Heads up on Eye Problems that may or may not be associated with Kava Use.

[ShannyinSobriety]

I drink a lot of kava, sometimes toss and wash sometimes squeezed. I drink Waka, from Amazon. I have been getting eye stys weekly for a couple of months. It seems my sebaceous glands are not functioning very well, and basically my oil is the the consistency of toothpaste. I have heard that Kava can have an effect on oil glands, and I was already very dry. But Kava means never having to drink again so it is worth it to me. I am taking an oil supplement and cleaning my eyes regularly. I don't know what the future holds. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this with heavy kava use? I do not get dermopathy anymore, but finding out my oil glands were basically not working was a little concerning. Thank you ahead of time!

 

[F3TU5]

I had a hardtime drinking kava with contacts in. That shit felt like their was dirt stuck under them constantly

 

[nabanga]

Every so often, maybe 3x per year, after daily kava drinking, it catches up with me and I dry out, eyes included. I don't get styes like you mentioned, but the skin around my eyes is very papery, they water all the time, and I can barely open them in sunlight. They feel sore too. The only way this goes away is if I stop kava for a few days and drink lots of water and ORS or coconuts.

 

[Chaucer]

A couple of months ago I reported that I felt pressure in my eyes after drinking Kava for a couple of weeks. I went to an optometrist and had them looked at and tested for glaucoma, and everything checked out. I still get this occasionally and perhaps it is related to the sebaceous glands.

 

[The Kap'n]

I drink a lot of kava, sometimes toss and wash sometimes squeezed. I drink Waka, from Amazon. I have been getting eye stys weekly for a couple of months. It seems my sebaceous glands are not functioning very well, and basically my oil is the the consistency of toothpaste. I have heard that Kava can have an effect on oil glands, and I was already very dry. But Kava means never having to drink again so it is worth it to me. I am taking an oil supplement and cleaning my eyes regularly. I don't know what the future holds. I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this with heavy kava use? I do not get dermopathy anymore, but finding out my oil glands were basically not working was a little concerning. Thank you ahead of time!

I've personally had this exact issue. I eventually quit wearing contacts because of it, and honestly I wish I had given them up sooner. Since switching to glasses I've continued to drink kava as I would normally and have had zero issues. The optometrist also told me, like you, that my sebaceous glands were not working correctly. Kava definitely has a marked effect on the function of sebaceous glands. We just don't know precisely how or why at this point.

 

[rayken]

yep happened to me 1 time

 

[Capitán Bastos]

I think this has happened to me a couple of times now. I find eye ointment to be a great relief.

 

[Atticus]

Sounds gross. But, fish oil capsules will help.

 

[Edward]

Google Blepharitis. Is that similar? I think that's what I have/had. My eyes have got a lot better recently. The start of it sort of corresponded with when I first started drinking kava last summer. The trouble is I can't remember the exact course of events in terms of whether the kava could have caused it or not. I have a feeling that it's nothing to do with kava but drinking kava regularly now does give me puffy eyes. I wouldn't say dry, just puffy.

 

[kavadude]

as a non-contact wearer, I get this like @nabanga probably once or twice a year...only thing to do then is to back off for awhile

 

[The Kap'n]

Google Blepharitis. Is that similar? I think that's what I have/had. My eyes have got a lot better recently. The start of it sort of corresponded with when I first started drinking kava last summer. The trouble is I can't remember the exact course of events in terms of whether the kava could have caused it or not. I have a feeling that it's nothing to do with kava but drinking kava regularly now does give me puffy eyes. I wouldn't say dry, just puffy.

Extremely similar.

 

[Edward]

When I first got it I had a lot of painful lumps on my lower eyelids that eventually filled with pus and burst (sorry). Now I don't get any pain but I do get the occasional pus spot which goes quite quickly. That's the extent of it these days. A minor inconvenience if it is kava related.

 

[ShannyinSobriety]

Sounds gross. But, fish oil capsules will help.

I am taking fish oil capsules. It can be gross, but it is more painful than anything.

 

[ShannyinSobriety]

When I first got it I had a lot of painful lumps on my lower eyelids that eventually filled with pus and burst (sorry). Now I don't get any pain but I do get the occasional pus spot which goes quite quickly. That's the extent of it these days. A minor inconvenience if it is kava related.

I've noticed that if I take extra oil - coconut, fish or grape-seed- and I sleep on a hot pad...I can get it to move along faster.

 

[Capitán Bastos]

I use eye ointment.

 

[Edward]

I tried drops and creams, anti biotic and anti septic and neither appeared to do much good. I try not to rub my eyes at all any more and that has appeared to make a difference.

 

[Jonathan]

When I'm using kava in the evening, I get super pasty/mucus-filled eyes the next morning. But once I wash they clear out and it doesn't persist...

 

[Capitán Bastos]

I tried drops and creams, anti biotic and anti septic and neither appeared to do much good. I try not to rub my eyes at all any more and that has appeared to make a difference.

Yeah.
When your eyes get dry, it's only natural to start rubbing them. If you have dry eyes and are tired, you'll probably inclined to rub more. Resist that impulse and you'll be better off. In lack of ointments or eye drops, I find that ice cubes or anything cold against my eye lids helps alleviate the urge to rub.

 

[Edward]

I find that ice cubes or anything cold against my eye lids helps alleviate the urge to rub.

I'm always on the look out for something to alleviate the urge to rub... kava doesn't always help with that

 

[Vekta]

It probably has more to do with whatever is going on with or around your eyes than it does with kava. Kava just makes it worse.

I've been in and out of the ophthalmologist for eye issues like that. Dry skin, oil, dandruff etc can contribute to this. It's even worse for people that have less than perfect skin and hair to start with (ie oily, dandruff, chronic dryness for one reason or another). People with chronic Blepharitis also need to be extra vigilant about skin and hair care as well as washing out their eyes on a regular bases. If you can afford it try using OCusoft pads or the foam eye wash. You should be able to find that at a local drug store or maybe even the super market. If cost is an issue (the stuff can be hard to keep in the cabinet) you can try a tiny bit of baby shampoo. One eye doc told me to use the OCusoft only, the other said I can use baby shampoo. The main thing is just to wash them to make sure they stay clean(er). Cleaning them on the regular will help reduce eye irritation issues unless there is some kind of chronic eye infection.

Welp, that is my $1.02 for what it's worth.