How do you deal with dry eyes?

Hi Elizabeth - Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. This is one of those days where I feel like my eyes WON'T WAIT! I will definitely order the Dry Aid option and Amazon will have them to me tomorrow.

I have used just about everything and currently use Retaine MGD and Refresh MEGA, neither with lasting success. I like Ivizia; however, because of arthritis in my hands, I find their little squeeze bottle difficult. If I can get them in, however, they provide some kind of relief.

May I ask about your diplopia? I had tube shunt surgery in left eye 12-2018 and was left with diplopia. It would have been good if my ophthamologist had mentioned that as a side effect! Worked for the glaucoma for a while; however, I have never been so profoundly affected by a physical issue in my life - and there have been many. After testing, therapy, and prism glasses, my eye is as good as it is going to get. I have no depth perception and am affected primarily horizontally. This is complicated by significant loss of vision due to glaucoma. I no longer walk for exercise and am very careful not to walk into open cabinets, etc. Alas.... After doing all the right things for 77 years, it is a kick in the pants to be dealing with things over which I have no control.

What is the site for the u-Tube to which you made reference? I absolutely love the Fierce Aging concept! I shall share it with my women friends.

I hope this is a good day for you, and thank you again for sharing.
Sue

@ashby1947 and all...It's so good to hear from you! I'm 76 and didn't 'do all things right' but was quite active playing tennis and swimming, working too hard, raising my son, caring for my mother, owning a business...Living with the challenges thrown my way by my body.

Anyway, I think one of the most important lessons I've learned over the last several years dealing with a plethora of health challenges, most of them unusual or overlapping, definitely out of my control, is acceptance. I do enjoy having my life organized and must feel in control of at least something! But, this last decade has felt like all things discombobulated all at once...my health was out of control, my fiance died in a car accident, my living plans changed, and my condo renovations had to stop mid-stream due to health issues so I've been living in a partially renovated home for several years.

Wow! I have bathroom vanities and tile, flooring, an electric stairchair waiting to be installed, and extra furniture I'm keeping all stored in a 3rd bedroom awaiting my body to be strong enough to handle the work. I complete one thing and end up in the hospital or holed up in my bedroom recuperating. So, I turned my bedroom into my own special retreat, using my favorite colors, out of the norm, and enjoy my time spent there now. I added a few kitchen things upstairs in another bedroom-small fridge, microwave, coffee maker, utensils, and goodies-so I can sustain myself upstairs when the 14 stairs are too much. I accepted the need for some change, and so did it and I love my little hideaway looking out the windows into a big, live oak tree and Spanish moss. This was one way I took back some control of my circumstances.

Sue, I'm so sorry you've had such sight issues. That is a completely different level of loss as it affects every part of your life. I've experienced some of your issues at different times, but still am able to drive and enjoy nature, my bird feeders, and such. I occasionally walk into things, usually due to balance or walking issues rather than sight.

The double vision began over 15 years ago. It's usually side-by-side, on 2 different levels, as if I'm seeing everything off-center in 2's. It can be debilitating. I sometimes shut one eye and can see normally though it upsets my peripheral vision and depth perception. So, if it hits me while driving, I take the one-eye precaution and make the changes necessary. The diplopia comes and goes on its own timeframe. I never know when. After treating me for Myasthenia Gravis believing that the cause of diplopia, balance, and walking issues, it was found I don't have MG. Now, we think it's from severe dry eye issues. I have a prescription for Prism glasses but have avoided getting them. I just don't want to wear glasses again until I must, after wearing them all my life. It's been lovely to wake up and see...but now I wake up and see a double life.

Are you using any walking aids? I used a cane for many years for balance and security. After heart failure in 2019, I was required to use a walker to get out of rehab...I now have a hot pink walker with a black and white zebra seat and bag. I love it! My agreement was to use the walker if it was blingy and reflected my personality. I use it to walk between the buildings at Mayo Florida when I'm up to the walking. I visit the gift shop, get some food goodies to take home, and make it a bit of a junket each time I go. Naturally, there are many times I'm not physically up to this walking, but when I can, I do. And, I enjoy the Brooks therapy pool 2x weekly for muscle/bone/emotional relaxation and strengthening. It's a dream!

My U-Tube fun is with Nikol Johnson. She's a New York make-up artist, model, and a lovely person as far as I can tell. She also has a line of make-up. She illustrates her tutorials using her make-up but also uses many other brands, including drug store brands, comparing and giving yeas and nays. I found good advice from her that's improved my makeup and overall look. She has great information to care for gray hair and its special needs. I found her by mistake and she lifted my spirits and, got me back into thinking about fun things like make-up and looking better. It's really fun.

I hope some of these things are positive for you and you get the pleasure from Nikol's videos as I do. It's a fun step back into the world when we were active with friends, etc. Good for the mind, body and spirit.

Blessings, Sue. Elizabeth

First of all I clean my eyes with eye wipes and then I put a warm cloth on my eyes every morning, then I put in my drops I.talk to my drugist he helped me picked out the right one for me. He told me that I should taken drops that are preservative free and recommended Hydra Sense. My dry eyes are much better then they were

I just read that generic restasis is now available on Mark Cuban’s web site
Cost Plus drugs for significant savings.. I’m going to ask my ophthalmologist
for a prescription.

I have dry eye as a result of surgery to remove skin cancer from my eyelid and then radiation to this area in 2020. I needed to have a cataract removed a few weeks ago. Going into the surgery I had dry so my surgeon is trying to help my dry eye, as you predicted, the dryness would continue after the surgery, possibly becoming more severe. After surgery, he put a collagen plug in the upper tear duct. The bottom tear duct had been to cauterized a year ago for dry eye. I am also trying serum drops and will soon be trying. The serum drops do not sting and feel good upon application. It is still too early to tell how effective they are. I soon will be trying Hycosan ointment, which contains vitamin a to help restore eye health, Thank you for the tips on other applications for dry. It is a difficult thing to deal with. Fortunately, I only have it in one eye.

Hi Everyone, I use restasis twice a day, and OTC Systane Ultra, and Genteal gel for severe dry eye. Plus, I have plugs in both eyes. The plugs were put in by my ophthalmologist. That regimen seems to work. I hope this helps.
Joan

I have had dry eyes for forty years (now 68). I use Refresh Celluvisc preservative free many many times a day and nighttime ointment at night. In the case of flare up I will use a mild steroid drop once/twice a day. (Opthalmologist says ok to do so.) Dont do that too often .

@sue225, @ashby1947, and all...Interesting, I forgot to mention in previous messages that I find the best, the very best improvement and comfort from the severe dry eyes is a steroid drop daily. My doctor prescribed that on one visit as she saw some signs of Sarcoidosis inflammation in the eyes. I was thrilled...not to have the Sarcoid issue naturally but with the steroid drops. What a crazy improvement I saw, in every way. I would love to use them daily, but can't, only when I have a flare.

They really made a big difference. I've had plugs for years and suppose they help. don't really know. Refresh and other OTC drops help slightly, some not at all, and the ointment is such a mess it is almost an irritant simply due to the sight murkiness for a bit. It does sometimes help so I use it when needed.

The Rohto drops have been the most successful for me at reducing the grittiness, itching, and scratching that's so irritating. They also help the double vision which so far no other drops have helped....and they're so cooling.

This is a serious issue as it affects our entire life, the entire day. I wish you well...
Blessings, Elizabeth

I also have dry eyes (keratitis sicca) with punctata (small dry dots on the cornea). This was probably caused by a corneal debridement procedure to get rid of map dot fingerprint dystrophy.

I live in the Netherlands so the brandnames I will mention might not be available or marketed under other brandnames somewhere else:

- for daytime: Liposic Gel and Hylo Night ointment (the latter will give you blurred vision for a couple of minutes but it is worth it, the first one is a gel and does not blur vision, but alone liposic will not be sufficient for the day)

- for the night: duratears. This will blur the vision for a longer period, but you will be asleep anyway.

These gels and ointments helped much better than artificial tears and drops.

I do keep Hylan eyedrops near me though, in case I need to have clear vision suddenly.

Can you share your blink routine?
I would do anything to help with the dry eyes!