Wetting agent with viscosity....a double edged sword?

[spgreenfield]

I'm beginning to see a trend here - that when I use ANY gel type drops, later in the day I feel as though there's something IN my eye.....when the gel begins to dry out wouldn't it get thicker?  Or at the very least whatever is in it to make it last, whatever is making it thick would stay and irritate?  I'm thinking about getting an eye cup and saline - to use when I have that feeling of something IN my eye - and it's not even always a feeling - something will blur my vision that I can massage away rubbing my eyelid.  Any thoughts?  Similar issues?  Solutions?

Pam

[mk]

I also feel that my eye is more uncomfortable, grainy etc. during the end of the day, no matter what type of drops I use. I think that it has something to do with all this material accumulated in my eye during the day (remember our dry eyes don't have an efficient way of cleaning themselves). What helps me a lot is to wet a piece of cotton with warm water and wipe my eye gently. This seams to cleanse it (my optometrist used the term "exfoliate" the eye lids) and provides some relief.

Marianna

[spgreenfield]

Do you have full sensation in your AN eye?  Before surgery I had no feeling in it...after I got it back.  I can't imagine "wiping" my eye with cotton!  It doesn't hurt???  Have you tried an eye cup at all?

Pam

[mk]

I guess I didn't explain it well. I close my eye of course, and gently wipe with the warm cotton (or gauze, or washcloth) from the outside. Sometimes I keep the warm washcloth a bit longer, like a warm compress. What this does is help clean the excessive oil buildup that accumulates on the lids, as my optometrist explained. Ouch, I wouldn't think of doing this directly on the eye. By the way, I also didn't have feeling on my eye before surgery, but regained it after surgery. But my eye is still very dry, it doesn't tear at all. I have never tried an eye cup, but use regularly the Tears Natural free drops several times a day (I find them very light and refreshing) and the Genteal gel drops only at night.

Marianna

[spgreenfield]

Ahhhh... THAT makes much more sense!     I've developed my own similar technique with a soft cloth and very warm (almost hot) water first thing in the morning and sometimes during the day.....I just can't figure out why my vision blurs during the day sometimes....like something is floating across my eye....  And I also use the Tears Naturale in my eyes many times a day...

Pam

[mk]

Pam,

Do you use the Tears Natural Free (i.e. without the preservative, in the vials) or the regular ones? I find that I can only tolerate well the preservative free ones, the version with the preservative causes my eye to be quite uncomfortable (I suppose it is because of the preservative, otherwise the composition should be the same).

Marianna

[spgreenfield]

Yes I use the preservative free one...in the little ampule thingies....I actually like them - but I cheat and put the cap back on until it's all gone....which takes me a couple days because I have them all over the house and in my purse....

I picked up an eye cup, but I'm going to have to get something other than the wash that came with it - it's a little harsh with the Boric Acid and other things in there for eye injuries.....I had hoped it would make my eye feel wet again, but it didn't.  I'll have to wait to see what it does whenever I have something that's blurring my vision.....hopefully it will help!