Tuesday, October 12, 2010

CANCER DRY EYES


In a past post I mentioned the first rule of being a patient:  Keep No Secrets from the Nurse.  The reason this is so important is, even if you develop some of the side effects of your treatment, the nurse can help you get through them with less problems.
Recently, a patient talked to me about dry eyes.  This sounds like an every day occurrence for some of you, even without cancer or cancer treatment.
But remember the whole point of cancer treatment is to allow you to live a normal life.  Dry eyes can become more than just annoying.  They can become painful.  Some types of chemotherapy can cause dry eyes. 
Not all eye moisturizing drops are the same.  I learned this from my own eye doctor.  My eye doctor recommended “Blink” eye drops or “Restore” eye drops.  Both brands are available over the counter in drug stores and most supermarkets.  These drops cost more than a generic or “cheapie” brands and this is one of the times you really do get what you pay for.  The generics can make your eyes feel gummy and not all that good.  These drops should relieve dry eyes, if they don’t, after a few days, please talk to your cancer doctor to see if you need to go to an eye doctor.  Unfortunately more than one thing can be happening at the same time.  You may have a problem unrelated to your cancer treatment.  Your cancer doctor will be able to tell if this is the case and advise you what to do next.  Most times you just need a good eye drop.
Good Luck and God Bless You.

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