I slept in my contacts a month ago and woke up with blood shot eyes. This has happened three or four times in my lifetime. I am 26. I took out my contacts and put in alot of visine (which I know is wrong) and my eyes were mostly white three days later and I put my contacts in again. This happened again slight redness, for three weeks when I finally decided not to wear contacts for the following three weeks. I have to admit I wore them for 16 hrs a day, and did not clean them as much as I should have. I have beenbattling this for six weeks now and my main symptoms are puffy eyelids with a red eyelid margin, red eye that comes and goes slightly itching (today a lot in one eye) and slight burning- especially when I use a computer which is about 6 hours a day.
I first saw an optometrist who said I had dry eye and ocular rosacea and to keep my contacts out for a little while, even though I do not have it in my face ( I know that 20% of people experience in their eye first who have rosacea) A second optometrist just told me that my eyes were 95% better and gave me zylet for a day which seemed to work. It got slightly red again two days later(whether this was from computer strain, which my glasses cause, or allergies or rosacea I dont know) this is where the puffiness really started to happen. I saw another (yes a third) optometrist who said I have dry eye and rosacea and wants to put me on 20 mg doxycyline and omega three pills. Their theory was that since there was no itching (which there is some now) that is was rosacea and not allergies…
I take the pills and have been for two or three weeks. I am hesitant to start the doxy because I know you cant be in the sun etc. I would however do anything to get this to go away! **There is no pain, or crust on My eyelids**
I finally saw an optomologist who said all it was was allergy. He did not have the best bedside manners. Whether or not he is familiar with Rosacea I dont know and he did not seem very concerned. He said I had mild symptoms and to try either patanol, zaditor or optivar. He did multiple tests on me including, the shirmer test on me the first time and said that my tears were fine(the one with the paper) I started Zaditor which seemed to work a little and switched to optivar which I dont think helps much. I will go back to zaditor or patanol. (Or if this is something unrelated to allergies it doesnt matter-is there a preference?
While things seemed a little better. I got worse one day and one of my eyes turned bloodshot for three days, without my contacts in! I went back to the optomologist and he basically was very rude and toldme to keep doing the drops. I understand his frustration but I am at a loss myself…
I got a second opthomologist who was also rather curt and said I did not have rosacea, the contacts ticked my eyes off and I’m showing some signs of bleph,problems with my Meibomian Gland, and allergies and to keep going with the treatment. He said my eyes looked fine he only looked in my eyes with a slit lamp after staining them. I dont know if it was just that it was an easy for him to say or if he doesnt know much about rosacea either.
I personally believe this was excaerbated by the facet that I moved to a new home and started sleeping on a bed that was outside for two weeks (dusty and moldy) I had allergies when younger and used to get allergy shots for dust mold mites and pollen.
Rosacea does not run in my family, even though i heard it is not hereditary. I respect doctors and their opinions but I am frustrated by ones who dont really seem to care that much. I dont want to feel like im in there way, but with my front desk/sales position it is rather important to me. I have a -6 prescription and I im trying to consider lasik as glasses are a pain, give me headaches and seem to strain my eyes more making them more red. I started wearing contacts for 6 hrs a day or so and they don’t turn red wheni have them in or take them out. I can feel dryness if I don’t use drops consistently, which I do. They are not Too uncomfortable and I switched to daily disposables.
My main concern is my prescription strength and that I really cant adjust to my glasses physically I feel. I am desperate to either find contacts that work or refractive surgery. Is there any answr?
I am desperate. On maui we only have these two clinics. I would like to find an answer. Treatment for allergies calls for cold compress while rosacea and bleph call for warm. Are lid scrubs effective? I started them and may start seeing results but I am worried about the thin membrane of my eyelid or aggravating it. while this may seem minor to many it is major tome.
I used to party alot and this stopped immediately. I now sleep 8 hour a day and I am willing to do anything to correct this.
Please let me know after you read my nove,! what you think this may be. I have really been running in circles. Should it be rosacea I need to treat it immediately so It doesnt get worse with doxy. Would this hurt anyway to do?
Danny
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