Have sore eyes quite regularly but i dont wear contacts or glasses, help?!
Question: Have sore eyes quite regularly but i dont wear contacts or glasses, help?
I wake up quite often (at least once a month) with my eyes stuck together and very very sore and blood shot in the mornings. By midmorning though my eyes in appearance look fine and they only feel watery.
And this week I have been waking up every morning with my eye (particularly my left eye) stuck together and this morning it was completely stuck and extremely painful and gunky!!
In March 2010 I had really bad conjunctivitis in both eyes that lasted about a week and ever since then I seem to have had it quite regularly.
So im just curious to know if maybe my eyes are just sensitive now since that episode or if there is another possibility? Because I don't want to go to the doctors as they will look at them and say they look fine but they do not feel fine! I often feel like I have something in my eye too...
Answers:
plenty of POSSIBILITIES. yes, you're right: its unlikely that you're repeatedly "getting conjunctivitis". bacterial & viral "conjunctivitis" don't "look fine by midmorning".
other possibilities:
1) blepharitis: a common cause of "crusty" eyelids & "stuck shut" upon awakening:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blepharitis
2) dry eye: my eyes are dry & they "stick" shut in the morning nearly every day:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_eye
3) allergies: itchy, red, can make a lot of mucus:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allergic_co…
they're all really common, but #2 is a really good possibility based on your description of waking up "sore". try some over-the-counter artificial tears like Systane right before bed & again upon awakening
optometrist
http://myeyepod.blogspot.com/
It may be mild conjunctivitis returning. Try Optrex or store brand medicated eye drops. Available in supermarkets. If it continues you should see your GP as eyes are precious.