eye problems

[sammy]

The biggest concern for me today and the past few weeks is my eyes. I have a white mucus coming out of them like in gobs has anyone had this prob?? sammy

[janedoe]

eew, not junk coming out of mine, yet i guess, but my sight is really REALLY bad. i can barely drive at night anymore.ive actually felt these things enter my eyeball, talk about freaky sensation, it stings like crazy! my eyes been itching a little past few days, hopefully that will pass

[jonsi]

I've never had problems with my eyes, but know many who do have problems.

I wear contact lenses and so I use a saline solution every day. Have you tried using saline solution?

Just go buy a bottle (get the least expensive contact solution) and use it as an eye wash.

Some say that spraying with enzymes helps too.

Let us know how you are doing.

I wonder how many of us who wear contact lenses have "M" fibers in our eyes?

Thanks, itwl,
~jonsi

[Robin]

Hi all,
Sammy the best thing you can do is keep your eyes mucous free as possible! do not let it build or it will not be pretty. use a wet papertowel or tissues.i was waking up everyday a couple yrs ago with my eyes glued shut it was horrible just keep it as clear as possible.
Robin

[tcmgpt13]

Hi there Sammy,

In case you haven't reviewed this thread it's all about how members are treating their eye symptoms. Although I have never gotten what you describe my eyes do sometimes feel sticky when I wake up. As Jonsi suggests just the simplest saline solutions for contact use may help, but just in case it's not sufficient there are many other suggestions here:

Eye treatments--Member suggestions

[sammy]

Thanks for the info tag. I have been using eye drops for pink eye. and also blink. Had cataract surgery last year and had some drops left over from that. seems like my site has not been right since. Have a spider web in front of one eye. and doctor said he can take that out. but it seems like i have sand in my eyes no matter what. sammy

[sammy]

Jonsi. Thanks for info. It seems like lately they want too hang out in my eyes. but will try the saline solution I dont wear contacs but keep some here for sister. so maybe just spray it. not sure what kind of an enzymes that anyone uses. I think you can stand anything but when it affects your eyes thats a lot too handle. sammy

[kckc]

Sammy,

A friend of mine swears by putting aloe vera in her eyes..... straight from the plant, just gets a big glob and puts it in both her eyes.

Also I've read about boric acid eye drops...... haven't tried them... but I've read that you can get it from your local pharmacy.. or they can order it.

I use to wear contacts,... I tried to put them on the other day... pre thanksgiving... was gonna try and wear makeup and try and be "pretty".. maybe it was because they were old.. and had been sitting to long.. but I got horrible pink eye in both of my eyes.......... didn't look so "pretty"...

My eyes have become extremely sensitive, saline just dried them out more?

When I cut onions they burn like crazy!... I notice it because for sooooo long it seemed I lost my senses.... .. my eye sight was going...( the gray around my eyes)... My touch to hot/cold... was going...

I use to get that snad in the eye feeling AND the creepy things moving around in my eyes.....

please let us know what you try and what seemed to help.

love,kc

[hurtin1]

Hi Sammy,,,you might try putting tea tree oil on skin around eyes,,forehead ,nose ect.,,while I know all too well this is an intenal problem to begin with,,external treatments(skin) DO provide some relief.
I used to see these things in my eyes when peering into my microscope,,and could actually see them moving around.
I had the sandy granules too.
Sometimes I used rubbing alchohol,,around my face,,to drive this stuff away from my eyes,,just so I could see my computer monitor.

I used to work at Pearl vision center,,and I had found out that 80% of the eye infections they dealt with,,was from contaminated saline,,due to IMPROPER STORAGE,,and AGE....,,so just take good precautions.

Also coconut water(from an actual coconut) is about of the most sterile water on the planet,,,and is really good for use in and around the eyes.(must be debri free)

I found this article,,that deals with the protiens assosiated with demodex mite(eyelash mites),,and I know we are talking morgs here,,,but it tells how tea tree oil has also been used to treat rosecia.

We’ve all been exposed to Demodex Bacteria Proteins ? • Rosacea Support Group

I stumbled on this while looking for eyelash mites.....,,and just though it was an interesting read.,,,thats all..

I found no relief to the eye probs until I got this totally killed out from in me,,,telling me this is an internal infection prob.

[tcmgpt13]

I was taken aback that anyone would suggest tea tree oil around the eyes. It looks as if some limited research has been done with some positive results. Note that the tea tree oil is not used full strength around the eyes. This is so strong a treatment that the originator of this protocol suggests that it not be undertaken without the supervision of a doctor which I imagine would be wise.

Ocular demodex, tea tree oil as a treatment

March 28th, 2007, by David Pascoe

I have always pushed the line that demodex mites have thus far only been proven to be innocent bystanders in rosacea symptoms. In order to prove that the mites are responsible for some ocular symptoms we now need double blind studies to show 2 things – firstly that killing demodex does lead to a reduction in ocular rosacea symptoms and secondly some studies that show how tea tree oil works. We also now need larger studies that confirm that tea tree oil is a safe therapy for ocular symptoms.

Corneal Manifestations of Ocular Demodex Infestation, Kheirkhah A, Casas V, Li W, Raju VK, Tseng SC., Ocular Surface Center, Miami, Florida. Am J Ophthalmol. 2007 Mar 19
PURPOSE: To report the corneal manifestations in eyes with Demodex infestation of the eyelids.
DESIGN: Noncomparative, interventional case series.
METHODS: This retrospective review included six patients with Demodex blepharitis who also exhibited corneal abnormalities, which led to suspicion of limbal stem cell deficiency in three cases. All patients received weekly lid scrubs with 50% tea tree oil and a daily lid scrubs with tea tree shampoo for a minimum of six weeks. Improvement of symptoms and corneal and conjunctival signs were evaluated.
RESULTS: All six patients exhibited ocular irritation and conjunctival inflammation, while meiian gland dysfunction (n = 5), rosacea (n = 4), and decreased vision (n = 3) also were noted despite prior treatments with oral tetracycline, topical steroids with antibiotics, and lid scrub with baby shampoo. These patients were proven to have Demodex folliculorum (n = 6) and Demodex brevis (n = 3) by microscopic examination of epilated lashes. Their corneal manifestation included superficial corneal vascularization (six eyes of five cases), marginal corneal infiltration (two eyes of two cases), phlyctenule-like lesion (one eye of one case), superficial corneal opacity (two eyes of two cases), and nodular corneal scar (two eyes of two cases). After treatment, the Demodex count was reduced from 6.8 +/- 2.8 to 1 +/- 0.9 (standard deviation; P = .001). All patients showed dramatic resolution of ocular irritation, conjunctival inflammation, and all inflammatory, but not scarred, corneal signs; three patients showed improved vision.
CONCLUSIONS: A variety of corneal pathologic features together with conjunctival inflammation, commonly noted in rosacea, can be found in patients with Demodex infestation of the eyelids. When conventional treatments for rosacea fail, one may consider lid scrub with tea tree oil to eradicate mites as a new treatment.

Update: For those interested in how to follow the tea tree oil treatments discussed in this paper, here are some related notes from a page titled Demodex treatment options ;

Dr. Safran said Dr. Tseng’s identification of tea tree oil to treat the Demodex is novel, and he has slightly modified the formulation. While physicians can buy tea tree oil from most health food stores, Dr. Safran has also used an ointment Dr. Tseng is working on. If using the heath food store variety, he said to cut the oil to 50% in Macadamia nut oil.
“I apply it with cotton tip applicators after one drop of tetracaine, so there’s no shield required,” he said. “I am very aggressive with trying to get the oil into the lash roots and along the lashes to kill any eggs. I also aggressively treat the eyebrows. I don’t like the applicator dripping wet, but it should be moist enough so I can see the oil getting onto the skin when it’s touched. I treat the brow first, then the lid to get rid of the excess oil where it won’t irritate as much. I’ll do three applications a visit, about 10 minutes apart, and then finish with a tea tree ointment at 20%, which I have mixed for me at a compounding pharmacy. I do this for three visits, each one week apart.”
Dr. Safran warned other physicians not to use full strength tea tree oil. “I tried that on myself, and it was not a pleasant experience,” he said.
The patient must institute hygiene at home, he said, and that includes tea tree shampoo, scrubs and face wash.

As Tea Tree Oil is a strong substance and your eye is such a sensitive organ, these sorts of therapies really are best undertaken with the supervision of a doctor.

This article also mentions that Dr. Tseng has filed a patent on the use of tea tree oil for ocular symptoms.

ocular demodex, tea tree oil as a treatment • Rosacea Support Group

More from the above quoted article from another site:

The patient must institute hygiene at home, he said, and that includes tea tree shampoo, scrubs and face wash.
Dr. Safran has patients follow this protocol:
• use tea tree shampoo for the hair and eye lashes every day
• use tea tree soap or face wash every day
• women should throw out makeup and not use any new makeup for a week
• clean sheets and/or buy new pillows
• ensure the spouse is checked
• have any pets that sleep on the bed checked
• for the first few weeks, patients should use tea tree ointment at night after the shampoo scrub at home
“If there’s a lot of inflammation, I like Tobradex (tobramycin 0.3% and dexamethasone 0.1% sterile ophthalmic suspension and ointment, Alcon) that’s replaced by bacitracin or erythromycin after one week,” Dr. Safran said.
Anecdotal stories from Dr. Safran’s patients indicate that upon presentation, on a scale of 1 to 10, most patients stated, “Red eyes are associated with not feeling well, lack of sleep, those sorts of things. When their eyes burn and are red, patients are very aware of it. After they have the tea tree oil treatment, patients’ scores go from a 9 to a 2, or an 8 to a 1.”

Surprising asides

“A surprising finding was that once we got rid of the mites, some patients’ vision improved,” Dr. Tseng said. “Originally we thought this was a coincidence. Because mites affect the oil glands, the tear film is not doing well. If the tear film is unstable, it will cause a blur when the eye opens quickly. Once the mites are gone, the tear film stabilizes, and the vision improves.”

He did note that not all patients’ vision will improve; the fact that some did was a pleasant surprise. “The tea tree oil is probably not the last word on killing [Demodex], but it’s better than anything else we have right now,” Dr. Safran said. Editors’ note: Dr. Safran has no financial interests related to his comments. Dr. Tseng has filed a patent on the use of tea tree oil for ocular use.

The Best of Ophthalmology.....EyeWorld News Magazine

Additional discussion about how to kill demodex mites:

just how do you kill demodex mites ? • Rosacea Support Group

Originally Posted by hurtin1

Hi Sammy,,,you might try putting tea tree oil on skin around eyes,,forehead ,nose ect.,,while I know all too well this is an intenal problem to begin with,,external treatments(skin) DO provide some relief.
I used to see these things in my eyes when peering into my microscope,,and could actually see them moving around.
I had the sandy granules too.
Sometimes I used rubbing alchohol,,around my face,,to drive this stuff away from my eyes,,just so I could see my computer monitor.

I used to work at Pearl vision center,,and I had found out that 80% of the eye infections they dealt with,,was from contaminated saline,,due to IMPROPER STORAGE,,and AGE....,,so just take good precautions.

Also coconut water(from an actual coconut) is about of the most sterile water on the planet,,,and is really good for use in and around the eyes.(must be debri free)

I found this article,,that deals with the protiens assosiated with demodex mite(eyelash mites),,and I know we are talking morgs here,,,but it tells how tea tree oil has also been used to treat rosecia.

We’ve all been exposed to Demodex Bacteria Proteins ? • Rosacea Support Group

I stumbled on this while looking for eyelash mites.....,,and just though it was an interesting read.,,,thats all..

I found no relief to the eye probs until I got this totally killed out from in me,,,telling me this is an internal infection prob.