Dry, heavy eyes?

My mom has a constant sensation of "heavy eyes". She struggles to keep them open sometimes and it has become a problem while driving. She went to the doctor today and they told her this is due to dryness and to buy some over the counter eye drops. But, just wondering, would eye lift surgery solve this problem? (b/c my mom says it feels better when she holds her eyes open with her hands)

Your Mom might have Ocular Myasthenia. Its a nerve problem that only affects the eyes and eyelid movement. The hallmark of ocular myasthenia gravis is eye muscle weakness that increases during activity and improves after rest.

I had the same symptoms for more than 15 years that eventually got worse. I went to every opthomologist and Optometrist in Chicago, tried every dry eye medications and was checked for allergies. Nothing worked until my GP told me to go to a neurologist who diagnosed the problem immediatley and has given me a remedy. My advice...GO TO A NEUROLOGIST.

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No. If it is/was genuine dryness, lifting the lids would actually make the problem significantly worse- it encourages incomplete lid closure during sleep, which even a tiny amount can do a lot of damage.

First, she should go back to the doctor and call him irresponsible, and demand that he determine the exact CAUSE of her dry eye. If you don't know if it's because of lower tear production or poor tear QUALITY, you can't effectively manage the symptoms.

Regarding eye drops, NEVER EVER buy bottled drug-store eye drops. Instead, you MUST use single-use VIALS of preservative free drops. They generally come in boxes of 20-30 vials. Bion tears is a good option, although some like refresh (celluvisc or lubricant, plus not so much) or systane. Try a few out.

Aside from that, check out the patient's guide at http://www.dryeyezone.com/faq/checklist.... and take all of it's advice to heart- it's good stuff.

Surgery isn't necessary. Because the doctor told her that this is due to her overly dry eyes, she should stop by her local pharmacy and pick up a bottle of "natural tears". This is a liquid that works just like your natural tears do to lubricate her eyeball and stop the irritation. :)

My family has a history of sagging eyelids. My aunt had the surgery and she looks and feels better!
I would definately check into it for her sake!