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Dry Eyes?

ivinghoe

ivinghoe

Well-Known Member
Messages
89
Location
Mill Hill
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
professional football
Hi I have been type one for around 35yrs. In that time I have been screened for retinopathy for at least the last 10yrs. I am now undergoing some lasering treatment.
For as long as I can remember my eyes have always been red/blood shot but no one at the eye clinic has questioned me about this or mentioned it could even be related to my diabetes. On the the copy of the clinic results which are sent to my doctor as well as myself after each visit there's a line on them noting " OCT Dry eyes" They have never felt sore or dry to me but they do look like I haven't had a nights sleep in years :oops: Looking back I have been pretty depressed for ages so I haven't really been bothered about how they looked or to ask about them.
In a recent forum post a link was put up which along with explaining retinopathy and its treatments it also had a page about dry eyes.
I was just wondering if anyone else has had any experience of the dry eyes and is it a treatable or a permanent side effect of my diabetes?
Should I see my GP regarding them in the meantime or the eye clinic? as I had some lasering last week and am due to go back in 7 to 8 weeks for more ?

The link to the retinopathy info... http://medweb.bham.ac.uk/easdec/
 
I can't say I have tbh, either speak with your gp or ask your Opthamologist about treatments next time time you visit the clinic.
 
Hi

I've had LOADS of laser, I had dry eyes and kind of fibrous goop in my eyes (gross, I know!) from when I started to about 6 months after my last treatment - it's gone now!
It annoyed me (felt like I had stray eyelashes in my eyes all the time!) so I used those false tear eye drops you can get from the chemist.
Best wishes!
 
I occasionally suffer from dry eyes - nothing to do with diabetes, but an infection of the small moisturising pores on the edge of the eyelid. It's called blepharitis. This can make your eyes feel hot and itchy, produce a lot of mucus and you wake up with that sticky yellowish goo around your eyelids. I think you would know about this if you had it - but worth mentioning the name to your specialist. My optician didn't spot it until I asked about it by name!

Dry eyes with me mean great difficulty getting my hard gas-permeable contect lenses out. It took me an hour one night - one was virtually welded to my eyeball :shock: . I've gone weeks this year wearing glasses, which makes life difficult as I can't read the computer screen with them on, though they're okay for driving. At the moment I'm wearing my lenses until the early evening and then changing over to glasses for TV watching.

You can get the artificial tears from any good pharmacist. I use 'contact lens comfort drops', which would be suitable for people who don't wear lenses.

Viv 8)
 
I occasionally get the syndrome in the summer months when the pollen count is high. My GP prescribes Viscotears which is a synthetic polymer (carbomer) that forms a viscous eye gel to create a transparent, lubricating and moistening film on the surface of the eye. It costs about a fiver OTC but why pay for a very small tube if your doc is found willing to prescribe it for you.
 
ivinghoe said:
Hi I have been type one for around 35yrs. In that time I have been screened for retinopathy for at least the last 10yrs. I am now undergoing some lasering treatment.
For as long as I can remember my eyes have always been red/blood shot but no one at the eye clinic has questioned me about this or mentioned it could even be related to my diabetes. On the the copy of the clinic results which are sent to my doctor as well as myself after each visit there's a line on them noting " OCT Dry eyes" They have never felt sore or dry to me but they do look like I haven't had a nights sleep in years :oops: Looking back I have been pretty depressed for ages so I haven't really been bothered about how they looked or to ask about them.
In a recent forum post a link was put up which along with explaining retinopathy and its treatments it also had a page about dry eyes.
I was just wondering if anyone else has had any experience of the dry eyes and is it a treatable or a permanent side effect of my diabetes?
Should I see my GP regarding them in the meantime or the eye clinic? as I had some lasering last week and am due to go back in 7 to 8 weeks for more ?

The link to the retinopathy info... http://medweb.bham.ac.uk/easdec/
Click to expand...

Hello and welcome :wave: wow 35 years with diabetes, what an achivement :thumbup:

My friend suffers from Dry eye and has eye drops precribed by her GP, but she does not have diabetes. You can also get OTC medication from a Pharmacy, Optrex I think it is.

I too have had laser treatment, but no dry eye.

Best wishes RRB
 
Hi All.
I use Optive dual action lubricating eye drops.
They are very effective at soothing relief of the gritty irritant feeling in the eye
Can carry them about in my handbag , use anywhere and as often I need to.
Neither do they need fridge storing...

I have the blepharitis that viv mentions of above .
Bathe my eyes in the mornings using a cotton wool pad , 1 pad per eye dispose of immediatley.
Find warm water melts any gritty crusts better and wipe eye outwards towards the cheekbones.
It is more irritateing than painful.

The ocular lowering pressure eye drops I use at pre-sleep time, have made my eyelashes grow .
Now I have lonnng sweepy eyelashes and lashes are much darker in colour too.
This is the only perk of the using of this treatment :P
Sadly I cant wear mascara as it irritates my already sensitive eyes too much :(
Or else could look more glammed up [sigh]

Anna.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone.. fortunately I too do not wear mascara :)
 
Wow.... The things I've learned since coming to this forum! I had no idea this could be linked with diabetes. I've got retinopathy and had some lasering and I too get very dry eyes and the gross gloop stuff. My GP has given me drops for allergic conjunctivitis before when it's got so bad my eyes are welded shut when I wake up..... Maybe I just need the anti-dry drops instead.... I'd just given up on not having dry eyes! Thank you!! :)
 
Hi, have recently suffered with blephitis (am Type 1) for the first time. Originally got eye drops for conjunctivitis from pharmacy which really didn't help and then some anti-biotic ones from doc (again did not help). Once diagnosed as possibly blephitis he gave me some different ones which did seem to clear it up a bit but still staying clear of make up. Carefully bath my eyes night & morning as instructed. Flared up last week but on reflection I had been to the local dump (sorry, refuse re-cycling plant :o) ) where it was quite dirty & dusty.

My daughter is getting married this year in the summer and I really want to be able to wear some makeup if possible (feel like a bag lady without!).

Anna, your post about the eye drops seems helpful - I am seeing my GP this week so will ask. Any views on supplements or foods that help?
 
Hi. I have had what my ophthalmologist calls 'dry eye' for about 10 years. She said it is an autoimmune condition and common in diabetics. She prescribed drops and an eye ointment. She also said that left untreated it can lead to corneal ulcers. I also have had uvitis which is treated with steroid drops which can lead to blindness of used where ulcers are present. It is unrelated to dry eye but makes me a very good girl about taking drops.

Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Tez_Ann_J said:
Hi, have recently suffered with blephitis (am Type 1) for the first time. Originally got eye drops for conjunctivitis from pharmacy which really didn't help and then some anti-biotic ones from doc (again did not help). Once diagnosed as possibly blephitis he gave me some different ones which did seem to clear it up a bit but still staying clear of make up. Carefully bath my eyes night & morning as instructed. Flared up last week but on reflection I had been to the local dump (sorry, refuse re-cycling plant :o) ) where it was quite dirty & dusty.

My daughter is getting married this year in the summer and I really want to be able to wear some makeup if possible (feel like a bag lady without!).

Anna, your post about the eye drops seems helpful - I am seeing my GP this week so will ask. Any views on supplements or foods that help?
Click to expand...

Hi Tez Ann.

There are some eye caplets vitamins that contain lutein and zeaxanthin antioxidants,vitamins and minerals .
They are known as I Caps [eye supplements] - my eye consultant instructed my GP to keep me on these.
Whether they have helped I havent a clue - as cant really tell or notice any improvement since taking these! :|
Was told to eat plenty of green veggies kale,brocolli,spinach to help my eyes [so I do, as 'like these' anyways]

You can 'ask' your GP about these if you wish - just an extra thought for you.

There are certain brands of make up that are for sensitive skins and eyes.
May be worth asking at debenhams,selfridges, about these... :idea:
Better still - ask for a free lesson or samples to try before you buy :)
This way you can be extra safe and sure with your eyes :thumbup:

Plus best of all - you CAN get to wear some make up on your daughters wedding day ...
Keep a tissue handy to catch your tears though [watching your precious daughter getting married]

Hope this can help you?

Anna.
 
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