I get that since I had covid. Didn't have it before, although I've been hypo for many, many years.

[PurpleNails Administrator]

Many with low thyroid levels report eye strain & other issues such as dry eyes.

Are your eyes painful or red at all or changed in appearance?

What was reason for sub total thyroidectomy?

Have you had thyroid antibodies tested before you had surgery or more recently?

Have you had any further test or been started on any replacement / supplements as yet?

[Rocksonfire in reply to PurpleNails]

Hi I had my right side of my thyroid removed due to a very big nodules which was causing an obstruction,I have just ordered a thyroid blood test (gold )from blue horizon so hopefully that will shine some light on things ,I am not taking any meds replacement etc for this .

[pennyannie]

Hello Rocksonfire :

Please just ensure whatever lotions, potions or sprays you may use to ease your eyes that all preparations are Preservative Free - including those prescribed by the NHS.

[mstp]

Yes. I think this is probably more of a problem now than ever because of smart phones etc. I have had dry eyes for many years and have slowly learned ways of living with it. Here's a little of what I've learned over and above putting in lubricating drops. I now tend to develop corneal ulcers if I am not careful and have found my optician has better equipment for detecting them than the NHS emergency eye dept. so that is my first port of call as soon as there is a problem! I pay in to an Eye Plan insurance - initially for one year to obtain cheaper specs - but now because of all the other benefits it offers that I was unaware of. The latest treatment was probably the best yet and wi probably now be repated every couple of months. It involved the optician using what he described as a 'mini hoover' for the lash line. This resulted in my eyes feeling better than they had done for years. If you ask your optician to show you a magnified picture of your lashline you will probably see it is all crusty. For me this was important because it revealed to me the importance of not relying on drops alone for dry eyes. The lash line needs to be cleaned night and morning to unblock the tear ducts and other ducts that release the oils/ substances (sorry not sure what they are) that help the tears stick to your eyes. If your eyes are watery these oils are probably prevented from coming through and it seems they are as crucial as the tears. A microwaveable eye mask is a big help as it softens the crusty bits making them easier to wipe away. My problem is that when I sleep on my side my pillow presses into my eye and if it is dry the lid will stick to it causing an abrasion when I open them. Sorry if this is jumping the gun with you a bit but its taken me years and many days of discomfort to reach the stage where I understand what is going on with my dry eyes.

[Singwell in reply to mstp]

Oh, this is super helpful to me too. My eyes are torture on and off.

[Kimkat in reply to mstp]

This is exactly the same for me too. I use an eye mask and massage the lids after applying heat. Also I use a liquid cleanser too before using eye drops.

[mstp in reply to Kimkat]

Yes me too. It has been quite a long journey learning how to look after my eyes so they can continue functioning okish. The opticians 'hoover' has proved very successful though.

[Kimkat in reply to mstp]

Yes I was diagnosed with blepharitis and it can be quite uncomfortable so you have to keep on top of it. I’m interested in this ‘Hoover’ procedure though, I’ve never heard of that before.

[Catalpa in reply to Kimkat]

It's called Blephex. I have it done at a place in Taunton. I'm guessing we are not allowed to mention clinics or practitioners here but you should be able to find it on a web search.

[Kimkat in reply to Catalpa]

Thank you for that info

[Kimkat in reply to Catalpa]

What kind of price is usually charged for this procedure?

[Catalpa in reply to Kimkat]

I pay £95. There are more and more opticians offering it now. You can also get a Direct Debit arrangement which gives you discounts for regular treatments - a bit like a private dentist (Denplan) type thing.

[Kimkat in reply to Catalpa]

Thank you, there are a few in my area, now I have a rough idea of the cost I’ll start ringing around.

[Marz]

I bought a near Infra red lamp for my spine. There is an eye routine suggested too - which has greatly improved my dry eyes and tiredness....

[Watsoac]

I have had dry eyes for many years too. It sounds so simple, but actually blinking much more than normal can really help. That & some eye relaxation techniques. I read a book called "Optimal Eyesight" which I found very helpful!

[mstp in reply to Watsoac]

Yes the blinking is a yurvedic exercise and is quite effective on a good day although not when things are going wrong. I am intrigued by the eye relaxation techniques you mention. How do I do them? I'd like to try.

[Watsoac in reply to mstp]

Hi, There are various ones, such as eye cupping, swaying, for a few minutes a day, so that you are using peripheral vision, which the books says is a relaxed way of viewing, these are just a couple of ways mentioned in the book. Xx

[tattybogle in reply to mstp]

This book was useful to me yrs ago , still got it , explains palming , swaying and other stuff

'Better Sight Without Glasses' ~ Harry Benjamin (Thorsons Publishers Ldt . Natures Way Series ) ISBN 0 - 7225 -0930 - 8

that book is basically an enlargement on the Bates Method ( which i seem to remember is a bit controversial, can't remember why ) .. as well as the specific exercises , it also goes into diet.

this web-page may give a brief description of the exercises , but it's just one i found from a quick google .. it's not a site i've ever checked out : seeing.org/techniques/

[Kimkat in reply to Watsoac]

Blinking won’t really help when you get a bad day with blepharitis. Sometimes even eye drops are not really effective

[humanbean]

I've had dry eyes, dry nose, dry mouth and dry ears for nearly 30 years, and been treating my hypothyroidism for about 10 years. I think all these problems occur as a result of being hypothyroid.

I use eye drops and nose gel to reduce dryness. I think lack of saliva contributes to my chronic mouth ulcers too and I have to treat them as they arise (almost daily). When my ears itch or feel blocked up I use olive oil to clean them out.

If I don't use eye drops before bed I can't really see very well when I wake up because my eyes are blurry.

I think that hypothyroidism dries the body up. It can be a cause of joint pain, because the lubrication in the joints decreases and dries up. It can also be a cause of lower stomach acid levels which reduces gut health and absorption of nutrients.

[Buddy195 Administrator]

For deletion eyes, I swear by preservative free drops such as HycoSan or Hyloforte and wear reactive lenses in my glasses to help with light sensitivity.