Living

I have mild to moderate dry eye, and the severity of the symptoms varies literally with whichever direction the wind blows that particular day. I have the most success with...

Not only has chronic dry eye cost me my quality of life, but it has also cost me financially. I am extremely fortunate to have good health insurance and financial...

I have found self-advocacy to be invaluable and a little intimidating. I’ve been learning how to find my voice in advocacy for more than 5 years, and I still struggle...

After my dry eye specialist examined my eyes and the oil being produced from my meibomian glands under a slit lamp, he determined that I had meibomian gland dysfunction and...

When I was first diagnosed with dry eye, my doctor mentioned she saw an allergy component with my diagnosis. I did have some eye itching and redness, but it wasn’t...

Growing up during middle school and my teenage years, I didn’t even know chronic dry eye was a “thing.” When I started wearing contact lenses in high school, I knew...

The In America survey is now closed. To learn more about the challenges of living with chronic dry eye, we are conducting our In America survey. By taking our survey...

I miss the days when I only saw an eye doctor once a year to get an updated contact lens exam. Instead, I’ve seen my doctor anywhere from weekly to...

At my last visit to my retinal specialist (as of my writing this) in September 2021, I was surprised to learn how much my vision had declined. My vision had declined...

As I’ve progressed in my dry eye journey and become a more educated consumer, I’ve begun closely considering the cleaning products that I use in my home. I remember when...

Before dry eye, I never really paid attention or had to pay attention to the environment I was in. This Christmas I was reminded why it is now so important...

Living with a long-term health condition requires us to stay on top of everything: doctor’s appointments, new symptoms, insurance, and, of course, managing treatment – all while taking care of...

Doctor appointments have so many challenges for me. Not only do I have to be ready to stand up for my needs while they evaluate and touch around my eyes...

Before I developed dry eye disease (DED), worry and anxiety weren’t a big part of my life. However, since developing the condition, I’ve had both offenders creep into my head...

“With dry eye, vanity goes out the window.” A fellow dry eye sufferer posted this comment in an online community. I’ve read several other comments just like it, and I...

We are almost 2 years into the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people have been wearing face masks, practicing social and physical distancing, and minimizing close contact since then. There are many...

Ideally, I’d have a large cool mist humidifier in every room of my house during the winter – maybe even 2 in the larger spaces – plus a warm mist...

When I first started getting that gritty, sandpaper feeling and redness in my eyes, it never occurred to me that it could be a lack of lubrication due to dry...

My eyes often feel heavy during the day. So much so that I can feel myself blinking more slowly. Or feeling the need to shut my eyes. This is quite...

Recently, I sat down with my husband of 19 years to discuss his perspective on my chronic dry eyes. What I thought would be a casual conversation turned into an...