Starbursts, glare, incredibly dry eyes, worst at night - what's going on?

[infoseeker33]

Having many recent problems with my eyes...started with increasingly bloodshot eyes when I would wear contacts and increasing difficulty driving at night. Then I realized light sources (lights, stoplights, reflections of light, lcd displays) were blurring in the daytime too. It looks as if someone coloured outside of the box. I spoke to a dr and was asked to try a new pair of contacts. My eyes immediately became red and irritated again so I was told to use eye drops and wear only glasses. Every day it is becoming progressively worse. I spoke with the doctor the next day saying that at night bright lights appear blurry, or in a large star shape, and sometimes there is a single line in the star shape far longer than the rest. It is nearly impossible for me to drive at night because of this and I see it in the day, too, which makes my eyes water from the brightness. My eyes are still bloodshot, I have not tried contacts again but I'm sure they would be too painful. I went to a specialist who said there are no obvious problems (glaucoma, cataracts) so that's a good sign and I'm scheduled to get several tests, one of which is an eye CT scan. Every day my eyes are getting worse though, and today's change is gaining awful headache and nose sinus trouble. My perscription is fine..Often I feel like I have something in the corner of my eye, and the last couple of times I've slept my eyes have been slightly sticking together when  I try to open them. What's going on?? My CT scan isn't for several weeks!

[infoseeker33]

Thanks Joan. Your comment helped me to realize that heaters may be worsening my eye situation...I'm staying in a basement suite but the landlord has the air controls and it becomes very hot sometimes. I'm going to see if a humidifier helps, try using eye drops, and I'll keep in mind the suggestion to see an external disease subspecialist. I certainly want to solve this problem quickly.

[Joan M Pernoud, MD]

Your eyes sound really dry. Is there anything about your environment that is making them so bad? Are you on any medicines which could be making this worse? See the search feature for "dry eye". I would start out by getting some preservative free eyedrops and use them every one hour then taper back. Also get some preservative free bland eye ointment and put 2/3 inch in your eyes before bed at night.

There are other possibilities such as epithelial basement membrane disease or even Fuchs dystrophy which could cause such symptoms. If you can't get satisfaction from your doctor, see an external disease subspecialist at a university center.