recurring eye inflammation

Eye care
1

Hello,

I just joined this website. I live in the USA, in the state of Pennsylvania. Here my issue: For the last

four years I have had recurring eye inflammation. Every 2-3 mos., I can feel it coming on, usually in only one eye at a time. The iris of my eye would get red & it would be tender to the touch. The pain is moderte, but still very annoying to deal with. I have gone to my eye doctor, he can't find the reason for this. He says my eyes are healthy when he looks into the inside of them. He has given me Zylet eye drops, a steroid/antisceptic which clears it up in about a week or less. I have searched the web for the past year trying to find what might be causing this condition. I have recently stumbled across some information that links inflammatory bowel syndrome with eye inflammation. (I was surprised to find that this could be linked to the eyes!). I went to a GI doctor recently to see if I have IBD, but was told that I don't have this after some testing. But, I do have IBS, and a quesy stomach. Does anyone have any insight into what may be going on with my eye problem? Is there a connection between bowel disease & eye inflammation? Thank you for any information! Linda

2

Has the eye doctor ever called it iritis? Sometimes this can be linked to ankylosing spondilitis or lupus ....something for them to check into. Also is your eye sensitive to light when it is sore?

3

Hi Debbi, Thanks for the reply. No, my doctor has not put a name on my condition, and he did say that I do not have something called "uveitis". He checked for sjogren's syndrome & that was negative, also. I will check on the web the other conditions you have mentioned to see if I have their symptoms. I did come across an eye disease called "episclerities". It seem to fit my symptoms exactly! I am going to go to a different eye doctor the next time I have a flare-up and see if I can get a second opinion and diagnosis on this upsetting condition.

Linda

4

That's a really good idea. It sounds like that doctor was looking further into it but maybe a new set of eyes would help(no pun intended haha). I'm just speaking from personal experience as I had two bouts of iritis before I was diagnosed with anklyosing spondylitis. Sometimes people also experience urveitis. Good luck and let me know what happens

5

Hi, Linda,

I'm not sure if this will be of help -- or even encouraging -- to you, but here's my story:

I had cataract surgery several years ago. Periodically, since then, I've suffered bouts of significant eye tiredness.

I used to wear glasses all the time. Now, I only wear them for driving and watching TV. The majority of my waking day, almost every day, is spent in front of a computer. Also, foolishly, I often take the dogs for a walk without glasses on, and wish I hadn't done so when I come back inside because the sun glare, even on relatively dull days, makes it hard for me to see anything during a few-minutes-long 'readjustment' period.

When my eyes feel really tired, I try to rest them, and myself, with a nap. (I'm 71; I'm entitled! lol) I also use non-prescription eye drops (a saline solution) which seems to relieve some of the redness and tiredness. I keep meaning to eat more leafy green vegetables, but the selection is so poor (and the prices are so high) at this time of year that I too often go days without any. I attribute that, and my near-constant computer viewing as principle contributors to my red, tired eye conditions.

Perhaps, in addition to other things you are trying, you could eat more leafy green veggies. Our choices (here in VA, and there in PA) should be improving soon, as the Deep South's field-growing season will be getting underway any week now. (Veggies grown in temperature-controlled will be with us sooner! In the meantime, don't forget to carefully wash veggies from even further south.)

One other thought: You've mentioned a number of conditions you feel you might be suffering from. It's very easy, and tempting, to mentally adapt your symptoms to fit a disease or a syndrome. Doing that can produce another unwanted affect: You'll start worrying yourself to death!

Best of luck to you!

6

One other thought, Linda: You mentioned you intend to go to a different eye doctor. I think that's probably a very wise idea. I never cease to be amazed at the differences in knowledge and approach of different doctors. I suffer from lower back pain (from a pinched nerve) and the guy I go to -- not often enough, because of the cost -- did an excellent job on the first (and only, so far) time I've visited him, with a single epidural. Now, three years on, I really need another shot!

7

Hello Catsamore,

You are so right about doing too much searching on the web because like you said you can adapt symptoms to fit the disease. However, there is some good that can also come out of these forums, in that people are experiencing similar problems and sometimes the diagnosis can be made from it. I really don't have "tired" eyes, but "inflamation" as my Dr. has diagnosed. The problem is, he can't tell me what is causing it, but thinks

it's a systemic problem with my system. I seem to fit "episcleritis" exactly. From what I've read, it's very difficult for even the best doctors to discover the cause. The good news is that the inflammation is happening less, (once every 3 mos. or so). I am taking probiotic pills every days as per my GI doctor and that seems to be helping. I, like you, am trying to eat a healthy diet.

Thanks for your reply!

Linda

8

Hi Linda,

I live in Canada, and i have the same symptom as you, my Eye Become very Pink, only my right eye does this, i feel it very hot and burn slightly, i visited 3 of the best Doctors in Canada Ophtalmologist , and 1 of them is very known in thisn field Worldwide, they tested my eyes , and no one was able to find the issue , this used to happen twice a year, last year i had no issues , now it just came back with same symptoms , this whole month happened 3 times, i wake up my eye is very pink to red, then 2 more days it start getting normal, a week later symptoms comes again, i traveled overseas and saw another ohptalmologist in Spain and he also could not find anything, when they test my eyes, they say you have beautifull clean eyes from inside , knock on wood.

Please if you find out more information let us know,

i am going to call all my previous doctors, and see if 2 years ago it happened in same period of the year.

Good Luck.

 

9

Hi davesa,

Sorry you're having this problem.  I know how upsetting it can be.  When I get a flare-up, it puts me in a bad mood!  The whites of my eyes get very pink and can feel tender if I press on my eye with my lid closed. Usually it's only one eye each time. I have to say that my flare-ups are less frequent than they used to be--once every 4-6 mos., rather than once every 1-2 mos.  I'm not sure if this helped, but I did start taking probiotic pills every other day as suggested by my GI doctor.  I had read on-line that there might be a connection between inflammation of the bowels & eye inflammation, surprisingly enough.  That sent me to a GI doctor back in October 2013.  He said that I have the common "IBS", not the more serious "IBD" which is what I read can cause eye inflammation. (One is a syndrome, the other is a disease.) He told me to take the probiotic tablet.  Now I don't know if this is what has helped

my situation, or maybe just a coincidence, but the flare-ups are, as I said, less frequent & the one flare-up I had 2 weeks ago lasted only 2 days, and that was the first flare-up since January! My eye doctor, like your doctor, said my eyes are healthy & he couldn't say why this was happening.  He did say it was systemic, & it is very difficult to detect the actual cause.  So, that's my story & I am happy to report that my situation has improved somewhat & I hope yours will, too.

Linda

10

Hi, thanks for your reply, i just called my docor few hours ago, since this was the third doctor i saw to check what was his diagnostic as he is the only one who suggested medication which i never took and my eye was fine the next day,

i visited him in may 12 2012 , since then i never had the issue, symptom vanished by itself, he said my inflamation called EpiceClerite in French ( episcleritis )

and he gave me medication called maxidex ( i never took ).

if i do comparison with that date, i see after 2 years i got the same symptoms at the same period almost.

Who knows, whats the cause, i was surprised when the lady said was my left eye as this time its the right one, i took photo for my eye 2 years ago, i will check my photos library and see if its the right eye.

Thanks again Linda for sharing your experience.

 

11

Hi Linda,

I have the same issue since almost 4 years but  no remedy yet , i get the pain with redness . It will be there for atleast 3 days, since no cure i have checked with many doctors.  every one will check my retina and normal eye check up and they will ask do i have any joint pains they will give prednisolne actate drops and some allergic drops but no use. i get this pain and redness  every  2  months once  it happens on my both eyes alternatively , please let me know your problem is permanently fixed ? is it curable or lifetime we need suffer with this episcleritis

12

Hello,

I just read your post.  I actually have been having this issue with my eyes less and less (thankfully!)  I try to keep track of when it occurs, and it's now maybe two times a year, instesd of every other month.  The last flare-up lasted only one day.  When I see it coming on, I start right away with the drops (zylet).  I really don't know what causes it and my doctors don't know the reason for it, either.  It's a mystery.  I hope that your situation, like mine, occurs less and less.

 

13

Hi Linda.

Are you better now?I have the same symtoms like you but only in my right eye. I have already seen 4 best opthomogist in Dubai but no good. 

 

14

Hello Vanaja,

This "mystery" eye problem for me has almost disappeared!  It's been a while since I first posted this and I am happy to say that I haven't had inflammation in either of my eyes in at least 8 months, maybe longer. As I have said, and others, too, that my doctors haven't a clue to what is the cause of this, only that it may be something systemic in my body.

The doctor checked the interior of my eyes and said that they were healthy (thank goodness.)  I don't know what else to say except I hope that in your situation the problem will clear up on its own.  I wish I could pin-point some reason why this has cleared up for me, but I really haven't done anything different from before. Could it be an allergy of some sort? I wish you well and hope it goes away for you!

Linda

 

15

Hi! I think I have the same the same symptoms :-( I have just developed this month so ago, this year. I wear contact lenses but now I have stopped as the issue is worse with lenses use. I was living in Brazil this year and saw four optomilogists there with no avail. Everyone said, your eyes are healthy. Some doctors told me to see an allergist. I am back in Canada now so I will try this option. I think a link to the gut is propable as I have recently read something similar. I recently started changing my diet and not eating meat but so far I haven't noticed much changes as this is all new from for me. Has anyone had luck with natural remedies at all?

16

Hi everybody, I just found this site, first time really researching my long-term condition. Like you all have related, I have a chronic recurring eye redness problem. This has gone on for many years. It almost always occurs in only one eye at a time, starts without clear warning, lasts anywhere from a couple of days to a fortnight. Sometimes it is painful, usually very irritating, with a feeling like sandpaper on and in the eyeball. It used to alternate from left to right and back again (sometimes consecutively, but often a single-eye episode); now it tends to recur only on the left side, rarely the right. Episodes lately occur more or less infrequently (2-3 month intervals), but that coincides with beginning my hypertension medicines. I also have noticed that episodes coincide with overtiredness. I have been without insurance for a while, so I haven't seen an eye doctor. Also (don't know if this has any bearing but) I've noticed that the hair on the left side of my head is graying faster than on the right).

So much for my symptoms. I usually use a vasoconstrictor eyedrop to control the redness - it works reasonably well. I intend to check out some of the diseases mentioned in your posts (no, I'm not medically paranoid). Oh - and one more 'weird' (but maybe relevant) condition: I have Raynaud's disease (a constriction of the blood vessels that causes problems with my extremities due to cold or stress). Thanks for sharing - at least I have some leads to check out. If anybody finds a cure, let me know!

17

99% chances that u are hla b27 antigen positive i.e. ankylosing spondylitis .Ask ur doctor to have you test for hla b27 antigen.

18

Linda. Hello. You sound like me. I have had same issue for a year. I'm at my wits end. And nervous. I am afraid I could go blind. Mine comes and goes every other month. The pain is bad. Any suggestions?????

19

Peaches2015.  I am deeply concerned as well.  My symptoms started with my eyes last year around March. I have been prescribed eyedrops prednisolone and now Latanoprost.  As soon as it stops, within a few days it's back.  Various doctors, my pcp, opthamalogist, rhemotologsit, has order lab work to test for HLA B27 but the results are negative.  I'm also afraid I will go blind.  It's very concerning when the doctors are puzzled.

20

I use Similisan eye drops at the first sign of an eye infection. Clears it up right away. There are several different formulations, and you have to experiment to find the one that is most effective for your particular body. However, even the types that are not perfect for you can help a little, and never have any bad side effects.  You can buy them in most health food stores. Give Similisan eyedrops a try. They're more expensive than the preservative-filled eyedrops that burn your eyes, the inexpensive drops that you can buy at commercial drugstores like Wallgreens, but I have found these better-quality products well worth the money.