SORE EYES

hileena111
hileena111 Member Posts: 7,099
edited 13. Dec 2009, 17:35 in Living with Arthritis archive
For quite a while now.....well maybe two or three weeks my eyes have been sore......the right one more than the left. It feels as if it has an eyelash in it......or a full set of them LOL :lol: People comment about my eyes so it is obvious. I've just come back from my arthritis meeting and have been told that is a symptom....but i thought that was dry eyes and I thought it was rheumotoid....I've only got osteo???? anyone any ideas......It might have nothing whatsoever to do with arthur...he gets balmed for everything and why not LOL

Love
Hileena

Comments

  • elnafinn
    elnafinn Member Posts: 7,412
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Hileena

    Years ago I was diagnosed with dry eyes - there is a test that can be done to see if you have this or not. I do not have RA, but OA. I was given artifical tear drops to use. After a few years it disappeared. Lately, off and on, I have been getting stinging sensation in my eyes but the drops do not always help so I am not sure what is affecting my eyes every so often at the moment. They are affected now and it is not nice :( :roll: :(

    Look after yourself,

    Luv
    Elna x
    The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

    If you can lay down at night knowing in your heart that you made someone's day just a little bit better, you know you had a good day.
  • noeltone
    noeltone Member Posts: 878
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Hileena are you the ame Hileena from way back when the forum first began you used to reply to me ?
  • annebr
    annebr Member Posts: 730
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I have also been having problems with my eyes, headache, irratation and a re-occuring cyst in my right eye which although tiny is annoying.

    In fact had to get new glasses last week as my prescription had changed so much and now need both distance and reading glasses.

    Now I think about it the cyst and the problems all started round about the same time I was diagnosed with OA. Coincedence?

    Anne
  • joyful164
    joyful164 Member Posts: 2,401
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Anniebr

    I've also had bad eyes over the last few days. A bit of conjunctivitis I think. Goes with the territory. Esp if on MTX Also had bad headache for 48 hours and what feels like shingles over the left side of my head and over my eye. Feel a bit of a mess tonight. I think it is all part of the medication. I have a repeat prescription for ointment and drops for my hayfever so will probably try that in a minute.

    I bought a wheaty bag especially for the eyes. Annie mial recommended it for me so I got one and it has helped a lot - just pop it in the microwave and then place it over your closed eyes. Soothes the eyelids and it doesn't feel like they are scratching the whole time.

    Have been getting into a good sleep pattern over the last few weeks, but tonight, this is keeping me awake.
    joy
  • hileena111
    hileena111 Member Posts: 7,099
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi
    Yes the same Hileena.....are there 2 LOL :lol:
    Couldnt get in for ages ....Lost name and password and then i forgot about it. but I've been back for a while.....I was posting round about the same time as Christoph??????? Remember?
    As for my eys....going to to docs this morning so I'll post and let you know what he says.....although knowing hime he'll probably say...nothing wrong

    Love
    Hileena
  • sharmaine
    sharmaine Member Posts: 1,638
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi
    I suffer with dry eyes and use hypermellulose drops when the symptoms present themselves. Before I was diagnosed wtih OA I mentioned this to my optician and he said that it was one of the signs of arthritis. I found this fascinating. You can buy eye gel drops and hypermellulose drops over the counter. When my eyes are very bad I use simple eye ointment at night too. It is very soothing.

    With dry eyes it feels as if you have grit in your eyes. I also find putting my head over a steaming bowl of hot water helps to keep my eyes moist.

    Sharmaine
  • hileena111
    hileena111 Member Posts: 7,099
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi
    Thats good advice thanks.....Just been to the docs and he did his usual...."cant see anything" I'll give you some ointment and if it doesnt clear up make an appointment at theopticians.....I'm due to make one anyway.
    So thats that...we'll see how the ointment goes

    Love
    Hileena
  • dianel
    dianel Member Posts: 48
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi,
    Just thought I would mention "Lacri-Lube" which has been mentioned on the forum many times I believe. When I read about it I bought some and now wouldn't be without it. You only use it once or twice at a time and it gives a lot of relief which lasts. Maybe this would help? Best wishes Diane.
  • thesinger
    thesinger Member Posts: 36
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello Hileena, as you have not mentioned seeing an opthalmologist i will let you know a little of my problems with my eyes. I was diagnosed with uveitis/iritis in 1985 and with ankylosing spondylitis a form of RA in 1991 in my case both conditions are related. I have never seen an optician whenever my my eyes are inflamed i always see an opthalmologist and with treatment my eyes always recover. I am NOT saying you need to be seen by an opthalmolgist and i hope your eye problems are not related to your arthritis. I would suggest you speak to your GP and/or optician and ask what they think about you seeing an opthalmologist. I have the utmost confidence in mine. Hope things go well. Brian.
  • sharmaine
    sharmaine Member Posts: 1,638
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi
    I had the same problem with my GP. After weeks of very sore eyes my husband had to take me to the emergency eye clinic. By then I was in agony. My eyes were examined properly and I was given the correct treatment. They squirt pinky red dye in your eyes. Our GPs are good but they don't have specialist knowledge in all areas. Thankfully dry eyes are easy to treat with over the counter products - hypermellulose drops etc. If I cry I find my eyes hurt for days afterwards - it's because the tear quality is poor.

    Sharmaine
  • Starburst
    Starburst Member Posts: 2,546
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    thesinger wrote:
    Hello Hileena, as you have not mentioned seeing an opthalmologist i will let you know a little of my problems with my eyes. I was diagnosed with uveitis/iritis in 1985 and with ankylosing spondylitis a form of RA in 1991 in my case both conditions are related. I have never seen an optician whenever my my eyes are inflamed i always see an opthalmologist and with treatment my eyes always recover. I am NOT saying you need to be seen by an opthalmolgist and i hope your eye problems are not related to your arthritis. I would suggest you speak to your GP and/or optician and ask what they think about you seeing an opthalmologist. I have the utmost confidence in mine. Hope things go well. Brian.

    I've just written a post in my thread "sero-negative inflammatory arthritis". I saw an opthalmologist who said I have dry eyes and wondered if it was connected or not. :?:
  • hileena111
    hileena111 Member Posts: 7,099
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi
    I've just come upstairs and on to the computer now and the last thing I said to my husband before leaving the room was "I must ring the optician in the morning" I am slightly overdue an appointment anyway......so we'll see what he says
    Thansk
    Love
    Hileena
  • joyful164
    joyful164 Member Posts: 2,401
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    dianel wrote:
    Hi,
    Just thought I would mention "Lacri-Lube" which has been mentioned on the forum many times I believe. When I read about it I bought some and now wouldn't be without it. You only use it once or twice at a time and it gives a lot of relief which lasts. Maybe this would help? Best wishes Diane.

    Yes, this is what I have prescribed aswell. Originally had it to help my eyes during the hayfever season, now seem to use it all year round.
    Joy
  • woodbon
    woodbon Member Posts: 4,969
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I get ichy, sore eyes, similar to yours, I have always put mine down to hay fever, which I get from all sorts of things, not just in the summer. In fact, now its there, I think its the fungus spoors! NO, NOT MINE, the ones that grow in the garden. :mrgreen::lol:
    Love Sue
  • hileena111
    hileena111 Member Posts: 7,099
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi
    The ointment the doc gave me is an antibiotic to be used 4 times a day. ...Chloramphenicol......whatever that is. Its very very thick and seems to go on my eye lashes rather than in my eye but I'm perservering.
    Doc said nothing to do with arthur...especially since I had OA not RA.
    I've got an appointment with the optician on Friday so thats the next step.....meantime I'll keep using the ointment best I can
    Love
    Hileena
  • maccajo
    maccajo Member Posts: 47
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I also get dry eyes and sometimes wake up with them sticky, I get a hot sensation around my right eye which can last for days, usually during flare ups. In the past Ive had a tiny little clear blister which appears on my eye rim and irritates like mad.

    I had thought I had suddenly developed hayfever but was informed by my rheumy that it was a symptom of RA and to use lubricating eye drops.

    jo x
  • harmony
    harmony Member Posts: 37
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    hileena111 wrote:
    Hi
    I've just come upstairs and on to the computer now and the last thing I said to my husband before leaving the room was "I must ring the optician in the morning" I am slightly overdue an appointment anyway......so we'll see what he says
    Thansk
    Love
    Hileena
    Hi Hileena,
    I had dry eyes, dry mouth, Very little saliva, lucky my Optician did a test on my eyes with that lovely yellow dye and looked to see how quick the tears disappeared.
    It turned out that with this test and a full blood test (from my GP) I was diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome (pronounced show grin’s syndrome) which one of the and also parts of the syndrome is RA. :!:
    As to keeping you eyes ‘wet’ you can buy over the counter a product called Clerz. It’s what contact lens wearers use to re-wet their eyes. Keep it in the fridge and it really is very soothing when the eyes are dry.
    The other thing to try is to blink more as blinking causes the normal tears that wet our eyeballs to work, also using a computer a lot means people blink less-causing dry eyes :!:
    Mind of useless information me :)
    Harmony :)
  • hileena111
    hileena111 Member Posts: 7,099
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi
    Just come back from the appointment with the optician.
    He said the stuff the doc gave me would be no good whatsoever. It was an antibiotic and I didnt have an infection.
    "What you have is dry eyes and they go with arthritis.....do you have arthritis??"
    Yippppeeeee!!!!!
    He gave me Systane.....lubricating eyedrops....which can be bought over the counter. He said give them a try if you think you need them. About 4 times a day at first but if you dont think you need them dont use them....just if your eyes feel dry or tired or sore. They wont do any harm.
    Tea Time now but I'll be back later to answer other posts

    Love
    Hileena
  • harmony
    harmony Member Posts: 37
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    hileena111 wrote:
    Hi
    Just come back from the appointment with the optician.
    He said the stuff the doc gave me would be no good whatsoever. It was an antibiotic and I didnt have an infection.
    "What you have is dry eyes and they go with arthritis.....do you have arthritis??"
    Yippppeeeee!!!!!
    He gave me Systane.....lubricating eyedrops....which can be bought over the counter. He said give them a try if you think you need them. About 4 times a day at first but if you dont think you need them dont use them....just if your eyes feel dry or tired or sore. They wont do any harm.
    Tea Time now but I'll be back later to answer other posts

    Love
    Hileena
    Hi Hileena,
    you can also use saline (as in what contact lens wearers use) in an eye bath and just hold to your eyes and blink lots that will re-wet them too. It wont do any harm and may cost less :):wink:
    Harmony
  • hileena111
    hileena111 Member Posts: 7,099
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thanks Harmony......Thats a good idea but for now....the optician said "have this bottle on the house" LOL. He's lovely...been going to the same one for years. I'll see how long this lasts meantime I'll check out the price and next time I'm at the docs show it to him. He was the one suggested I go to the optician {even though I had an appointment made}and he may put it on my prescription ...I get them free. LOL

    Love
    Hileena
  • woodbon
    woodbon Member Posts: 4,969
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Lots of things can cause sore eyes, but I find it is the first symptom of the allergy we wrongly, in my case, call hay fever. Also, if its very cold and windy, I wear glasses and it seems to make the air funnel found and cause very sore eyes!!! It really drives me mad and I hate it, but eyes are so sensitive the best thing to do is get advice from a medic about them. Love Sue
  • paulch
    paulch Member Posts: 103
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    :? This is interesting i too have had sore stinging eyes for some time,as i am waiting to see what arthritis i have, i will see what my gp will say , eyes are so sore at times i have to close them , i will have to get the eyedrops you mention .
  • Starburst
    Starburst Member Posts: 2,546
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    My eyes are never actually sore, just dry. When I cry, I don't cry many proper tears.
  • harryo
    harryo Member Posts: 5
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    hileena111 wrote:
    For quite a while now.....well maybe two or three weeks my eyes have been sore......the right one more than the left. It feels as if it has an eyelash in it......or a full set of them LOL :lol: People comment about my eyes so it is obvious. I've just come back from my arthritis meeting and have been told that is a symptom....but i thought that was dry eyes and I thought it was rheumotoid....I've only got osteo???? anyone any ideas......It might have nothing whatsoever to do with arthur...he gets balmed for everything and why not LOL

    Love
    Hileena

    Hi Hileena,
    I read over you're posting with very much interest,as you're eye symtoms sounded exactly like what my wife was suffering from...
    I very much doubt that it is 'dry-eye'...as it sounds very much like a 'bacterial-conjunctivitis'..Which can effect the eyelids,which can make you're eyes feel the way your eyes are feeling...( Please note;...Not every sort of conjunctivitis is the 'red-eye' sort...where the white of you're eyes turns red...As the Bacterial sort has no redness involved.)

    You will have to go and see an eye clinic to get you're problem properly diagnoised....

    Some eye clinics in the N.H.S.hospitals tend to have a self-referral systom,like the Gartnavel hospital in Glasgow...If you need any further info.Let me know.
    Hope this helps.
    Take Care.
    Harry

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