any experience of (post lasik) DRY EYE and travel to GREECE or similar climate?

[NoonarAgain]

hi, i had lasik (laser eye) surgery 7 months ago and still have moderately bad dry eye. i would say its bad at night. it hasn't ruined my life (but the second op i had at 5 weeks post op to clear a very rare sight threatening corneal infection, nearly did!)

anyway, 5 months of antibiotics later, I'm now 'clear' but am nervous about managing my dry eye in Greece.

any advice on the likely impact of the heat and the different levels of humidity might affect me?

am i likely to need to increase/ change my eye drop regime?

any advice/ experiences, please?

[specialsubject]

not a direct answer, but as a lens wearer who has spent a lot of time in Greece I would say you'll be fine in the day, especially if near the sea.

you want accommodation without aircon though, just a fan and mossie netting on the doors/windows. Aircon is a nightmare for dry eyes.

obviously be very careful about handwashing (not everywhere in Greece has drinkable tap water although it is mostly desalinated so clean) and make sure you have decent wrap round sunglasses not stupid end-of-nose fashion items. Go to an outdoor shop, the specs Millets sell are quite good (can't remember the brand). Take two pairs just in case.

hope this is of some help. Sorry you were one of the many unlucky ones with laser surgery.

[MatildaTheCat]

I am a dry eye person and couldn't wear lenses as a result so went for LASIK. They weren't too bad at first but after a few months I went to Barcelona in a massive heat wave. My eyes just streamed and felt full of grit. I used the drops continuously and it resolved as soon as I got home.

That's about ten years ago now and they haven't got any worse. Once I've got them open in the morning I'm ok. No drops at all.

Hope yours go the same way.

[rabbitstew]

Be careful on the aeroplane out there - the air in an aeroplane is painfully dry. Have lots of drops on you for the journey and make sure you have enough to last you while you are out there. I presume you use preservative free eye drops? If you've already had a serious corneal eye infection, have you spoken to your eye practitioner for advice? eg whether you could take some fucithalmic ointment or something out with you, just in case you get an infection while out there?? I wouldn't want a problem with my eyes while in a foreign country, especially one that might have issues with access to cash at the moment.

[NoonarAgain]

helllo all, thanks for your posts. Yes, i'm on preservative free eye drops, and shall be taking suitcase full with me, in case i need to use them every five minutes!

i am nervous, as it was dryness with my contact lenses in Turkey last year that started me thinking about Lasik, not fully realising how much worse things can be after lasik.

my surgeon said that the humidity might even help, but i find that bizarre as when i goggled, the UK is supposedly more humid than Greece.

the infection i had was asymptomatic, so i didn't know i had it. however, i will take some of my old unopened antibiotics in case i get a more obvious infection. good tip!

we are going to be on a sailing boat the whole time, so not sure if that'll make things better or worse...

[rabbitstew]

Wind isn't great for dry eyes, and I guess salty air might make them feel drier? Wrap around sunglasses are a very good idea, as they'll keep the moisture in, but might get annoyingly steamed up! Do you use warm compresses to help keep the oils in your eyes flowing, to slow down tear evaporation? I think there are also thicker, oiler eye ointments you can put in your eyes overnight for severely dry eyes, to help the surface of the cornea recover from the damage of the day. Best not to try something new for the first time while you're away, though, in case it upsets your eyes. Steam can be very relieving, too, temporarily, for eyes that feel dry.
My eyes were moderately dry for quite a while after LASIK, but did gradually get better and are now considerably more comfortable than they were when I wore contacts or glasses. So don't despair! Sometimes there are several different things working together to cause dryness which are exacerbated by something like Lasik and it can take a while to work out how to regain some kind of equilibrium. Only an unlucky few have severe ongoing issues that they can't resolve satisfactorily.

[specialsubject]

wrap round sunnies don't steam up, they aren't ski goggles! Just make sure you buy them; there was a double-page spread of sunglasses in the paper at the weekend and they were ALL stupid fashion items, no wrap round at all. Ridiculous prices too.

take a strap for the sunglasses as well as a spare pair.

take a very large and very floppy hat, the glare from the water will bother you. No, Greece is not generally humid.

remember the yacht water will not be drinkable or that clean. Make sure you don't get the water near your eyes when showering or swimming, and take disinfectant hand wipes. You will be a long way from medical help.

check those antibiotics are still in date. Make sure you have some eye drops in hand luggage (subject to liquids limit) in case the suitcase vanishes. (hope not!)

I am horrified that you were allowed LASIK with dry eyes. But too late for that.

[rabbitstew]

Speak for yourself! I find my sunglasses always steam up! Maybe you just don't get a sweaty face...

[specialsubject]

I wish...but after several seasons working in Greece, the only time the sunnies steamed up was when they were on the top of my head.

thank you, Mr Millets. Ah - just remembered, the brand name is Bloc.

[rabbitstew]

I might try those, then - the last 2 pairs of sunglasses I bought from Boots because they looked like they would protect my eyes as much as possible from UV, always steamed up at the bottom where they rested against the top of my cheeks, near my nose, and occasionally at the top, near my eyebrows. I've obviously not found a pair that fits my face very well, yet!

[villainousbroodmare]

I got dry eyes after Lasik. It's been ten years now and it's infinitely better. I've had a few bad periods with it and returned to the (v reputable) clinic where they have each time recommended the same soft of regime: warm compresses, some sort of under-eye massage which I never bothered with (but along the same lines that when you yawn, your eyes do squeeze out a few tears), preservative free eye drops, additional more viscous drops for bedtime use, and a pretty high dose of oral capsules of flax seed oil. Each element of the treatment probably helps 10% so you are supposed to do everything. I now only use aqueous drops on sleeping and waking and am no longer bothered by it at all. I would be hopeful of improvement for you.

[specialsubject]

ah yes, face fit is important. Far more so than the name of some celeb arse written on the side.

reminder - they don't float!