ask me about eyes

[Kratzer]

slim,
i am nearsighted, 22 yrs old, Rx around -2.5 in both eyes i think. around a couple years ago i started noticing "trails", or light gray/brown translucent blobs in my eyesight. they are there all the time and they are scattered all over my field of vision. they follow whatever im looking at. so if i suddenly look left, about 1/2 second later all the "blobs" will shift over to the left in a floaty kind of way. if i dont think about them i dont notice them. ive never gone to a doctor about this but ive been meaning to. i dont think they have gotten worse since i started noticing them, but it's hard to say. should i get this checked out?

thanks for your advice

[Sponger.]

Slim,

I have never owned a pair of sunglasses. Is this really bad for my eyes or will I be ok?

[slim]

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Slim,

I have never owned a pair of sunglasses. Is this really bad for my eyes or will I be ok?

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Depends how much you are outdoors. If you work outdoors everyday, it's strongly recommeneded you get a pair that has UV protection, but if not you're fine.

PS. It might be bad for your bankroll though to not have a pair. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[CourtesyFlush]

Slim,

I used Visine workplace every day for about 5 years (I know) and now that I have stopped my eyes are red and feel sore/unfortable every day. This has been going on for about 3 years.

I went to an opthalmologist and she determined that I had ocular rosacea, but her treatment has not helped much if at all. I am wondering if the effects of using Visine for that long makes my eyelids look as I have rosacea when it's not the case (I don't have rosacea anywhere else on my face or any allergies).

Anyway, any thoughts or ideas on where I should go from here?

[Ryanski]

Hi Slim:

I got glasses about 10 years ago, and am currently 19. 2 years ago, December 2004, I went to the optometrist, and received a L -2.5, R -2.75 prescription. I just went about one week ago to the same optometrist(2 years later!), and received a prescription of L -2.0, R -2.25.

The only thing I've done in the last two years differently than in years previous is I never weak glasses for close work(I'm on the computer a lot, etc.), and I wear weaker lenses(currently L -1.5, R -1.75) for any distance stuff.

I really have no idea if this has helped improve my vision....I feel like there has not been any change at all in my visual acuity, but I felt the same basically when I had to get glasses for the first time, in that I felt my vision hadn't gotten worse when it had, so it's hard to tell..

Do you think wearing weaker lenses has helped improve my visual acuity at all? If not, then what possibly did? Is there any way that, say, if I go to the optometrist two years from now, my prescription could again lower by 0.5 diopters in each eye? If not, why?
Is there a chance that my vision did not actually improve at all, but the optometrist made a small mistake either in our appointment two years ago or one week ago, and my vision has remained the same? If so, how likely or unlikely is this?

Hope you can help me with some of these, thanks Slim.

[slim]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi Slim:

I got glasses about 10 years ago, and am currently 19. 2 years ago, December 2004, I went to the optometrist, and received a L -2.5, R -2.75 prescription. I just went about one week ago to the same optometrist(2 years later!), and received a prescription of L -2.0, R -2.25.

The only thing I've done in the last two years differently than in years previous is I never weak glasses for close work(I'm on the computer a lot, etc.), and I wear weaker lenses(currently L -1.5, R -1.75) for any distance stuff.

I really have no idea if this has helped improve my vision....I feel like there has not been any change at all in my visual acuity, but I felt the same basically when I had to get glasses for the first time, in that I felt my vision hadn't gotten worse when it had, so it's hard to tell..

Do you think wearing weaker lenses has helped improve my visual acuity at all? If not, then what possibly did? Is there any way that, say, if I go to the optometrist two years from now, my prescription could again lower by 0.5 diopters in each eye? If not, why?
Is there a chance that my vision did not actually improve at all, but the optometrist made a small mistake either in our appointment two years ago or one week ago, and my vision has remained the same? If so, how likely or unlikely is this?

Hope you can help me with some of these, thanks Slim.

[/ QUOTE ]

The most likely scenario is that your optometrist over prescribed 2 years ago. Young people like yourself have a very active focussing ability which means when you are behind that machine where he flips the lenses and asks you "which is better 1 or 2" you are likely to choose the lens that makes the letters bolder but not necesaarily sharper. This is a very common error but don't worry because wearing the wrong glasses for 2 years does not harm the eyes.

[slim]

[ QUOTE ]
Slim,

I used Visine workplace every day for about 5 years (I know) and now that I have stopped my eyes are red and feel sore/unfortable every day. This has been going on for about 3 years.

I went to an opthalmologist and she determined that I had ocular rosacea, but her treatment has not helped much if at all. I am wondering if the effects of using Visine for that long makes my eyelids look as I have rosacea when it's not the case (I don't have rosacea anywhere else on my face or any allergies).

Anyway, any thoughts or ideas on where I should go from here?

[/ QUOTE ]

There are many kinds of Visine drops. If the one you were using does not contain vasoconstrictors (if it doesn't say "gets the red out") then the redness and dryness is probably not from the drops.

Since it's been a long time since you used Visine, the redness and dryness is not from it. Rosacea can have ocular manifestations before the dermatological signs appear so even though your skin is OK now it doesn;t mean you can't have OR. Also, OR can have remissions and flare ups. How long have you tried the treatment regimen from your MD and what is the regimen? WEre you prescribed antibiotic pills?

[CourtesyFlush]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Slim,

I used Visine workplace every day for about 5 years (I know) and now that I have stopped my eyes are red and feel sore/unfortable every day. This has been going on for about 3 years.

I went to an opthalmologist and she determined that I had ocular rosacea, but her treatment has not helped much if at all. I am wondering if the effects of using Visine for that long makes my eyelids look as I have rosacea when it's not the case (I don't have rosacea anywhere else on my face or any allergies).

Anyway, any thoughts or ideas on where I should go from here?

[/ QUOTE ]

There are many kinds of Visine drops. If the one you were using does not contain vasoconstrictors (if it doesn't say "gets the red out") then the redness and dryness is probably not from the drops.

Since it's been a long time since you used Visine, the redness and dryness is not from it. Rosacea can have ocular manifestations before the dermatological signs appear so even though your skin is OK now it doesn;t mean you can't have OR. Also, OR can have remissions and flare ups. How long have you tried the treatment regimen from your MD and what is the regimen? WEre you prescribed antibiotic pills?

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi Slim, the Visine that I used did in fact have vasoconstrictors. I think it has one of the worst chemicals in it, oxymetazoline (not 100% sure that's what it is, I will check that to make sure later).

I have been on treatment for about 6 months. Basically I am doing warm soaks, and rubbing my eyelid margins with baby shampoo morning and night. I basically stopped with the shampoo because it seems to make things worse, but I still do the warm soaks and rub my eyelid margins. I was also put on something from the tetracycline family (might have been doxycycline) to start with but it was a short prescription.

I was also instructed to take a multivitamin and fish and flaxseed oils daily which I had already been doing, but I started experiencing dizzyness/lightheadedness so I stopped taking everything and it has gotten much better. But, now my eyes are much more sore [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Do you know if there are laser treatments for this kind of condition? I know there are for facial rosacea, is there something for ocular rosacea?

Thanks slim

[renodoc]

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[ QUOTE ]
Slim,

I used Visine workplace every day for about 5 years (I know) and now that I have stopped my eyes are red and feel sore/unfortable every day. This has been going on for about 3 years.

I went to an opthalmologist and she determined that I had ocular rosacea, but her treatment has not helped much if at all. I am wondering if the effects of using Visine for that long makes my eyelids look as I have rosacea when it's not the case (I don't have rosacea anywhere else on my face or any allergies).

Anyway, any thoughts or ideas on where I should go from here?

[/ QUOTE ]

There are many kinds of Visine drops. If the one you were using does not contain vasoconstrictors (if it doesn't say "gets the red out") then the redness and dryness is probably not from the drops.

Since it's been a long time since you used Visine, the redness and dryness is not from it. Rosacea can have ocular manifestations before the dermatological signs appear so even though your skin is OK now it doesn;t mean you can't have OR. Also, OR can have remissions and flare ups. How long have you tried the treatment regimen from your MD and what is the regimen? WEre you prescribed antibiotic pills?

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi Slim, the Visine that I used did in fact have vasoconstrictors. I think it has one of the worst chemicals in it, oxymetazoline (not 100% sure that's what it is, I will check that to make sure later).

I have been on treatment for about 6 months. Basically I am doing warm soaks, and rubbing my eyelid margins with baby shampoo morning and night. I basically stopped with the shampoo because it seems to make things worse, but I still do the warm soaks and rub my eyelid margins. I was also put on something from the tetracycline family (might have been doxycycline) to start with but it was a short prescription.

I was also instructed to take a multivitamin and fish and flaxseed oils daily which I had already been doing, but I started experiencing dizzyness/lightheadedness so I stopped taking everything and it has gotten much better. But, now my eyes are much more sore [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Do you know if there are laser treatments for this kind of condition? I know there are for facial rosacea, is there something for ocular rosacea?

Thanks slim

[/ QUOTE ]


See a doctor.

(PS TCN's need to be taken long term. Topical Flagyl sometimes helps)

[slim]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Slim,

I used Visine workplace every day for about 5 years (I know) and now that I have stopped my eyes are red and feel sore/unfortable every day. This has been going on for about 3 years.

I went to an opthalmologist and she determined that I had ocular rosacea, but her treatment has not helped much if at all. I am wondering if the effects of using Visine for that long makes my eyelids look as I have rosacea when it's not the case (I don't have rosacea anywhere else on my face or any allergies).

Anyway, any thoughts or ideas on where I should go from here?

[/ QUOTE ]

There are many kinds of Visine drops. If the one you were using does not contain vasoconstrictors (if it doesn't say "gets the red out") then the redness and dryness is probably not from the drops.

Since it's been a long time since you used Visine, the redness and dryness is not from it. Rosacea can have ocular manifestations before the dermatological signs appear so even though your skin is OK now it doesn;t mean you can't have OR. Also, OR can have remissions and flare ups. How long have you tried the treatment regimen from your MD and what is the regimen? WEre you prescribed antibiotic pills?

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi Slim, the Visine that I used did in fact have vasoconstrictors. I think it has one of the worst chemicals in it, oxymetazoline (not 100% sure that's what it is, I will check that to make sure later).

I have been on treatment for about 6 months. Basically I am doing warm soaks, and rubbing my eyelid margins with baby shampoo morning and night. I basically stopped with the shampoo because it seems to make things worse, but I still do the warm soaks and rub my eyelid margins. I was also put on something from the tetracycline family (might have been doxycycline) to start with but it was a short prescription.

I was also instructed to take a multivitamin and fish and flaxseed oils daily which I had already been doing, but I started experiencing dizzyness/lightheadedness so I stopped taking everything and it has gotten much better. But, now my eyes are much more sore [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Do you know if there are laser treatments for this kind of condition? I know there are for facial rosacea, is there something for ocular rosacea?

Thanks slim

[/ QUOTE ]

Chronic red , sore eyes is one of the hardest things to diagnose/treat. It's really hard for me to help you without seeing your eyes. I mean, it could anything from dry eyes, fatigue,too much computers, medication side effects etc. I seem to understand that the flax and fish oils made a difference...is that right? If so, then you might have dry eyes in which case you should use some non-preserved artificial tears and if that works well but is a nuisance, get some punctal plugs.