Really Dry eyes

[Hospiceangel]

Hi all,
Just need some help. It seems ever since I started CPAP my eyes have been a mess. Dry, crusty in the mornings and then water, water, water all day. I've been using gel eye drops which help some but not great. Anybody have any great ideas?
Thanks,
Shar:)
Masks have not been leaking so not a mask issue.

[montana]

You might have leaks from mask around your eyes.

[sister]

Hi all,
Just need some help. It seems ever since I started CPAP my eyes have been a mess. Dry, crusty in the mornings and then water, water, water all day. I've been using gel eye drops which help some but not great. Anybody have any great ideas?
Thanks,
Shar:)
Masks have not been leaking so not a mask issue.

Me too, but since i have allergies I thought that was the problem. I finally went to the eye dr. yesterday afternoon and i have conjunctivitis in both eyes!
She gave me drops to use and said it would probably be a good idea not to use any kind of mask ,just stick to the nasal cannula. I hope you feel better.

[rlamoreaux]

I have/had the same problem. I assumed that it was air leaking into my eyes. I tried a pair of swimming goggles, but they were so tight it made it worse. I went to Walgreens and they had a "Comfort Sleep Mask" it is very comfortable to ware and it does not interfere with my Marige Quatro mask. My eyes still water a bit but not as bad.

[sister]

By the way, i was also using the gel eye drops[ mostly for relief ], she said not to use those or any tears,makes matters worse.

[nanwilson]

My eyes get teary and swell when I use my Quattro, but not my Swift LT. I believe its because the mask fits too close to my eyes, even though I wear it loose.
Nan

[kempo]

I have been using this since I had eye surgery. This was recommended by the surgeon. It works for me.

http://www.refreshbrand.com/html/consumer/_prodPlus.asp

[Hospiceangel]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will try all.
Shar:)

[PST]

I've had some eye problems since I started CPAP about a year ago, but I didn't take them seriously until this past week. I had occasional dry eyes that I attributed, in part, to mask leaks. When I get leaks with my Quattro, they tend to be on the cheeks squirting air up into the eye. In addition, my wife has pointed a fan at the bed, I fly frequently and often point the vent at my face to cool off, and when I drive in the summer I tend to crank up the AC. So I have a lot of air flowing over my eyeballs from time to time, and recently I've been taking prescription antihistamines that seem to dry the eyes a bit too.

But for all the possible causes, I never really noticed problems until starting CPAP, and when I did have dry or slightly blurry eyes, I dismissed it as a mere nuisance. On Monday, while traveling, I woke with intense pain in one eye and eventually stopped to see a local ophthalmologist. He diagnosed something called epithelial basement membrane dystrophy (EBMD) in both eyes and a big scratch on one cornea. EBMD involves a tendency of the outermost layer of the cornea to separate from what is underneath, which opens the door to scratches and erosions, the way wallpaper might get more easily torn in a place with a bubble. He definitely thought dry eyes had aggravated my problem, as EBMD is often asymptomatic.

So I am going to practice better leak hygiene in the future. I talk a good game, but often I'm lazy and ignore my own suggestions. I will also look into some of those goggle and eyeshade solutions others have mentioned. Hospiceangel, if you are having eye problems that keep cropping up, it might be worthwhile to check with an ophthalmologist. If you have a condition that makes your eyes more susceptible to irritation from dryness than most people's, you could look into nasal pillows or other mask options. Right now, I have 20/100 vision in the bad eye and I'm squeezing some kind of goo that looks like model airplane cement into it three times a day. I'm getting better fast, but I wish I had found out about the problem before the cornea injury.

[brazospearl]

My ophthamologist recommended dry-eye ointment at night and dry-eye drops or gel during the day. He said NOT to use the ones that say "for allergies" or for treatment of "red eyes," as those have stuff that might make things worse in them. These are annoying and ooky, but worth it. A mask that doesn't leak into your eyes is handy. But there's a tiny tube from each eye into your nostrils--which is why our noses run when we cry--so any air blowing into your nose also blows into your eyes. This is why using masks or goggles can help. I found goggles too annoying, but I've had good results with those stretchy headbands worn across my eyes; they seem snug enough without being too tight. I think it's important to get the dry eye thing under control before any lacerations/infections develop.

[sleepycarol]

I was at the eye doctor last year and she diagnosed dry eyes. She put dye in my eyes and then watched I assume for them to spread. She told me to use eye drops specifically for dry eyes four times a day.

Make sure and read the labels as not all drops are equal as some contain antihistimines, etc.

[SleepingUgly]

There has been some discussion in past posts about whether CPAP causes drying of the eyes via some mechanism other than just leaks (eg, through the ducts, I think, but I don't remember exactly). I googled it and had trouble finding much out there about CPAP and dry eyes, other than via mask leaks. I had plugs put in my tear ducts and I am now on Restasis twice a day.

[Catnapper]

I have had the dry eye problem since I started with cpap.

For me, the air goes in my nose from the nasal pillows (no leaks) and straight up the tear duct into my eyes. Hard to stop that!

My eye doc gave me a prescription for Restasis, and check the corneas frequently to be sure no scratches are there. She has told me I can have the tear ducts plugged, but I haven't done that yet.

Catnapper - Joanie

[Auricula]

You may have blepharitis, an inflammation of the eyelash follicles along the eyelid edge, caused by bacterial overgrowth. I've had this problem for over 40 years, starting when I had eyestrain from too many hours of close work (actually, I was editing a book on ophthalmology).

Symptoms can include both dry eyes and excess tearing, redness, flaking, irritation, crustiness and scaling at the base of the eyelashes, itching/burning, swelling, and the sensation of a foreign body in the eye. I have many of these symptoms much of the time, throughout the year. This spring, when my ophthalmologist told me I have scarring of my eyelids, I spent a lot of time on eyelid cleansing and the symptoms of blepharitis were greatly reduced. I also had good results with antihistamines.

Treatments include improved eyelid hygiene to remove the crustiness and the skin oils that feed the bacteria (this includes application of warm compresses, washing the eyelids and eyelashes with baby shampoo, using ocular lid scrub pads that remove excess oil and debris from the lids, and gentle massage of the eyelids), vitamins and supplements (e.g. omega-3 fatty acids, which will improve the functioning of the eyelids' oil glands), and use of topical antibiotic ointments and medications such as doxycycline.

Your symptoms could also be caused by ocular rosacea.

Here's a good link on blepharitis:
http://www.allaboutvision.com/condition ... aritis.htm

Read about protecting your aging eyes through good nutrition here: http://www.allaboutvision.com/over60/nutrition.htm

[KatieW]

There are some links in this thread:

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