I miss blogging almost as much as not knowing I have become allergic to one of my favorite things in the whole world.
My eyes have been on fire lately. They itch and burn, swell and look bloodshot and glazy. Sometimes they feel so dry they are scratchy and my vision blurrs. I thought for a while that it was the many hours I am on the computer, or perhaps my poor sleeping habits as a result of stress and age.
I went to the doc a long time ago and he ran all the panel of tests. Everything came back fine and so I headed to an optometrist for glasses, thinking my eyes were strained from several years of neglect. He thought the new glasses would do the trick and recommended rehydrating eye drops sold over the counter.
What I had noticed but had not paid particular attention to was the fact they got better through the mid part of the week and got worse on the weekend. On Tuesday, my eyes hurt so bad I couldn't take it anymore and went to see a new optometrist who nailed it down with some simple questions.
When did I first notice it? A couple of years ago, subtle at first, getting worse over time.
What was going on at that time? We were living in the city, swimming, working, playing, normal life stuff. What else? We got a puppy ...
Oh no. My heart dropped. Quickly I suggested it might be due to the shift to the country with lots of outside work in the grit and dust, a whole new ecology of eye irritants. Maybe it hasn't been a problem that long. Maybe it's from all these forest fires, or a food allergy.
But I knew she was right. She explained the time spent around the dogs (weekends, vacations) was triggering my reaction, so it would make sense Mondays & Tuesdays were worst after a long weekend with them.
My eyes have been on fire lately. They itch and burn, swell and look bloodshot and glazy. Sometimes they feel so dry they are scratchy and my vision blurrs. I thought for a while that it was the many hours I am on the computer, or perhaps my poor sleeping habits as a result of stress and age.
I went to the doc a long time ago and he ran all the panel of tests. Everything came back fine and so I headed to an optometrist for glasses, thinking my eyes were strained from several years of neglect. He thought the new glasses would do the trick and recommended rehydrating eye drops sold over the counter.
What I had noticed but had not paid particular attention to was the fact they got better through the mid part of the week and got worse on the weekend. On Tuesday, my eyes hurt so bad I couldn't take it anymore and went to see a new optometrist who nailed it down with some simple questions.
When did I first notice it? A couple of years ago, subtle at first, getting worse over time.
What was going on at that time? We were living in the city, swimming, working, playing, normal life stuff. What else? We got a puppy ...
Oh no. My heart dropped. Quickly I suggested it might be due to the shift to the country with lots of outside work in the grit and dust, a whole new ecology of eye irritants. Maybe it hasn't been a problem that long. Maybe it's from all these forest fires, or a food allergy.
But I knew she was right. She explained the time spent around the dogs (weekends, vacations) was triggering my reaction, so it would make sense Mondays & Tuesdays were worst after a long weekend with them.
I don't just spend time with dogs, I'm on the floor with them and let them crawl all over me. I cuddle them while watching a movie, and play chase with them in the yard. They travel with us whenever we can.
We talked general interventions, like washing with soap and water after playing with them, changing the pillow cases every night, and training Sam to sleep on the floor. She thought oral allergy medications could dry the eyes, and the general over the counter products weren't good, so gave a couple of samples to start on Tuesday night.
Almost right away, things improved. The orangy redness started to clear up, the puffiness started to recede, the sandpaper scratchiness and glazy film began to disappear. Like magic! I am so encouraged. I take Pataday drops for daytime and at night a product called Systane.
We talked general interventions, like washing with soap and water after playing with them, changing the pillow cases every night, and training Sam to sleep on the floor. She thought oral allergy medications could dry the eyes, and the general over the counter products weren't good, so gave a couple of samples to start on Tuesday night.
Almost right away, things improved. The orangy redness started to clear up, the puffiness started to recede, the sandpaper scratchiness and glazy film began to disappear. Like magic! I am so encouraged. I take Pataday drops for daytime and at night a product called Systane.
Thank God that with a few modifications and the right meds, a compromise can be reached. Our sweet dog people are here to stay.
