Re: [CRVO] Spray paint and eye issues

[Marlys L]

That is a completely new idea to me.  I hope you are feeling better quickly and your eyes are doing fine.  How very strange.

-Marlys

On Fri, Jun 9, 2017 at 4:58 PM, 'Connie Zimmermann' via Central Retinal Vein Occlusion Support <crvo-s...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

So.... yesterday I was out in my yard using a metallic spray paint (from a can), and last night and especially today, my CRVO eye seems very affected.  More blurry than normal. 

Last night I had an "oh my goodness" moment when I remembered that this feeling in my eye, is the same feeling I had after using metallic spray paint on the day before my vision problem.  My initial thought at that time (which I had completely forgotten until now) was that the spray paint must have gotten into my eye.   I just looked back at the date which I used the paint 10/5/2015 and the date I saw the doctor, which was a several days after the vision problem appeared, which was 10/9/2015.

I am devastated to think that I might have just re-injured my bad eye!!  I am going to try to wash it out right now with saline, but I am wondering if any of you wonderful people may have any insight into this?

Thank you in advance for any help with this.

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[Connie Zimmermann]

Thank you Marlys.  I am feeling very sad right now thinking that I may have avoided all of this had I worn eye protection.  I thought I was being safe because I painted outdoors.  But... I will admit that they fine paint particles fly all over the place and I'm sure that they attached themselves to my body and probably into my eyes.  My CRVO eye is the left eye.  Even the right eye feels very tired with a slight burning feeling today.

The only good thing out of this would be that maybe it explains what the effect that I see in the CRVO eye is.  Maybe it's not CRVO at all, maybe the metallic chips scratched my retina/macula and maybe my eye reacted in a way that caused the swelling of the macula.

Or maybe it's all just caused by the high blood pressure.  I hate all of this.  But... there are a zillion much worse things in life, and I'd prefer it's me than any of my loved-ones. Even though this is such a drag, it's still not as bad as other health-related issues I've experienced and others in my family are currently experiencing. Now I will surely warn folks to use eye protection.

Thanks again.  ... Connie

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[Cal]

Connie:

Hoping that you get some relief with washing out your eye.   I always have EyeRelief by Bausch & Lomb in stock. 
I am so paranoid about protecting my good eye that  I've been wearing a face shield even when cutting the grass LOL!!



https://www.aao.org/eye-health/ask-ophthalmologist-q/paint-in-eye

Cal

[xoomer]

Hi Connie...

While I'm sure a bit of spray paint in the eye doesn't help, I doubt that it is the cause of CRVO.  I  was a contractor for years and we did a lot of commercial spraying using respirators but no eye protection but I never had any problem with my eye until years after I left that profession.  I remember my eyes and nose being completely full of paint particles at the end of a painting day but none of my workers, or myself, ever had any health problems during that time related to the painting.  

These days I'm a lot more cautious and have several pairs of goggles available whenever I do any painting or other work that might have any effect on my eyes.  I won't even drive a nail in the wall for hanging a picture without my goggles.

Who knows for sure, but I don't think a bit of spray paint would cause CRVO but it wouldn't surprise me that it caused some blurriness.  

Bruce

[RG]

Interesting. Maybe not spray paint per se but he metallic. If CRVO is caused by a blockage, could it be that microscopic bits of the metal in the paint got into your eye or your blood some other way and affected the flow of blood? Or perhaps an allergy to the paint caused swelling that squeezed off the flow of blood?

In my case, several docs surmise that the sheath through which the nerves, artery and vein pass is too small, and something perhaps was inflamed and squeezed off the vein. 

Robin

[Connie Zimmermann]

Thanks Cal, and thanks for the link. I had actually run across that one while researching info about "paint in the eye."

I used a bunch of Artificial Tears.  It didn't seem to make a lot of difference as to how my eye feels, but fortunately the extreme blurriness has subsided somewhat.  It's getting closer back to the normal vision problems I've had since the beginning.

I shall purchase some EyeRelief by Bausch & Lomb, ASAP!!!

[Connie Zimmermann]

Hi Bruce, Thanks for your feedback.  I have also been exposed to fumes and paint at various times and while doing various home repair as well as some art projects and furniture refinishing.  But.. this is something a little bit different.  The paint makes a tremendous amount of overspray, and it contains teensy tiny metallic specks.

I also thought that maybe I might be allergic to something in the spray and it maybe made me have inflammation.  I will surely use eye protection from this point on... forever!!  I had truly completely forgotten about the paint being a possible factor when I did this stupid thing again. 

Thanks again.   ... Connie

[Connie Zimmermann]

Robin, that is exactly the directions my mind was going with this as well and also when I've been brainstorming it with friends and family.  I know for sure that my optic nerve was swollen, because it showed up in the scans.

• Maybe I had a reaction to the chemical fumes?
• Maybe the flecks in the paint infiltrated the vitreous and made their way to the back of my eye?
• Maybe the smudges I see in my vision are not smudges, but actually scratches?
• Maybe the paint somehow got into the blood vessel and blocked the vein?  (the way talc does in the cocaine user's blood.)

I would probably be willing to get some kind of surgery to clear the vein, if that were an option, and if that were the cause.

Thanks for your input.

... Connie

[Connie Zimmermann]

I have reached out to the manufacturer of the spray paint to inquire about the possibility that others may have had the same type of issue and if there is a suggestion of how I may heal my eye, if in fact it is related to the paint or the fumes.  I tried to call them, but sat on hold for a long while, so I emailed them instead.

[Cal]

You might want to see if there is a MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) on the paint.  It will usually tell you any safety issues with the paint.

Here's one on a Rustoleum metallic paint.
http://www.rustoleum.com/MSDS/ENGLISH/314560.pdf
 
  

Cal

[Connie Zimmermann]

Thanks Cal. I checked the MSDS for the brand I used, and the only thing it mentioned was eye irritation.  I'll be interested to see if anyone from the company replies to my inquiry.

[Connie Zimmermann]

Oh, and blurred vision, but nothing more specific than that. Other info I read said that if the exposure is stopped then the side effects such as blurred vision should cease.

[xoomer]

Hi Connie...

I also did some spray painting with a can a couple of weeks ago and suddenly realized that I was getting some of it in my eyes.  As far as eye protection, I don't remember anything that kept all of the paint out of our eyes--it seems like we always had some sneak in under the goggles but there may be better goggles on the market today.

I've found that more things tend to make my sight blurry these days--a couple of supplements, some drugs, and even sleeping--putting too much pressure on my eye.  It was never like that before so I suppose the eye is more susceptible to harm than before.  Fortunately, the blurriness has always cleared up within a day or so for me.

Good luck, I hope you get an answer if the paint is causing the problem...

Bruce 

[Connie Zimmermann]

[Connie Zimmermann]

Hi Bruce, I'm so sorry, but somehow I missed seeing your Reply until today. (Eight months later!)

Thank you for sharing your experiences.  I also noticed a few other things which affect my CRVO eye, and some that effect both eyes.  Sleeping on that side when my eye presses the pillow is one of them.  Now I used a little tiny pillow and try to kind of hand my head off the edge of it so that my eye isn't pressed.

I take blood pressure meds and several of the varieties I've tried have a big effect on my vision in both eyes.

I have a fairly new computer monitor which is killing my eyes, so I'm trying to find a solution for that.  I've tried software to block the blue light, I've tried glasses which are supposed to block the blue as well.  Neither are working for me for various reasons.  I'll be working and then all of a sudden my vision takes an extremely noticeable turn for the worse.  Very frustating and a bit scary.  My entire work involves the computer.

Every couple of months I search the internet for new possible causes, particularly spray paint.  I'll post whatever I find.

Thanks again for your reply.

... Connie

[Bruce Dishongh]

Hi Connie...

I have the same problem with blurriness if I put too much pressure on my eye when sleeping--in fact, it happens to my good eye as well as my RVO eye.

Hopefully paint spraying isn't a problem for our eyes since I'm getting ready to paint our house with an airless sprayer.  When I did spray painting before as a contractor I didn't bother with eye protection but these days it will be different.

Bruce

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[Connie Zimmermann]

Hi Bruce,

I don't know if I actually got paint in my eye, or if the fumes maybe gave me a reaction.  My theories are that maybe the fumes irritated my optic nerve?  Maybe they irritated my sinus, which put pressure on the optic nerve or the retinal vein farther back in the head?   Maybe I did get actual paint in my eye and it got back there to the optic nerve and caused it to swell?

Or... all of the above, or none of the above.   Grrrrrrr.  I hate not knowing!!!

Good luck with your paint job!!  Please use every single precaution you can.

... Connie

On Saturday, March 3, 2018 at 5:46:47 AM UTC-6, xoomer wrote:

Hi Connie...

I have the same problem with blurriness if I put too much pressure on my eye when sleeping--in fact, it happens to my good eye as well as my RVO eye.

Hopefully paint spraying isn't a problem for our eyes since I'm getting ready to paint our house with an airless sprayer.  When I did spray painting before as a contractor I didn't bother with eye protection but these days it will be different.

Bruce

On Mon, Feb 26, 2018 at 7:46 PM, 'Connie Zimmermann' via Central Retinal Vein Occlusion Support <crvo-s...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Hi Bruce, I'm so sorry, but somehow I missed seeing your Reply until today. (Eight months later!)

Thank you for sharing your experiences.  I also noticed a few other things which affect my CRVO eye, and some that effect both eyes.  Sleeping on that side when my eye presses the pillow is one of them.  Now I used a little tiny pillow and try to kind of hang my head off the edge of it so that my eye isn't pressed.

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