dry eye

[Karen]

How do all of you with a dry eye and no feeling take care of your eye outside when it is windy , swimming riding a bike.  I wear glases so sunglasses are kind of hard to find.  Do you use more drops and how can you tell?  I'm afraid of doing anything outside for frear my eye will dry out and I won't know it.  I had my weight taken out two months ago and I can  shut my eye almsot all the way and can blink some.  Please give me some ideas.  Karen

[er]

Karen
have you tried protection glasses like carpenters wear to protect their eyes from sawdust. They sell them at hardware stores, lowes, Homedpot. They have them in sunglasses. I always wore my eye patch under my sunglasses to protect my eye when it was windy outside or to sunny.
I hope that helps. I did have feelings in my eye just the dry eye.  I still have no tears but I have not had the problem with the dry eye for a couple of weeks or more.
eve

[Kaybo]

Karen~
I, obviously, have dealt with this for a LONG time and really don't have many problems AND I live in one of the WINDY places around!! (It is not uncommon for us to have 40-50 mph gusts!)  I do wear sunnies outside all the time, but not anything special - I will say I am glad that the style is "bigger" right now b/c I think they offer more protection.  I used to use Refresh PM 24/7, but every since I got my weight(s) (5 years ago), I have only used that at night.  I use Systane once a day and add more if is starts to get red.  I can't feel anything, but I can tell by my vision if it is getting red.  Certainly don't NOT do anything or limit your life or activities because of this!!  Have you talked to your eye doc??

Good Luck,
K

[Jan D]

Hi Karen -

I have dealt with dry eye for the last 40+ years as a result of my AN.   I always wear sunglasses (prescription) outside, even on overcast days.  Several years ago, when I was more active and lived in a windy area, I asked the optomitrist if they made prescription goggles - sure enough, they did!  I used these goggles when I went horseback riding and even used them on windy days.  Looked a little funny, but I didn't care - I refused to let my dry eye curtail my activities.  Always take a bottle of eye drops with you in your purse or pocket - even when going for a short walk - you never know when you might need to rinse out a piece of dust or even an eyelash!

Take care,
Jan D

[Debbi]

Thanks for starting this thread, Karen.  I, too, am having problems keeping my eye loobed properly.  I have been using single use drops during the day along with GenTeal drops - neither irritate or sting my eyes and they can be used as often as you want.  I have some sort of drops with me at all times because I find that I need to put drops in every 10-15 minutes.

Yesterday I was out gardening a bit and just taped my eye shut because i was worried about the wind.  I am also using Refresh PM or another  gooey lubricant at night and sometimes during the day - only challenge I have during teh day is that the gooey stuff makes my vision all blurry which is a pain.

one odd thing I've noticed is that my eye doesn't seem to get dry when I am eating??  That doesn't make any sense to me, but it does seem to be  true. 

Debbi - never dropless in NJ...

[cmp]

Hi Karen,

Like you, I had a nerve graft after surgery (19 and 20 years ago, respectively!), followed by a tear duct cauterization several months later. My opthalmologist did it, and what it means is that there is always water "pooling" in the eye, which is a tremendous improvement over the terrible (debilitating, even) dryness I had prior to that. Though that eye often has a "watery" look to it and tears too much for me to wear any eye makeup, the tradeoff was definitely worth it.

I use Celluvisc drops during the day because I find them "thicker" than other single-use drops, and am religious about wearing sunglasses outside, even on a cloudy day or at night. If you wear glasses, maybe those wraparound sunglasses--ie Solar Shields--would be good sun/wind protection for outdoor activities? You could fit them on over your regular glasses. A sports store might be a great source for specialty sunglasses. And photosensitive prescription lenses (ie the ones that darken in bright light) might be helpful to you, too.

I use Refresh PM only at night, but maybe it would help you during bikeriding or other activities where you're exposed to drying wind?

For swimming, I've found tinted swim goggles, so I never have to face the bright sun without eye protection--as soon as I pull off my sunglasses, I put the goggles on. I may look like a frogwoman walking from my chaise to the pool, but at least I'm comfy!

[cinnamon]

I bought these motorcycle sunglasses at S and S power sports last year that have a foam area on the inside around the lense that almost seals any air from reaching your eye. Granted it is not 100% but it is pretty close. They were like 20.00 and that had them in a glass case. Just ask for shades with a foam lining around the inside lense. I have used them even when boating and they have worked great. Wouldn't trade them for the world. I used them so much my first year out but still do on windy days. Good luck!

Lisa

[Jeanlea]

I have the dry eye and no feeling.  I keep PM Refresh in my eye 24/7 mostly because it is convenient.  I only put it in once in the morning and once in the evening.  I've gotten used to the vision being blurry.  Sometimes, even with the ointment it gets fairly clear.  I also wear sunglasses outside all the time.  Like others, I have the swimming goggles for water sports such as waterparks.  I bought the motorcycle glasses too.  One pair with shaded lenses and one pair that is clear for the evening.  But I only wear those if it's really dark, because they look dorky.  lol 

Jean

[neal r. lyons]

Hi Karen- I've been trying Restasis which promotes tears and unlike many types of eyedrops need only be applied twice daily.  It is prescription but actually cheaper than other alternative drops that have to be applied.  I would think that a good pair of prescription goggles or sunglasses that afford the eye good protection would be something to look into.  I think the expense would be well worth it.  Cheers, Neal

[KathyC]

Hi Karen, I have been dealing with the dry eye for about 3 months now. I had my AN removed 3/19/08 and have facial paralysis due to the fact the tumor was wrapped around the facial nerve and very sticky. However, I have regained some of my face back but the left eye is stuck in the open position 24/7. I also wear glasses and I have a prescription pair I won't go out without. If its really windy and bright outside, I'll put a good amount of gel in the eye,wear a patch and the sunglasses. Once I even taped the eye shut, wore the sun glasses plus the patch! I love to work in the garden and I wasn't being kept inside on a nice day. I have feeling in the eye and I know immediately if its dry, it really hurts. I travel daily with a baggie full of gels and drops plus the eye patch and a roll of tape. When all else fails, tape the eye shut. I find for me, the use of Genteal Gel works the best for long lasting eye moisture. Its a bit thick and can give blurry vision for a few minutes but its worth the comfort. If you close the eye a few times, it'll smooth out and you can see fine. I have to believe in one thing, "this too
shall pass" Hang in there.

[Mono]

Hi all,

I have bought a pair of Wiley X sunglasses with prescription glasses. The pair I bought comes with an insert which makes them quite wind protective. They are great as I have the same problem as the rest of you. http://www.wileyx.com/index.aspx

[saralynn143]

I bought a pair of sunglasses from 7eye (used to be PanOptx) at http://www.7eye.com/store/home.php

They are a little pricey, but the closeouts are a little more reasonably priced. They work real well.