Jellybelly
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7142
posted
I've had real gritty feeling eyes for a couple of weeks now. My left eye though has been getting more sensitive and in on partiuclar area. Today around the orbit was getting sore and the muscles feel very strained. Finally after about 3 days I went to take a look in the mirror. I saw what looked like a blister or possibly some kind of ulcer. It was very red around the area.
In the past on several occasions I have had what appeared to be a blister on this same eye and in the same spot. It was bothersome, but not like this time, and it was gone in a day or two, the reddness was new. It appeared to be about as big as my pupil in average light and being that I only have one functioning eye and it is that one that has the spot, I should go to eye doctor.
What he found is that bth of my eye lids were very irritated and bumpy. The one with the blister is actually swollen. And blister is what it turned out to be. He said my eyes are really irritated by something, but what he was not sure. May be an autoimmune type reaction.
Has anyone else had anything like this? I do feel like I am in a flair right now and my eyes always get irritated whether flairing or herxing. I suspect that I have Lyme inside my eyes.
Sooooo, how to get at it. I wonder if topical ABX would do any good?
Posts: 1251 | From california | Registered: Apr 2005
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Ann-OH
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 2020
posted
Ouch! I have never heard of such a thing! Did the doctor give you anything to ease the swelling?
posted
You could have a herpes zoster or other infection of the eye. Did he send off a culture? Do you have increased drainage, tearing or crusting of the lids?
Untreated eye infections can lead to blindness, so I would not take this lightly. It could be anything, like Staph aureus, pseudomonas, etc, etc etc.
Do you wear contact lenses and use lens solution? If so, you may have a fungal infection (Fusarium keratitis.
-------------------- **Eat Chocolate** Posts: 942 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2005
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SForsgren
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7686
posted
My first thought was also a herpes infection of the eye. Do get a doctor to look at it further.
-------------------- Be well, Scott Posts: 4617 | From San Jose, CA | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
A few years back, before I was diagnosed with Lyme, I had blister like lesions on the whites of my left eye. I went to 3 different Opthamologists. No one knew what it was !!!
After treatment for Lyme, Babs, EBV they have gone away.
Hope they go away soon for you, because mine we very bothersome to say the least.
Posts: 116 | From state of lyme | Registered: Oct 2006
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Jill E.
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9121
posted
Hi,
I don't have anything on the eyeball, but for the last few days I've had increasing flaky skin on one eyelid that is now a little swollen. Both my Lyme doctor and internist said it was an irritation that could lead to blepharitis.
They didn't want to give me additional antibiotics. So I'm supposed to put cold compresses on it four times a day, and wash the eyelid with Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo in the morning.
I am not saying this is what you have at all, just passing along another eyelid situation. Perhaps someone can comment on this, too.
My Lyme doctor says she sees this more often in Babesia patients. I have not gone through Babs treatment yet. But my internist said he sees it in plenty of non-Lyme patients.
Editing this to say I looked up blepharitis on three websites and it says to use warm compresses, not cool compresses like my internist said.
Good luck!! Jill
-------------------- If laughter is the best medicine, why hasn't stand-up comedy cured me? Posts: 1773 | From San Diego | Registered: Apr 2006
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Jellybelly
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7142
posted
Ann, doc gave me something like aspirin or ibuprophen to put in my eye. It burns a lot when I put it in, but it REALLY feels better after. Since the drops, it feels better all the way around and I think the blister even looks better. At the very least the redness on the eyeball is nearly gone.
Imanurse and Scott, Herpes entered my head right away too, that is actually why I ran to the doc this time. It was worse this time, then evere before and herpes often comes back in the exact same spot. I did a little research and can't find that a blister like this is related to herpes though.
I have a friend who has torn the skin on her eyeball, due to dry eyes. Her eyelids literally stick to the skin of the eyeball and when she wakes in the morning and opens her eyes, it tears! I'm wondering if I am approaching something like this. The blister is always in the same spot I'm pretty sure. My eyes have been watering really bad lately from what I think is dry eyes, so maybe my eyelids are sticky enough that it starts lifting the skin on my eyeball and then water accumulates under it.
I can kind of push the bubble around. I hope it never tears like my friends, she says it is very painful. Hers always tears in the same spot too, like it is now a weak spot.
Doc says that there is no infection that he can see, unless it is of the lyme kind and that doesn't appear as a typical infection anyways. There is lots, of tearing, but it isn't gooey or crusty anymore then usual.
Posts: 1251 | From california | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
Ouch, jellybelly!!!! Have you looked into Sjorgren's? [sjogren's??] I think I may have it misspelled.
I'm glad it's better. Did the dr say to use artificial tears everyday??
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96239 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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Jellybelly
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7142
posted
Hi Tutu, I haven't looked at Sjogrens specifically, but I have seen a couple of rheumy's and that specific illness was not mentioned. I was told I had a mild form of scleroderma called CREST. I didn't buy it though. It was a real stretch for the doc to come up with that in my opinion.
I've been told, that autoimmunity is definetly an issue but I don't seem to fit entirely in to any one box.
Nice to see you back and hope you had a nice vacation.
Posts: 1251 | From california | Registered: Apr 2005
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