Mar
For over ten years now I've battled eye problems. I know this seems like a long time to put things off, but I have three kids who always seem to need the doctor more than me!
The symptoms: The worst is the feeling that I’ve scratched my eye, or that there is something in it. Less severe symptoms sometimes include slight discharge (clear), though I think this might just be my body trying to “fix” whatever the problem is. The scratched feeling is much more frequent in my right eye, and always seems to be in the same spot (just above the iris), but nothing is visible.
The time: More frequent from April to September, but it is NOT restricted to these months.Also more common when I’m tired, but can happen at any time. In the peak months I might have to use ice packs 3-5 times a week; other months it might be once every few weeks.
The treatment so far: No OTC product I've tried offers even the slightest relief of the “scratched” or “foreig object” feeling. These include preservative and non-preservative drops, lubricating drops, artificial tears, and allergy drops. I was prescribed Optivar by a family practicioner; these have been great for milder eye allergy symptoms, but do nothing for the above-mentioned pain. Ice cubes wrapped in a wash cloth often get rid of the pain, but not always, and usually take hours to work.
Note: I have Tourette's Syndrome. For me, the symptoms of TS are facial twitches and frequent blinking. I don't know if this is related or not.
The Family Practioner checked for foreign objects or anything weird with the eyelid, but found nothing.
I have two questions:
1: Does this sound like any particular eye condition? None of the ones I've researched seem to quite match up.
2: What sort of doctor should I see for this? (Optetrician, Opthamologist, Allergist, etc)
Answer:
There are soo sooo many eye conditions that this could be. It sounds to me like either allergies (but, you said allergy drops didn't help) or like you stated a recurring eye problem, however, has the condition gotten worse over the last 10 years (which, yes, is a very long time)? Also, do you already wear glasses or have vision problems?
I would certainly make an appointment with an opthamologist as soon as possible. You really do not want to neglect your eyes they are pretty important!
Answer:
Family practioners are great but I would defnitely seek the care of either an optometrist or opthamologist as a starting point. You could have conditions on the inside of your eyelids that constantly scratch your corneas. Mothers always come last, I know how that goes, but definitely get checked out! Good luck!
Answer:
i would seek an optometrist. We are trained to deal with these sorts of stuff each and everyday.