This is something that I have had for the last few years. I’m not sure what is causing it but I’ve been to the eye doctor several times and still have it to some degree.
What happens is that when I wake up, the inside of my eyelids have stuck to my cornea. It doesn’t sound bad so far but it is. When the alarm goes off I open my eyes ,which scratches and tears my cornea. It’s one of the most painful things you can imagine. At that point my tear ducts go into overdrive and start squirting tears into my eyes and nasal passages. It completely destroys my vision for the next eight hours or so and even after that I have blurred and foggy vision for up to three days. About half the time this happens it is bad enough that I have to call in to work sick. The other half of the time I can still see well enough to drive and read but my eyes are irritated all day. I had the latter happen to me last Friday. Luckily my eyes felt fine by about 9 am. I felt my eyelids stuck to my eyes before I opened them and slowly peeled them off by pulling on my eyelashes.
There are a couple of things my eye doctor told me to try. The first was GenTeal PM
I’ve written about this on another blog I have in a more…humorous tone.
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Have you ever tried the Lubrcant Eye Ointment “Lacri-Lube”? It feels like a thinner vaseline gel that you put in your eyes before sleep and in the morning you are moist and raring to go. I suffer from dry eyes from contacts and I swear by this!
Yep I tried that for a while. It’s very similar to the GenTeal gel I use now. Both of them help out alot but the Genteal one is a little bit more clear to see through.
Thanks for the comment!
An ointment at night would be better then a gel since it lasts longer. Just remember, ointments will blur the vision longer then gels.
You should also use and artifical tear during the day, the frequency of use depends upon the severity of your symptoms. They can be used hourly if needed, but would be best to start 4 to 6 times/day and as needed. When your eyes are feeling better, you can adjust the frequency. Remember, there will be times when symptoms are worse then others – cold, wind, decreased moisture/humidity. Summer and winter can be some of the worst times for dry eye sufferers. Air conditioning, fans, heaters.
Warm compresses in the morning and at bedtime will also help. This will help with getting rid of excess ointment in the morning.
Do you wear a CPAP mask for sleep apnea? If so, the seal can sometime break causing air to blow into the face. This is another reason to use an ointment @ bedtime.
Just a few more suggestions in addition to the other good ones.
Thanks for the info Mac!
During the day I haven’t had any problems. But I do have some daytime drops that I can use if I need them.
I don’t use a CPAP mask or anything else at night. Just the GenTeal and Omega-3 pills. I still get irritation but it hasn’t been bad enough that I miss work lately.
I use an ointment called Total Lid Care that my eye doctor invented. It has been a lifesaver as my eyes were red and irritated all the time. They always felt like sand was in them. Now my eyes are actually comfortable during the day. It did take about 2 weeks of nightly use before they were better but it was well worth the time as I have tried probably every other product on the market over the years. You can get the Total Lid Care from their website http://www.totallidcare.com. The best money I have ever spent!
I am just concerned about the main source of Omega 3 which is the liver of fish. as you can see, fishes can accumulate mercury and pcb.
Excelent post thank you for sharing such wonderful information!