Leaving the Red-eye Roller Coaster
Already
sold on contact lenses, this patient was plagued with chronic red eye until his
eyecare practitioner uncovered an undiagnosed problem.
By Chris Morford, Bellville, Ill.
I
wear contact lenses to correct nearsightedness and astigmatism. I prefer them to
spectacles for aesthetic reasons, but also so I can see when I'm wearing my firefighting
breathing apparatus. Contact lenses are convenient, but for a long time, no matter
which lenses I tried, I kept having the same problem: Bloodshot eyes.
Many of the doctors I'd seen over the years said
my eyes were red because they weren't getting enough oxygen. They tried various
types of contact lenses, but none of them helped my red eyes. My friends told me
to see Dr. Kelly Kerksick. They said, "If she can't help you, nobody can."
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The
whole experience — from the exam to the new lenses and the eye drops —
has been a revelation to me. I'm very grateful for Dr. Kerksick's caring and expertise. |
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SEEING BEYOND THE RED
When I first saw Dr. Kerksick, I was wearing daily
disposable contact lenses and constantly putting drops in my eyes. She examined
my eyes and listened to everything I had to say. She even found something I'd forgotten
to mention — a piece of glass in my eye from when I was 10 or 12 years old.
She agreed with the previous doctors who'd decided not to remove the glass because
it wasn't giving me any problems. But I was impressed that she'd found it without
my telling her about it. From everything she did, I could tell Dr. Kerksick was
determined to solve my red-eye problem.
A CLEAR SOLUTION
Dr. Kerksick gave me a pair of continuous-wear
silicone hydrogel contact lenses to try. She also determined that allergies
were contributing to my problem, so she prescribed eye drops, advising me to keep
them in the refrigerator so they would refresh my eyes when I used them.
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My new lenses have made a real difference in
my work routine. ...I've already recommended these contact lenses to several
fellow firefighters. |
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I
can't say enough about how comfortable these new contact lenses are. I see clearly,
and my eyes aren't red anymore. I used to be embarrassed because everyone always
asked why my eyes were so red. Now they're clear.
My new lenses have made a real
difference in my work routine. Now, when I wake up, I just put in a few eye drops,
and go out the door — no more wearing eyeglasses when I'm on call. I've already
recommended these contact lenses to several fellow firefighters and paramedics.
The whole experience — from the
exam to the new lenses and the eye drops — has been a revelation for me. I'm
very grateful for Dr. Kerksick's caring and expertise. She solved years and years
of vision problems.
Contact Lens Spectrum, Issue: October 2005