Chronic Eye Irritation

[Heidi5307]

I am a 30 year old female. About 2 years ago I noticed a small red area on the sclera of my right eye. My eye doctor advised to not wear contact lenses for 2 weeks and to use Patanol. The redness faded, but returned a few months later. Currently, I have not worn contact lenses for several months, yet the redness in my right eye has returned. I also experience some pain, almost like a "tension" in my right eye. I was given a steroid (PredForte) that I used for several weeks. The condition improved until I ceased use of the drops. Is this likely caused from chronic dry eye? I put the preservative-free "tear" drops in my eyes every night, but the situation has not improved. Someone suggested Restasis. Any suggestions? It is frustrating to have so many people asking me everyday, "what is wrong with your eye?"

[halaj]

i would like to know about g p c concerning my son 6 years old, how we treat it and if the fml and the patanol is good for him and what are the side effects.
and please i want to know also all about the keratoconos concerning my son if it will exist after.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

you are welcome again.

JCH III MD

[Heidi5307]

Thank you SO much for your prompt response. I get a complete eye exam annually by my optometrist, and  am not due for my next one until August. However, I am going to make an appointment with an opthalmologist this week. Thank you again.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Hello Heidi thanks for asking. No its not frustrating. I'm not paid to do this so I consider it part of my civic-religious-charitable activies. The thing that frustrates me is how many people neglect their eyes. They take their cars in for routine service, they see the dentist every six months but they assume that as long as they see okay "everythings alright with my eye" which makes about as much sense as driving your car till it stops running or not seeing a dentist until your teeth fall out. Thanks for asking.

If you have worn contacts for a long time the area you see on the sclera (especially if its very near the edge of the color part-iris) may be a pingueculum which is a yellow spot usually caused by sun damage but also that can be due to the edge of a contact doing microtrauma to the elastic tissue of the conjunctiva. Or a more aggressive form of irritation that grows over the cornea (pteryigium). Both of these can become inflammed (like a bursitis in a joint) "pingueculitis" "inflamed pteryigium".

Both would respond nicely to pred forte which is a super strong steroid and not for long term use because of the many side effects.  Dry eyes is not rare at your age but would tend to make the whole eye red.

I would recommend you see an ophthalmologist Eye MD physician. When you go in ask the techs to have the Eye MD look at your eye before any drops are put in and request a schirmer tear test to quantitate any dry eyes. Also request the upper lid be everted on each eye to check for giant papillary conjunctivies "GPC" which is a contact specific chronic eye allergy.

Go to Google IMAGES and search pingeculum and scroll through those images and see if they look like yours.
You can find an Eye MD near you at www.aao.org

JCH III MD