Cloudy/rainbow vision when eyes get dry

[Shaunmandezza]

Title may be misleading, it isn't exactly like that. I will explain. I'm 20, eye exam 4 months ago - all great. When I get tired or wake up my vision will go misty/blurry for as long as I keep eye open, although once I blink/move eyes around so the tear film/mucus is gone - it instantly is normal again. I wake up with mucus in both eyes as well, also get this mucus slightly when tired/eyes dried out. This next part is the odd one - we have this light bulb in my house that EVERYONE, at a good angle can see a VERY faint rainbow halo, when I get dry eyes from staying up too late, or when I wake up, (they start to get dry around 2am (I stay up a lot staring at screen for work)). So when I look at the light though during this mucus/dry eye instance, the light of course goes blurry/misty as well as the rainbow becomes more obvious and changes, but as soon as I blink or even splash my eye with water, its instantly gone, literally can clear my teary eyes within seconds. I sometimes use eye drops to moisturize, so to test... I put eye drops in and kind of swished my eyes around so the tear film gets displaced and I can reproduce this blurry/misty effect, it does the same thing to this light? As soon as I blink, everything is clear again.

I know this seems so odd, should I be worried? I know it's very common that when some one blink when eyes are dry, the water surface over the eye gets all out of place which creates this uneven blurry surface, but it's only because I've looked at this light and actually seen how it's basically acting as a cataract and bending and blurring my vision. WHY does this uneven tear film create this? Out of anxiety I can reproduce this effect whenever I please by dabbing eyes with eye drops etc and getting it in the right spot over my lens. I've looked at other lights during this and checked, but nope, they're misty and blurry yes - but no halo. I know the light I've 'tested' it on already has this faint halo etc, but how come a uneven dry tear film exaggerates and changes it? why does this happens?

Writing this at 3am so my eyes are tired/dry, every now and then when I blink the website will go all blurry and I can literally see where the blobby tear/mucus film is covering on my eye, but then as soon as I blink within a second it clears up. Both eyes do this.

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

If you will take the time to read previous posts on "dry eyes" you will see your comments and observations are extremely common. In fact I thought you had posted her before because it is so similar to others I have answer in the last few weeks. You did not say whether you are male or female.  Dry eye problems are 10 times more common in women than men and sky-rocket after menopause.  Moreover when you read, use any type of video screen (computer, iPad, iPhone, video game), watch TV or go to a movie your blink rate goes down and you become more symptomatic. You can access previous discussions using the search feature and archives. I'm currently updating a posting on overall treatment of dry eyes. Your personal physician should be an ophthalmologist Eye MD.  Keep watching for a posting hopefully today updating treatment. Basically the algorithm:  Eye exam by Eye MD ophthalmology and discussion of treatment of dry eyes---use of a variety of preserved and non-preserved artificial tears (keeping track of brand names and rating each one so you find the one that works best for you-THEY ARE NOT ALL THE SAME)--environmental modification (don't sleep under fan, humidify environment during dry winter months, look away from reading/computer every 15 minutes, focus across room and blink firmly 10-15 times), take some type of omega 3 daily, eat foods (eg. fatty fish) high in omega 3, use lubricating gel at bedtime, use warm compresses with reheatable eye heating pad, if you have the problem where no tears consider tear duct plugs (not help the type where eyes water all the time).....if still symptomatic and using best brand of artificial tears 4 or more times per day talk to ophthalmologist about going on Restasis. My wife and I have moderately severe dry eyes and have been on Restasis for more than 5 years with great results. I have used the new Xidra in the office and found it to be much more expensive and less effective.
  

[Shaunmandezza]

Thankyou Dr. I am male by the way and everything you listed from looking at screen, blinking etc - I have never really taken into consideration and probably aren't doing my eyes any favours, I will start looking away every 15, staying in a good environment and all/blinking more. This helps so much, I will look for your dry eye post. Is it possible to one day wake up and they actually be no dry eye remaining? I hope so -Thank you heaps!

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

No doesn't happen unless you are on a medication that causes it.  As a male one of the more common medications that causes this are meds for anxiety and depression. I just created a new post and an active link to a revision of our dry eye post.

[Shaunmandezza]

Wait, sorry I was asking is it possible to 'cure' dry eyes. For example if I begin using eye drops and all, will it solve the problem or will I need to continue using drops to sustain no dryness?  

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

And I answered it. No you do not cure dry eyes.  Like most problems it waxes and wanes but more people have dry eyes as they grow older.  So you likely will need to use the drops indefinitely.

[Shaunmandezza]

Thankyou :)

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

Best of luck. Be sure to read the 2018 Update on Dry Eyes I just posted today.