PSA: If you have dry skin due to climate or Accutane, you may also have dry eyes.

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I've seen a couple people talking about severely dry skin recently and I wanted to put this out there.I recently went to the optometrist because I was experiencing all kinds of weird eye stuff - ghosting, extreme sensitivity to light, etc.She examined me and told me I had extremely dry eyes and that this was the source of my vision issues. She immediately wanted to know what was up with the air in my house - it's winter here - and I explained that I am taking low-dose Accutane. She wasn't familiar with the medication and when she looked it up was pretty alarmed (as a first time medical professional might be) at the list of side effects.The thing is that my eyes didn't feel dry at all. On a previous course of full-strength Accutane I did have dry eyes that I could feel, and it was very uncomfortable and I used eye drops because of the discomfort. This time around though, I was totally unaware.Dry eyes cannot adjust adequately quickly to changes in light. This causes photosensitivity, which, when exposed to UV, can be harmful. Dry eyes are also fragile and are more likely to be at risk for injuries like scratches and abrasions because they are not sufficiently lubricated. This is also really important if you wear contact lenses.Dry eyes aren't just caused by Accutane. If you have very dry air, especially to the extent that you know you require a humidifier because of the effects to your skin, there is a good chance your eyes could also be dry.Viscose eye drops have a thicker/oilier texture than regular saline drops; they are a little trickier and less comfortable to apply, but with a couple days of use my vision returned to normal.If you experience sudden abnormal vision changes please see a doctor or optometrist to be evaluated!I just wanted to put this out there, because the same things that affect our skin can also affect our eyes, but if you're like me and don't wear contacts or glasses it might not be something you ever really think about. It was kind of scary to experience, and I wanted other people to be aware.
Girls Blog 2015
Submitted by jmgree