Ocular health

Didn't know where to post this, feel free to put it elsewhere.

There is something going on with my right eye... It has been red now for a week and it has gone from a little red to more red. It also hurts now and then. Especially when I sit behind my laptop, it feels like it has become much more sensitive.

My sight has thankfully not decreased.

I went to the doc (he seemed to be in a hurry) and asked me questions like:
- Does it hurt? Like burning kind of pain? I said no, more like pressure pain.
- Does your eye stick in the morning? I said no. (It does a little I have noticed now...)

Then he prescribed me eye drops called ''OXYLIN Liquifilm (Oxymetazoline HCL, 0.25 mg/ml)'' I have put it in my eyes before going to bed, but I don't seem to see any improvement. Maybe <1% :(

When I left I stopped at the door and asked him; so what is it anyways? Bacterial infection? He said: yes probably...

I'm going to the doc on monday again.

This is what I could find as information: _http://vision.about.com/od/sportsvision/tp/Red_Eye.htm

I think I'm dealing with:

1. Allergic Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis, or pink eye, is an inflammation or infection of the clear, protective layer that coats the front part of the eye. Conjunctivitis can be caused by allergies, bacteria, viruses, or toxic substances.

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I do feel ''ill'' around my right eye/ear area.

I also use cold compresses as is suggested on the site. Also have been putting some magnesium oil on it, cucumber "juice" and coconut oil hehe.. I will also increase my vit C intake.

Hopefully, my sight will not decrease...

(Can't be online much now, because it kind of stings.)

Any tips, suggestions, experiences, comments are welcome.

Re: Red eye

Hi Oxajil,

I am sorry to hear that. Do you use contact lenses ?
If so, when you see the doctor again make sure that he examines your cornea as well. Last summer my sister had symptoms like you described (additionally some visionary spots in the eyesight). It was cornea related and she almost got a corneal abresion. Then she recovered.

In any case never rub your eye even if it feels fine.
I hope you'll get better soon.

Re: Red eye

I hope the cause of your eye problem will be cleared up. In the past, when having conjunctivitis, a few drops of colloidal silver will help to heal the eye.

I hope you will recover soon.

Re: Red eye

un chien anadolu said:

Hi Oxajil,

I am sorry to hear that. Do you use contact lenses ?
If so, when you see the doctor again make sure that he examines your cornea as well. Last summer my sister had symptoms like you described (additionally some visionary spots in the eyesight). It was cornea related and she almost got a corneal abresion. Then she recovered.

In any case never rub your eye even if it feels fine.
I hope you'll get better soon.

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I'm glad she recovered :) I don't use any contact lenses. But thanks for the tip! I did rub it a few times.. won't do it anymore. Thank you.

Psyche said:

I hope the cause of your eye problem will be cleared up. In the past, when having conjunctivitis, a few drops of colloidal silver will help to heal the eye.

I hope you will recover soon.

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That's very interesting Psyche, Thank you. Would this be a good product? http://www.iherb.com/Source-Naturals-Ultra-Colloidal-Silver-10-PPM-2-fl-oz-59-14-ml/1442?at=0

It does say:

Warnings

Do not use this product in the eyes.

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Hmm

Oh, I read here: http://colloidalsilversecrets.blogspot.com/2008/02/use-of-colloidal-silver-in-eyes.html

According to Dr. James Balch, M.D., author of the bestselling book Prescriptions for Nutritional Healing, you can indeed use colloidal silver directly in your eyes for Pink Eye, styes (i.e., staph infections) and other eye infections (i.e., conjunctivitis).

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Re: Red eye

Yeah, I used a few drops of colloidal silver directly into my eyes for one or two days and it cleared up right away. :) I used the following product: http://www.lifesilver.com/

Re: Red eye

Psyche said:

Yeah, I used a few drops of colloidal silver directly into my eyes for one or two days and it cleared up right away. :) I used the following product: http://www.lifesilver.com/

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Many Thanks! :)

Re: Red eye

Hi, I don't know what to do at the moment.

I ordered a single bottle of colloidal silver the day I knew about it. Which was on the 6th.

I received an e-mail saying

Thank you for your order. It will ship to you on Monday, 8-2-10, via USPS Priority Mail International. Please allow 6 - 10 days for delivery, as claimed by the US Postal Service, but sometimes subject to customs delays in the destination country.

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So I think I'll get it, hopefully, next week.

But the condition of my right eye is not going very well :(
It hurts much more than before and when I close my left eye, I see a mist area.. kind of see everything a little blurry :(

Should I go to the doctor? But what if he prescribes something toxic? I find that my eyes are one of the most vulnerable places.
Or should I wait for the silver to arrive and until then drink vit C every hour or so?

Re: Red eye

Hi Oxajil,

Oxajil said:

Should I go to the doctor? But what if he prescribes something toxic? I find that my eyes are one of the most vulnerable places.
Or should I wait for the silver to arrive and until then drink vit C every hour or so?

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I don't know for certain, someone else may know better whether or not you should see a doctor. However until you decide one way or the other, I'd recommend checking out this video series called "Yoga for Your Eyes", inspired by a method that Aldous Huxley wrote about in his book "The Art of Seeing." -- _http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJS2LTsQde4 -- I have no idea if this will help your specific condition but it's worth a shot, IMO.

edit: The introduction's a little heavy-handed. If you want to skip to the first exercise, called "palming" - go to 4:27 in the video linked above. Incidentally, Meir Schneider (in the video) was born blind and was able to regain normal eyesight with these exercises.

Re: Red eye

Hey Oxajil, I'm not sure where you live, but I had a nasty bout of conjunctivitis last year and I found a natural homeopathic remedy at my local Wholefoods. Not sure if you have one in your area, or any healthfood store type places, but typically they carry some homeopathic remedies and the one I had worked really well. I think it had some nightshade in it at a low concentration, and some other herbs. I can check later tonight when i get home and give you the exact name/details if you like.

Re: Red eye

It sounds like you started out with a simple viral conjunctivitis, which presents with redness and mild irritation of the eye. However, over time, a bacterial component develops and the eye will start to produce mucous as well. If you are now experiencing photophobia (light sensitivity) that indicates that it has now started to involve the cornea, and if left untreated, your vision will start to be affected.

I often treat red eyes in my optometry practice. And we never really know the real cause without a culture, but my advise to you.....stop using the oxymetazoline HCL immediately. This is simply an OTC (over the counter) decongestant found in many nasal sprays. As an eye drop, it is a vasoconstrictor to "take the red out". This often has a rebound effect, causing MORE redness with continual use. It will do nothing to combat the cause of the red eye.

I often prescribe an antibiotic/mild steroid combination drop for red eyes. 9 out of 10 times, the redness is gone within 48 hours. Did your doctor look at your eye with a slit lamp? (bright halogen light under high magnification) That's the only way to see if there is a problem with the cornea. Your doctor SHOULD have given you an antibiotic drop or the antibiotic/steroid combo, not a vasoconstrictor.

I suggest seeing an eye doctor just to rule out a more serious viral conjunctivitis (Herpes Simplex Keratitis). Herpes in the eye is very difficult to treat and presents with a swollen lymph node (the Pre-Auricular node right in front of the ear on the side of the affected eye). It also causes classic "dendritic ulcers" on the cornea that look like a open hand. In this case, anti-virals are required and a steroid should NEVER be given.

Hopefully, Herpes is not the cause. But I would go to an EYE DOCTOR and get the proper medication. It sounds like your cornea is now involved and it can become serious quickly. Don't wait for the colloidal silver, as the cornea is very thin and if the left untreated, it could scar your cornea.

Re: Red eye

Hi Oxijil,

Sounds like LissyLou has the lowdown on this. But just for another take on what to do... Brew goldenseal tea (only goldenseal... not mixed with other stuff) and let it cool down to room temp. Make sure your tea bag did not break open at all. No particulate. Use it in an eyewash cup and make sure you move your eyeball all around as you do the wash. Goldenseal has anti-viral and anti-bacterial activity. Do it several times a day. It is irritating while you do it, but it works wonders.

Either way.... going to an opthamologist sounds like a pretty good idea.

Re: Red eye

I never realized goldenseal root was an option as an eye wash. Thanks for that Lauranimal. In the early stages of a red eye, I often use either black tea or camomile tea as an eye wash to clear up conjunctivitis. In Oxijil's case, it is no longer in the early stages and I'm not sure simple measures will clear it up before potential scarring occurs.

I did look up goldenseal root in my Herb Book....it recommends 1tsp. of goldenseal rootstock, 1tsp of boric acid to 1 pint of boiling water. Stir, let cool, strain. Add 1 tsp of the 'tea' to 1/2 cup of water to make an eye wash. (FWIW)

As a side note....Oxiljil...you can simply go to your local drug store and buy an OTC triple antibiotic ointment. Put a ribbon of the ointment in your eye (it'll make the vision blurry). Do this every couple of hours in the evening and another heavy dose before going to bed. If in the morning it is improving, continue with it. I don't know about the Netherlands, if you can buy any antibiotic eye drops without an Rx....but I would start the OTC ointment tonight....don't wait til you can see another doctor. The OTC ointment says not to use in the eye...but it is sterile and is the same antibiotic ointment sold in the small tube 'for the eye'.

Re: Red eye

Hi Oxajil, I'm sorry to hear about this, I second LissyLou and others advice, it is getting worse and there is no need to wait any longer without proper treatment which should deal with the problem. The colloidal silver may come up pretty handy one day, but don't wait for it for this one.

Re: Red eye

Thank you so much for your comments!

As a side note....Oxiljil...you can simply go to your local drug store and buy an OTC triple antibiotic ointment. Put a ribbon of the ointment in your eye (it'll make the vision blurry). Do this every couple of hours in the evening and another heavy dose before going to bed. If in the morning it is improving, continue with it. I don't know about the Netherlands, if you can buy any antibiotic eye drops without an Rx....but I would start the OTC ointment tonight....don't wait til you can see another doctor. The OTC ointment says not to use in the eye...but it is sterile and is the same antibiotic ointment sold in the small tube 'for the eye'.

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As I just wanted to go to the drug store to get what you suggested, my mom told me that she has an ointment called Tetracycline (1%) which she bought in Iran.
It says it's an antibiotic. ...Oh never mind! It says ''discard 1 month after opening'' and she opened it in october. hmm I'll go to the drug store now.

I'll will also try the other methods you've all mentioned, thank you very much!

Re: Red eye

Hi Oxajil.

Sorry to hear about your eye! Sounds a bit like the infection I had last year. The letter I had from the ER and had to bring to the eye doctor said "panopthalmitis".

My left eye was completely misty when I woke up one morning and seemed to get better during the day when I was able to pick up light again, but it came back and was just as bad the following morning. I was given some eye drops by an eye doctor, which cured it. I can't remember their name, but an eye doctor would be able to supply you with something similar.