Chronic Dry Eye Syndrome - keratoconjunctivitis sicca

One July morning in 2005, when I opened my eyes after waking up, I had a VERY SHARP pain in my right eye, with various other symptoms. I walked around for a week with both eyes closed (!!) since trying to open the non-affected eye affected the other eye. It was just too painful. After wasting time (and money - I'm not currently employed) with various doctors, I eventually got to an eye specialist in the neighbouring city who made me promise that I would use certain tear-replacement drops every night and morning.

This year (2006) I started using a gel at night. This has brought down the number of attacks I have had.  I still have to be careful all day in whatever I do. However, I already have two tiny strips of the epithelium covering the cornea that are "missing". This probably happened with the first serious incident.

(JUST REMEMBER : DO NOT SELF-DIAGNOSE YOUR CONDITION !! You could have something else wrong with your eye!!)

A couple of years ago I started getting itchy, red eyes - that should have been a clue as to the condition that was going to develop later on. So take note of ANY change in the condition of your eyes!

You MAY have chronic dry eye if you experience some of these:

eyes that are dry and /or gritty
feels as if there is something in the eye (but there is not - I felt this, but the eye specialist checked and found nothing)
burning eye(s)
feeling a sharp pain "behind" the eye (I had this - very painful)

Any other significant symptoms? Let me know.

What does one do to lessen the attacks?

avoid spending too much time near air conditioning where possible (it removes moisture from the air)
don't let wind blow directly into your face
BLINK MORE - especially when working on the computer or watching tv or any other activity where you concentrate a lot
take breaks from your computer every 20 to 30 minutes
drink enough water - 2 litres per day (max =3 litres) for the average person. More if exercising a lot.
Food allergy: It MAY be possible that a food allergy could contribute toward eye trouble. I am currently (March 2006) experimenting with tomatoes. Raw tomatoes definitely gives me stomach trouble, so I tried some cooked (and chopped) tomatoes after I stopped eating the cooked variety after my first eye attack. ( I just did not feel like tomatoes.) My eye did feel uncomfortable the next morning. Coincidence? Maybe too much wind hit my eye the day before? Any ideas?

WARNING: don't use drops or gel in your eye more than 4 (four) times a day. If you do, switch to the preservative-free variety.

Medication I use:: What works for me is Tears Naturale II during the day. At night before I go to bed I use Teargel Liquid Gel.

I don't know if both these products will be available in your country, so shop around for what works best for you.

NB: Store these drops (and gels) in the fridge if your house is warm. You can then use them for a little longer than the 30 days (confirmed by a friend in the medical indsutry) that some say is the maximum time you can use them. Remember also not to let the nozzle touch your eyes at all. This prevents any bacteria entering the bottle and growing inside it. (Your hands must obviously also be washed well.) I use the same bottle for just under two months before discarding since it stays in the fridge the whole day and is only removed to put in the drops.

I would like to hear from anyone else who has the same problem. Any suggestions for me?

Good luck!