Conjunctivitis/blurry vision for 2 months now! What is the cause?

[WWu777]

Two months ago in the Philippines I had pink eye or conjunctivitis in my left eye. After a week, I thought it had healed, but it went to my right eye and then both eyes were red and my vision was blurry. I then went to the eye doctor and he gave me anti-biotic eye drops. They didn't seem to work though. I was still waking up with blurry vision and discharge sticking my eyes shut, and my eyes were sensitive to light and hurt when I tried to read the computer screen. Two weeks later he told me to use the drops more frequently. So I did. They got a little better but my vision was still blurry. The redness did go away though.

Someone online said that I might have chlamydia trachomatis, a disease in the third world that leads to chronic eye infections that can't be treated like the pink eye. The eye doctor in the Philippines said he would do a lab test for chlamydia if my eye infection still hadn't healed.

So then I go to Taiwan and my parents take me to a Taiwanese eye doctor. He said that the antibiotic eye drops that I was given by the doctor in the philippines was overkill and not necessary. So he gives me fluorometholone drops (steroid eye drops to heal inflammation and damage) and some "mafin" eye drops that I can't find anywhere online. He said that my eye infection was a simple one but prolonged cause I keep rubbing them with my fingers and keep looking at the computer. So I used those drops three times a day as he instructed.

However, it's been another month now and while the fluorometholone drops do clear up my vision for a while, my vision is still often blurry, especially if I look at the computer screen. And I still wake up with crusty eyelashes and discharge from my eyes. It won't seem to go away!

Also, my left eye seems to be smaller now than my right eye. I don't know why.

Why after two months do I still have these symptoms? I have never had eye infections for this long before.

I look online for info about it and I find that chronic conjunctivitis could be caused by chlamydia, which is a form of STD (and yes I am sexually active in the Philippines). Or it could be some serious illness in the body.

But the Taiwanese doctors told me that chlamydia is too rare and they do not see the symptoms of it in my eyes. Yet the Philippines doctor said he cannot rule it out without doing a lab test for it. So there is a discrepancy between them.

What do you think? How do I know if I have chlamydia? The Taiwanese doctors are stubborn and reluctant to do more tests than they need, and in that sense are narrow minded. They are also not familiar with STD's that you can get in the Philippines.

That is why I seek other sources of advice and info.

What do you think is the problem here? What should I do? It's been two months now and the symptoms won't go away!

One more thing. Sometimes what they say and what the prescription drug websites say are different. I was given these eye drops called fluorometholone eye drops, for instance. The drug sites say not to use it over a week, but the eye doctor here said I can use it up to a month.

Who do you believe in such cases?

Thanks for your help.

[WWu777]

Hi there,
I just tested positive for Chlamydia. But my symptoms fit Blepharitis like a T. Is it possible for Chlamydia Trachomitis to cause Blepharitis like symptoms?

[WWu777]

Well it turns out the Taiwanese eye doctor here does not think I have Blepharitis. Two of them said that. However, he also denied that there's no cure for it too, which I can't believe since ALL websites online say that there's no cure for Blepharitis and that it's chronic. So I am in doubt about the competence of doctors here.

However, my symptoms fit it to a T. And plus, when I clean out my eyelashes with soap, water and a towel, which Blepharitist sufferers are supposed to do, my symptoms improve a lot and my vision clears up. So if treatment for Blepharitis works for me, it's a sign that I have it right?

[WWu777]

Hi Dr. Oyakawa,
That sounds just about right. I looked up the symptoms of blepharitis in wikipedia here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blepharitis

And the symptoms it lists exactly match what I have. But the thing is, why has it lasted for 2 months already?

What treatment do you recommend? More anti-biotic eye drops? If so, which brand and type?

Thanks so much for answering.

[Ray T Oyakawa, MD]

There are many causes of your problem.  Chlamydia is not high on my list. It sounds like you may have blepharitis since you doctor felt you were rubbing your eye.  If so, treatment also includes lid hygiene.

Dr. O.