UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

Hello everyone, sorry i haven't been on in an absolute age, but with exams and teaching practice, i have been so busy!

I have a problem for the past couple of days i have been experiencing a real discomfort in my eyes. I came home from work yesterday, took out the lenses and well I couldn't see! It was like a fog had appeared around my eyes and i couldn't focus. I thought I was just tired so thought nothing really of it until i got up this morning and tried to put my lenses in - my left eye (my good eye) was red and bloodshot and my pupil was like a pinpoint! Tiny compared to the right.

I got worried so got an emergency appointment with my optician - he told my he suspects i have acute hydrops - now i'm not really sure what exactly he meant by this but he gave me a referral for the hospital and told me go pay them a visit - slight problem though, the Royal Victoria is in Belfast and I am in Fermanagh - 2hrs away.

At the moment my vision is 6/12 in my right and 6/24 in my left although to be honest this is like double dutch to me!

Has anyone ever experienced anything like this, apparently there is a haze in my left eye and at the moment i feel as if there is a huge pressure at the back of my eyes - like my head is going to explode!

Thanks guys,
Ems

Emma

That does sound like Hydrops....but in all honesty its really hard to say!.....the vision figures you give; are they with lenses in?

J

Jay, the vision i got 2day was without my lenses but with my glasses, i put them in this morning and had to take them out immediately, the pain was indescribable! I've takin it easy it easy 2day, had to listen to the football instead of watching it tho grr....

Andrew, i've no way up 2 belfast at the moment, there is a hospital about 10mins up the road but the experiences i've had there in the past havn't been great and they have no optomology department so i'm really stuck until monday - on a good note though, the inflammation seems to have subsided a wee bit.

Are there any drops you can get for this?

Emma

Emma

If I was in your position....and this is by no means a reccomendation! Please understand that!. Id take Chloramphenical or some similar medication.......at the least...IF you are more than certain it may be Hydrops!

As Andrew said, get down to the Hospital ASAP.....but as you cant......Id be inclined to wait.....see how the next 24 hours goes....but if poss get down to the Hospital!

Jay

Emma

I'd even risk the local hospital. Failing that, your GP on Monday. I don;t think I want to eventhaionk about a failing that for your GP on Monday.

Each time I have had symptoms like the ones you describe I hve been given something like chloramphenicol ... but I think its prescription only, so you do need to see a doc ASAP

Andrew

Emma

It is impossible for anyone here to give proper advice other than go to the hospital as no-one can see what is wrong with your eyes. What concerns me here is your small pupil which may be a sign of imflammation.

You can't possibly self medicate unless you know what it is and sudden onset of pain, redness, blurring etc HAS to be investigated by professionals as soon as possible.

If your optom referred you then they mean it!

If you really cannot get to a hospital at all even tomorrow, then go back to the optom and let them recheck you.

Whatever you do, do not let difficulty in transport make you delay - the possibility of damage to your vision is not worth it.

Lynn

Sorry to hear of your problems.
There is some info about hydrops on this sight - try hunting for it from the home page.
I think - John? - we could do with a FAQ or several about hydrops..... or is there one by now?
A hydrops is where a membrane in the back of the cornea splits and lets fluid through from one part of the eye into another. This causes waterlogging - sogginess - in the part of the eye the fluid has got into, which results in the foggy vision, and can cause greater or lesser pain.
I don't know about minute pupils - unless the pain causes a light-sensitivity reaction which cloes the pupil, maybe).
I've had 4 hydrops now and survived them all, so if that is what it is, don't panic.

obviously, I can't tell by email whether it really is a hydrops or not - can only echo other people's advice to get it checked by the experts.

What to do about a hydrops?
Well, opinions vary about this. SOme medics will hand out all sorts of drugs - steroids, saline drops to try to remove the misplaced fluid by osmosis, antibiotics "just in case", and more.
Others, including the ones I've seen, reckon all these don't do any good, may do harm, and the strong saline will sting, and that the only thing that will do any good is time to heal.
It can take 4-6 weeks to heal (depending how big the split is) and then may be a bit sensitive for a few more months.
SOmetimes they heal over very well and you can go on as before unaffected. Sometimes there is a lot of scarring where the split heals, and in severe cases, the medics may suggest a graft (conrneal transplant). Of course, it's up to you to decide how much the scarring affects you and whether you want to go this route.
Medics (and others) inexperienced in dealing with hydrops may try to suggest immediate emergency transplants - DON'T be shanghai'd into doing this without serious thought, as others, experienced with hydrops, reckon transplants done while the tissues are still ruptured and the waterlogging fluid not yet drained will not "take" as well as they might once the hydrops has healed over and the fluid drained.
OK, so that's hydrops.
Maybe it isn't hydrops, or may be something with a hydrops, or......
Please go and get it checked out and the diagnosis confirmed (or not).
If the pain is driving you crazy, try paracetamol or ibuprofen.
(The medics may prescribe analgesic eye drops/ointment - the ones I've seen have *only* offered this, reckoning others are no help/counterproductive - but I found the paracetamol/Neurofen at least as good and far cheaper.

Good luck! - I hope yours isn't too serious, whatever it is, and will soon heal over and heal well!
Rosemary

Hi Emma,

Really sorry to read about your problems, please do let us know the outcome.

John

Emma

How did you get on? Have been thinking of you today. Hope your eye is feeling better.

Andrew