working outside

[pauldoo]

Hi

I have had grafts in both my eyes for about 5years now and so far so good. In the last three months though I have been working outside as a labourer (drainage). I have very dry eyes and dirt has been getting in my eyes and making them itchy, I have worn goggles but there not really practical for working as them steam up and get dirty. Ive been to the doctor and he gave me cream for my eyes as they were inflamed and puffy which I believe was a result of working outside for long periods at a time (I am not directly involved with the dirty work but I am outside a lot assisting). My eyes are back to normal now, though still a bit itchy.

Has anyone had this problem before and what did they do to help it?

Thanks:)

paul

[Andrew MacLean]

Paul

Welcome to the fgorum

I guess dry and itchy eyes are part of the experience of many folk after a graft. I always make sure that I have a supply of Clinitas Soothe with me. This is dispensed in little single dose 'minims'. Actually, I get enough to irrigate both eyes in a single minim.

I try never to let my eyes get to the itchy stage, but if they do I immediately irrigate with clinitas. Apart from that, I dry to bathe my eyes three or four times a day with clinitas and I use blephaclean to keep my eyelids dust free and my tear ducts open and working.

All the best

Andrew

[GarethB]

I work in dusty environments and the nack is getting box goggles that have adequate ventilation yet keep the dust out too. The set I use for really dusty situations have vents at the top and sides but have shield over the vents to prevent dust entering. These are only used where dust is likely to cover you like when the cloud comes you can't see through it type dusty situations. Make sure they have an anti mist coating and that the insides are kept clean otherwise fog forms on the dust that has collected rather than the lens itself.

For situations where dust is slightly less I have Spectacles Tornado safety wrap around polycarbonate lenses black Arkon



When I was having light sensitivity problems I wore them all the time and never sufferd problems of dust, not even on hot dry days when I walked past the local cement works. My friends in normal sunglasses would always have the problem of grit in their eye so I know they work well and I've never experienced fogging. Plus most people thought I had shades on, some people at work complained and called Health and Safety just to find that they were the ones that helped me select the glasses.

At under £10 they are comparable in price to most other quality safety glasses that are scratch and impact resistant and in 5 years I am only on my second pair which are about a year old now so absolutly no reason why your employer should refuse to pay. If they do, then they are in breach of the HSE's Personal Protective Equipment Regs.

Hope this helps.

Gareth

[rosemary johnson]

Hallo Paul, and welcome.
SOrry to hear about the dry itch eyes problem.
Yes, I've had exactly that sort of problem - I have a part-share in a horse. WHich means a grooming - lots of horse hairs, particular at this tiem of year when his winter coat is coming out, and dust from dead skin, dried sweat and the dried caked mud he gets all over him out inthe field, all flying everywhere. Oh, and mucking out a stable with wood shavings bedding,and the clouds of dust rising when I tip out a new sack of dry clean shavings.
I have tried different goggles and safety specs and know jsut what you mean about them steaming up - particularly since I am also allergic to horses and have to wear a mask or all the horse hair, dandruff etc set off my asthma.
The best approach I find is a) take the horse outside his stable and tie him up to groom him in the open air b) in worst of the hay fever season m nose is so bunged up I can't breathe through it anyway so just fit the mask over my mouth. Then i have a variety of those wrap-round sunglasses (which I'd need on in the open air anyway), most of them the sort that can be worn over ordinary glasses.
It's far from ideal, but at least I haven't had to call an ambbulance for an asthma attack recently!! - though sometimes I do get home fromt he stables with my eyes feeling like they're glued up.
The other thing I find helps with dry eyes to is make sure I keep drinking, especially in hot dry weather and/or working hard - yard work, riding hard, or running three times round the field trying to catch the little monkey.....! It's easy to get dehydrated, and then your tears don't wash stuff away as they might.
Good luck! - and I hope you're being paid for all this hard work better than I am.
Rosemary

[pauldoo]

Hi

Thanks for the replies ill take your advice on board! I do use Clinitas Soothe and they help bit! Ill get a pair of those glasses and see how it goes! Rosemary I wish I was getting paid loads of money! haha

cheers