My new (young) optometrist put me through a battery of tests and told me that my far vision had actually improved and my near vision remained about the same. I was a little nervous seeing someone new since I really liked my other doctor. However her schedule was too full so we were asked if we wouldn't mind seeing the new partner.
He carefully explained each procedure and told us what he was looking for. When I mentioned how I did occasionally suffer from dry eyes he suggested something that sounded a little odd. He said I should put some rice in a sock and microwave it for a few seconds. Then I should test the warmth and put it on my eyes for about 5 minutes, twice a day.
I got this definition for dry eyes from the Oasis Eye Care website:
I thought that if I stuck the sock on my eyes, it would get dirty eventually. I wanted to be able to wash it. Therefore I got some scrap material and sewed a sack in which I poured some raw rice. I sewed the middle to keep the rice in place for both eyes. Then I put the rice sack in a sock which I can now wash without getting the rice wet.
After doing it once, I looked online to find that this really was an acceptable practice. One website called Wholefully did a tutorial on it. That website said you could put the rice sack in the freezer too and have a useful cold pack. (I didn't do as neat a job with my rice sack. I'll do a better job if my son-in-law tells me he'd like one too.)
Well, I shall try applying the warmth to my eyes and hope it does some good. Otherwise, there's always the Refresh eye lubricant to fall back on.
POSTSCRIPT 1:
Gosh... I don't know. After a couple of days of doing this, I developed a tiny red bump on my left eye lid. Did I make the rice pads too hot? Keep it on too long? Sheesh! I don't know. Maybe I'll try again much later.
We'll see.
POSTSCRIPT 2:
My wonderful blogger buddy, DrumMajor sent some fabulous advice (via comments) all the way from Kansas. She sent this photo to accompany her comment.
He carefully explained each procedure and told us what he was looking for. When I mentioned how I did occasionally suffer from dry eyes he suggested something that sounded a little odd. He said I should put some rice in a sock and microwave it for a few seconds. Then I should test the warmth and put it on my eyes for about 5 minutes, twice a day.
I got this definition for dry eyes from the Oasis Eye Care website:
"The following is the definition of Dry Eye Disease according to 150 of the world’s leading experts in the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society or TFOS. “Dry eye is a multifactorial disease of the ocular surface characterized by a loss of homeostasis of the tear film, and accompanied by ocular symptoms, in which tear film instability and hyperosmolarity, ocular surface inflammation and damage, and neurosensory abnormalities play etiological roles.”This is awfully, crazy complicated. Basically, he said some of my tear ducts were a little clogged so the warmth could help to unclog them.
I thought that if I stuck the sock on my eyes, it would get dirty eventually. I wanted to be able to wash it. Therefore I got some scrap material and sewed a sack in which I poured some raw rice. I sewed the middle to keep the rice in place for both eyes. Then I put the rice sack in a sock which I can now wash without getting the rice wet.
After doing it once, I looked online to find that this really was an acceptable practice. One website called Wholefully did a tutorial on it. That website said you could put the rice sack in the freezer too and have a useful cold pack. (I didn't do as neat a job with my rice sack. I'll do a better job if my son-in-law tells me he'd like one too.)
Well, I shall try applying the warmth to my eyes and hope it does some good. Otherwise, there's always the Refresh eye lubricant to fall back on.
POSTSCRIPT 1:
Gosh... I don't know. After a couple of days of doing this, I developed a tiny red bump on my left eye lid. Did I make the rice pads too hot? Keep it on too long? Sheesh! I don't know. Maybe I'll try again much later.
We'll see.
POSTSCRIPT 2:
My wonderful blogger buddy, DrumMajor sent some fabulous advice (via comments) all the way from Kansas. She sent this photo to accompany her comment.
I do a hot, wet cloth for a few seconds every morning when I first wake up. I also use ointment/drops.
ReplyDeleteI have dry eyes too. My optometrist said to just use drops.
ReplyDeleteI also have dry eyes but they don't bother me I must have adjusted over the years
ReplyDeleteI have one of those commercial bags for sore muscles but after a while it gets a bad smell. If you can't change the innards, it probably should be thrown away.
ReplyDeleteGood to know!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. Perhaps your red bump is you eye area expelling long stored irritant?
ReplyDeleteYes, keep us informed. In the past few weeks my eyes have been really dry and I'd like to take care of the problem without resorting to drops.
ReplyDeleteInteresting I'm having too much mucus in my left eye and my doc told me to put a warm compress on both eyes morning and night. Didn't tell me I had dry eyes...but did suggest I also use artificial tears during the day. i'm doing both. I put a white wash cloth wet but wrung out into the microwave for 20 seconds then put it on my eyes and massage both eyes. He said to use as hot as I could stand. It seems to be helping...
ReplyDeleteAnd I just put in eye drops.
ReplyDeleteI started using Refresh each morning after I cleared up clogged oil glands in my eyelid.
ReplyDeleteInteresting idea.
ReplyDeleteI have made a similar rice bag to use during savasana (finally resting pose) suring yoga) and I have a larger one that I microwave to use on sore muscles when that happens. Using a warm compress on clogged tear ducts makes a certain amount of intuitive sense but it seems as though a warm, wet wash cloth would work just fine -- no wesing and easy to wash.
ReplyDeleteClever. I, too, have found that my far vision has improved with age. However, my near vision continues to deteriorate. Doubt rice will help.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear your vision is actually better these days. Mine continues to deteriorate with macular degeneration, but I manage just fine for now. I like the idea of the rice sock. :-)
ReplyDeleteMy eye doctor recommended the same, wet heat. I like a warm washcloth better than the eye cover you microwave. I think it helps but I also use the gel eye drops at night. Have you tried those?
ReplyDeleteFor my very severe dry eye, my doc says:
ReplyDeletePut a wet warm washcloth over eyes for 2 minutes. Morning and before bed.(This softens the matter stuck to the eyelid edges.)
With eyes closed, Use Thera Tears / Sterilid foaming eyelid/eyelashes cleaner for 1 minute ;wash off with warm wet washcloth, morning and bedtime. (Can use around eyes and face too.) About $20-22, has a coupon in box, cheapest and at some Walmart's; or the 32% to 40% discount coupon at CVS.
Restasis eyedrops are supposed to help dry eye, but even with health insurance, my cost was still over $500 per month. Another laboratory: Imprimis, makes a similar drop (cyclosporine 0.1% in Karity, preservative Free, that is only $50 a month. Imprimis doesn't go through or process insurance claims, and most insurances won't cover it. Still requires doc Rx sent to or called to Imprimis.
Refresh Mega-3 individual eye drop vials up to 4 times a day for dry, scratchy feeling. I carry in my pocket. the Mega-3 is MUCH better than the other Refresh drops. About $24 for a box of 30, cheapest at WalMart's, and use a manufacturer's website coupon for $4 off; $3 off coupons in box.
Humidity in the air helps dry eye; winter dry air on the mainland makes dry eye worse. Birth Control pills have been known since the late '70s to cause dry eye....besides antihistimines.
If the red spot won't go away, let the eye doc know. My doc gave me a Rx of a cortisone ointment on the spot to clear it up. Good Luck!
Linda in Kansas
First time I heard about use rice and a sock for the eyes. Make sure, do not too hot for you eyes Ms Kay.
ReplyDeleteMy hubby has had this. We've just used warm, moist cloths. Isn't getting older a challenge?! The older we get, the more that can go wrong. Mind you, the alternative...
ReplyDeleteMy client is 96. I tell her, "Let's read the obits and see if we are there." I read them and say, "Good news! We're still good!" We have fun.