Red, bloodshot eyes - help!

[♥ms.pacman♥]

I have had this problem for MONTHS and NEED to find a solution.

My eyes are chronically super super red and bloodshot . It’s embarrassing (I work outside the home every day). Nothing I do helps. It is Not puffy eyelids or redness puffiness under the eyes- the eyeballs themselves are red, veins popping out etc.

Yes I do have a desk job where I sit at a computer but I’ve been at same company for 6 years and never had this happen ever

I even went to an opthamologist a month or two ago and spent HOURS doing various tests and getting checked out and got nothing but how my eyes are super healthy and my vision is very good, no signs of infection, other than my eyes are on the dry side.

This problem started out of the blue about 4 or 5 months ago and is just getting worse!! Nothing I do helps. I get 8 hours of sleep on weekends and that never seems to improve it.

I changed my monitor at work a few weeks ago to high contrast mode and while that is nice, my eyes are still as red as ever!!

I tried not wearing mascara for a week -nothing.

I was given a sample of saline drops from the dr and while I tried them, they sometimes seemed to make it worse (felt very irritated right after putting drops in ).

The “get the red out “ drops worked instantly but obviously I can’t continue using them.

I eat mostly pretty healthy and exercise at least 4x a week, I don’t smoke. Why is this happening to me? Lol. People likely think I’m drugged out somehow -it looks *awful* and there is nothing I can do to hide it.

Eta: I don’t wear contacts at all. I wear sunglasses all the time while outside.

Any suggestions appreciated.

[SnuggleBuggles]

You should see an eye specialist. I can never remember the different classes of eye doctors. I just know dh's eye doctor entirely misdiagnosed his uveitis and he almost permanently lost his vision. Its probably nothing and maybe you got the complete comprehensive exam that really could examine deep and back. But, just to be sure.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

You should see an eye specialist. I can never remember the different classes of eye doctors. I just know dh's eye doctor entirely misdiagnosed his uveitis and he almost permanently lost his vision. Its probably nothing and maybe you got the complete comprehensive exam that really could examine deep and back. But, just to be sure.

I did see an eye specialist, and I believe ophthalmologist is the correct one (not optometrist, which is for correction of eyesight). I had a bazillion tests done to look for various infections or diseases in my whole eye -and for each test they said everything looked perfect. I guess I could see another opthamologist to be sure..but it was $240 for the visit and 3 hours off work so I’m a bit hesitant...

[SnuggleBuggles]

Sounds thorough. I hope you can find a solution!
I know you have been really drastic with diet changes over the years. Does the timing coincide with one of your big switches? (I've always been pretty impressed by how hardcore you embrace major lifestyle diet changes- I've never pulled the trigger on something like that!)

[marymoo86]

Likely diet related - IIRC you are vegan?

A very important for eye health is vitamin A retinol which would be missing from your diet as it is only available via animal sources and fatty acids found in cod liver oil.

[nfceagles]

If they’re on the dry side, maybe your eyes are more sensitive to dryness and something like Restasis would treat it. Is there discomfort with it? I have dry eyes and mornings are painful. Just a thought. There are also eye glasses that block the blue light from screens. Maybe that would help.


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[PZMommy]

I have this issue and I have severely dry eyes. I have to use preservative free drops every few hours and eye gel at bedtime. For the most part that controls it, but on days like today where it is super windy and a wildfire is miles from where I am at making the air unhealthy, my eyes look a mess and hurt. Restasis is only for certain kinds of dry eyes where your eye does not produce enough tears.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

Thanks all.
I’ve mostly ate vegan since January, and these symptoms started in the mid to late summer.

Another thing i just remembered- I started birth control pills sometime this year due to major skin issues (breakouts on my chin). I was using generic version of Yaz. It was okay in the beginning , but then past couple months the headaches during my period got really bad. This Monday, headache got so bad I actually threw up while at work and had to take the day off (which NEVER ever happens...last time I puked was when my son was a baby and he is now in 3rd grade. I have taken 1 day off maybe for my own illness in the 6 years I have worked here ). I am 100% certain that the birth control pills were to blame, and now looking online it looks like they are often to blame for dry eyes too! My ophthalmologist did mention something about dry eyes being sometimes caused by hormones

I did notice my vision up close recently seemed to be getting worse and I assumed it was old age.

As of past week I am stop taking the pill bc I cannot deal with possibility of needing to take 1 sick day every 4 weeks!! I knew the pill was bad for migraines but thought it wouldn’t be as bad- lesson learned. If acne comes back I guess that will be easier to deal woth that being out of commission one day a month.

[PZMommy]

Thanks all.
I’ve mostly ate vegan since January, and these symptoms started in the mid to late summer.

Another thing i just remembered- I started birth control pills sometime this year due to major skin issues (breakouts on my chin). I was using generic version of Yaz. It was okay in the beginning , but then past couple months the headaches during my period got really bad. This Monday, headache got so bad I actually threw up while at work and had to take the day off (which NEVER ever happens...last time I puked was when my son was a baby and he is now in 3rd grade. I have taken 1 day off maybe for my own illness in the 6 years I have worked here ). I am 100% certain that the birth control pills were to blame, and now looking online it looks like they are often to blame for dry eyes too! My ophthalmologist did mention something about dry eyes being sometimes caused by hormones

I did notice my vision up close recently seemed to be getting worse and I assumed it was old age.

As of past week I am stop taking the pill bc I cannot deal with possibility of needing to take 1 sick day every 4 weeks!! I knew the pill was bad for migraines but thought it wouldn’t be as bad- lesson learned. If acne comes back I guess that will be easier to deal woth that being out of commission one day a month.

Dry eyes can also cause vision issues. My left eye vision was getting really bad. I had hours and hours of tests and retests and it was just caused my dry eyes. I had to go on steroid eye drops for awhile as well.

[mackmama]

I would ask your primary doc about Sjogren’s.