Hello everyone..

for the past month or so, my eyes have felt like I couldn't quite open them all the way at night after sleeping for awhile and waking up to get a drink of water or go to the bathroom.   I started wetting them down with a little bit of cold water to which they respond and then I can open them up.  

I have had a few nights where it didn't happen but last night it was worse than ever.  I looked it up on the web and one of the things it could be caused by is menopause which i'm sure i'm in now.  I didn't explore the other medical conditions due to fear and wanting it to just be menopause.

Would love to hear any experiences with this and what you have done.  thank you.

Quoted from BluesSinger

Hello everyone..

for the past month or so, my eyes have felt like I couldn't quite open them all the way at night after sleeping for awhile and waking up to get a drink of water or go to the bathroom.   I started wetting them down with a little bit of cold water to which they respond and then I can open them up.  

I have had a few nights where it didn't happen but last night it was worse than ever.  I looked it up on the web and one of the things it could be caused by is menopause which i'm sure i'm in now.  I didn't explore the other medical conditions due to fear and wanting it to just be menopause.

Would love to hear any experiences with this and what you have done.  thank you.

First of all, I would suggest you see your eye doctor to make sure everything is okay.  Chronic dry eyes can cause serious irritation that can affect your vision.

I too have extremely dry eyes.  Allergy season will make you feel worse if your eyes are dry.  My suggestion would be to make sure you are taking fish and flax oil as a supplement. That does help.  Use "no preservative" saline eye drops to keep your eyes hydrated.  I always get a bunch of the samples of these free when I visit my eye doctor.  My eyes were still a problem with dryness so I ended up using Restasis and plugs to help my eyes.  Continuous dry eyes can cause schleritis so I suggest you see your eye doctor.  I ended up with some serious inflammation because otc saline just wasn't hydrating my eyes enough.

Thank you Kim.. I take Fish Oil and Black Seed Current Oil.  I'll ask my doctor about this.. no insurance so it's crazy for me to have to go in.. but my eye health is very important.

Euphrasia (Eyebright).

Since starting this diet, I switched from taking Krill Oil to using Flax Seed and have noticed a significant improvement. I have a tendency towards dry eyes but the flax seed has taken care of that, and my hands were also dry no matter what I did but now all dryness is gone...my skin is not dry either...amazing results that I did not get from the Krill Oil. I use about 3-4 Tablespoons a day milled up in my coffee grinder...and eat Wild Salmon on occasion for my fish oil. I hope your eyes get to feeling better.

check out the content in ocubright.....there might be some sup you are in need of

Thanks Linda.. I take a huge tablespoon of ground flax seeds usually once or twice a day.  

but thanks for the heads up on that!

I had the same problem. I went to the eye doc. She said my tear ducts were blocked and recommended artificial tears and using warm compresses. It worked for me. I don't need to use the drops very often anymore. Had to use them several times a day in the beginning. Be sure you are drinking enough water as well. Do like the others said and see the eye doc to be sure it is not something else. Good luck. I know how unpleasant this can be.

I get that way sometimes, but not nearly as bad. For me, it's part of my seasonal allergies.

Every night,  when I shower, I use the neti pot (saline nasal rinse) and then, when my shower is over, I pour some of the saline over my eyes, to rinse away any irritants that may have found their way into my eyelashes during the day. My eyes definitely feel worse on the nights when I've forgotten to do that.

You don't need to buy expensive eyedrops. 1 teaspoon of kosher salt to a pint of water (or 1/2 teaspoon to a cup or 1/4 teaspoon to a half cup) and pour it over my eyes to rinse them before bed.

I don't know if that will completely cure you, but it can't hurt and it might help a whole lot. Maybe try that for a few days before paying for an eye exam. If it clears up completely,  maybe you can skip the exam. If it helps a little but, or it doesn't help at all, you have more information to share with the doctor.

I've been dealing with the same thing for the past couple of years.  I haven't found anything that cures it, but have a few things that help to reduce the problem.

1.  keep up the intake of good fats.  I try and really mix them up - high lignan flax oil and freshly ground flax seeds in my smoothie, wild salmon and sardines, olive oil, ghee, just a little of all the oils plus 3 Tb of the ground flax.

2.  good quality eye drops - most frequently, I use Similisan Dry Eye http://www.similasanusa.com/dry-eye-relief It's available in natural food stores.  Use as needed throughout the day and keep by the bed at night.  

3. get an eye cup and wash your eyes as needed with warm salt water as Ruthie described, especially before bed.

4.  warmth, moisture, massage - gently massage some olive oil or coconut oil (or whatever you like best) into the base of your eyelashes, top and bottom. Don't rub into the eye itself.  Wet a clean washcloth in comfortably hot water and squeeze out most of the water.  Press the washcloth against the eyes and hold there for maybe 15 seconds, then gently massage and wipe off the oil.  Then soak the washcloth in very cold tap water, squeeze out and hold against the eyes for 15 seconds or so.  This helps to clear blockages in the ducts, as well as clean the eyelashes of irritants.

5.  a weird little trick - place a chia seed in each eye, inside the bottom eyelid, after using eye drops.  The chia seed absorbs liquid and becomes coated with gel.  This helps to keep the eye lubricated.

My endocrinologist recommended DHEA, small amount, 5mcg (think that's the dose.)  That worked for me.

Great responses. thank you..

i wrote to my doc on FB and she sent me this reply .. (save me a doc visit at least initially!)

What you are describing sounds most like dry eye. It is typically worse at night. Soothe (or any other brand) opthalmic ointment is over the counter and can be used as directed at bedtime to moisturize the eyes. Drops aren't helpful because they don't last long enough. As for the reason, I can't speculate. It is very common, although there are some uncommon reasons for it also. Pay attention and go the the doctor if you are also experiencing dry mouth. Good luck! (I have it also and had to stop wearing contacts because of it.)

If you buy over-the-counter ointments (or commercial drops), you might want to look for a brand that is preservative-free.  I have some products made by Genteal that fit this description.  They have several different drops, plus an ointment.  They work pretty well, but after repeated use, the eyes can feel a little sticky and you might want to use your eye cup and some saline to rinse your eyes.  Even with the ointment, my eyes are still dry when I wake up.

That's why I like the Similisan during the day because it leaves the eye very clean with no residue.

Quoted from BluesSinger

Great responses. thank you..

i wrote to my doc on FB and she sent me this reply .. (save me a doc visit at least initially!)

What you are describing sounds most like dry eye. It is typically worse at night. Soothe (or any other brand) opthalmic ointment is over the counter and can be used as directed at bedtime to moisturize the eyes. Drops aren't helpful because they don't last long enough. As for the reason, I can't speculate. It is very common, although there are some uncommon reasons for it also. Pay attention and go the the doctor if you are also experiencing dry mouth. Good luck! (I have it also and had to stop wearing contacts because of it.)

I really like Soothe. I only use that one at night.  Drops don't last long, but when you are uncomfortable you have to do something to ease the irritation until you figure out how to alleviate it.  I have done just about everything and still have a problem with eyes that hurt terribly at night.  I still have the problem during the day but night time is the worst.  Allergy season doesn't help but that is the other reason I use the plain saline drops during the day.  I am washing out the pollen all the time with the drops.

At some point, hopefully, swami will make me healthy enough that dry eyes are no longer a problem.

I have the same problem.  My eye doctor says eyes are just another of the many things that dry out with menopause.  Bummer.

I keep the "natural tears" sort of eye drops on the counter.  I put them before I go to sleep and first thing when I wake up.  If I wake for a potty break in the night, I put drops in my eyes.  I'm fine during the day, it's just when I'm asleep and not blinking.  

This is a good thread with tips I will try as I've been off and on noticing at night my eyes get really dry and sometimes feel stuck, it didn't dawn on me it was the dry eye issue that I have a little in the day time.
thanks all.

When I asked my eye doctor about dry eyes she suggested taking a clean wet wash cloth and putting VERY warm water on it.  Then massage your eyes.  The ducts in your eyes secrete a fluid to help moisten them.  They often start to clog.  She suggested that in the shower is a good time (do not wear contacts while doing this).  With your index finger gently rub with the cloth from your nose to the edge of your eye along your bottom eye lashes.  Also close your eyes and gently rub the lids.  She suggested doing this daily.  And it has helped both my husband and I

If you wear contacts you may want to not wear them quite as many hours...I am guilty of this too

Best of luck.

I never thought I would experience dry eye but in the last few months at night I get it.  But here's the kicker!  It's only my left eye that feels shut.  How crazy is that?

It looks like I'm getting those drops called "natural tears".  I also find it interesting in reading this post that it happens with age, is a common occurence, and taking oils (I take a really good fish oil) and putting warm water compresses on your eyes help.

Thanks for the help.

Joy

Hmmm wonder if this is more prevalent among Os. My dad complains about the same thing. He is an O+ and I am suspecting a very strong hunter by the way he looks, behaves, etc. He is 67 and complained about dry eyes for the past 6-7 years. He had cataract surgery recently but complained about the dryness irritating the surgery area even more.