Dry eye (not jaundice/conjunctivitis)

Hi,

Problem: Since the beginning of summer 2009, I have had dry eye. Its not awful but it is defiantly not something I can just ignore. I visited my opticians after my holiday but he could not work out what the problem was, so I changed opticians and this one told me that I have dry eye, and that there are dry patches at the bottom of my eye lids. He also told me that my tears evaporate in less than 1/2 seconds, whereas normal tears evaporate after about 10. I used to wear monthly contacts for longer than I should have done without giving my eyes much of a break, and so we think this was the cause of it.

What I have done: I have been using eye drops since the end of last year. I have tried nearly every brand in boots. My optician gave me new daily contacts which are designed for dry eyes, however I very rarely use them, and I have not used them for ages now!

I was wondering if anyone knew an effective way of sorting out the following problems:

1. My eyes have become slightly discoloured. They look quite strained sometimes, and have a slightly yellow tint to them (especially in the corners). I want to get rid of this and make my eyes white like they were before. I have already  tried 'whitening' eye drops, but there is never much of a significant difference. I have researched eye surgery but I don't think there's anything to whiten your eyes in the Uk.

2.  How do I make my tears evaporate normally? Is there anything I can eat... any medication I can take?

Thanks,

Jodie

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

USe the search feature and archives and read about the treatment of dry eyes.

Likley you need to go on Restasis, also take fish oil enteric coated tables 2 or 3 per day start with one per day with a meal for 2 weeks than add another.

JCH MD