eye condition

Recently both eyes have felt dry, slightly itchy, occasionally sting in the corners, and slightly light sensitive.  Also, noticed a floater about 6 months ago & now "seem" to have a few more, although maybe this could be becuase I'm looking for them now??  They seem red underneath the eyelids & the small blood vessels on the eyeball appear more prominent.  I bought some artificial tears & they seem to help a bit, but not too much.  There's no discharge or anything like that. I don't wear contacts...  The eye discomfort increases & decreases in intensity throughout the day.  What are your thoughts Doc??
Thank you.

[Forum-OD-MP]

could be dryness, could be allergies, could be blepharitis (mild chronic staph infection of the eyelids)...those are the most likely 3 diagnoses given you are not a CL wearer.  if you already tried artificial tears and did not get relief, it is probably not dryness.  to tell the difference between the other 2 you'd need an exam.

allergies: doc will likely put you on topical (eyedrop) rx antihistamines.  dont use over-the-counter "anti-allergy" eydrops...they dont work well and can actaully be bad for you

blepharitis or "lid disease": treatment depends on type & severity of condition.  could be rx'd eyedrops or pills or both, or may just be told to "scrub" your eyelids (google "lid scrubs")

[angry inch]

Can you have conjunctivitis or blepharitis without any discharge and or "stuff" forming around the eyelid & lash??  Also, can there be effects to "my" normal vision?? What about a slight "eyeache"?  Symptoms have lasted almost a week now.  Just waiting for an appointment with the Doctor now.  A little stressed though, need good vision for work...
regards.

[Ag-i-doc]

YES you can have blepharitis and or conjunctivitis w/o any discharge whatsoever.

YES it could cause "achy" eyes, although thats not the most common symptom.  there are medications for that as well.  until your exa have you tried oral ibuprofen?  that may help the "achy".

[damejennifer]

I have been having the exact same problem, only with mine i have blurriness and extreme light sensitivity. I have been to two eye doctors who both say my eyes are fine. I am now going to be seeing my regular doctor who will hopefully send me for allergy tests. Could my symptoms be allergy related? Or are the eye doctors just missing something?

[Ag-i-doc]

yes, could be allergies

[angry inch]

Hey Damejennifer...
   I have recently started to clean my eyelids twice daily, am/pm, by boiling water & adding some salt.  Wiping thorougly with one of those makeup remover pads while making sure hands are clean & using 1 pad per eye.  It seems to be reducing symptoms.  Today I bought some prepared lid cleaning pads & am going to give them a try.  Also, I've found that soaking my whole head while in a warm bath with just my nose & mouth out of the water for obvious reasons, has given instant relief to the aches I was feeling.  Dunno if this will help you, but thought I should share, cuz the condition sucks!!  
Good luck...

[MECG]

I have experienced all of the above symptons and after a long while I was diagnosed with Theodores SLK.  One of the key indicators for this is Hypothyroidism.  I do not have this, but none the less I have SLK, which is Superior Limbic Keratoconjunctivitis.  Don't let a doctor dismiss you because you don't have a thyroid problem.  A doctor who specializes in the cornea may be able to diagnose it correctly. Once I was diagnosed properly, the symptons have been greatly relieved.  What jumped out at me in the above emails was the sensation in the corner of the eyes, the pain and swollen eye lids.  All of these are classic symptoms of SLK.  This can be relieved if a proper diagnosis is made. Dry Eye Syndrome is secondary to this disease.

Good luck,
Mary