My blepharitis and dry eye routine

Eye care
1

The first thing I do when I get out of bed is to wipe both eyes with warm water.  I use a double sided oval pad (from Boots) one side for each eye.

I then use Hylo drops, one drop in each eye.  Later on I wipe my lashes with Optrex for sore eyes (most of the optrex range has the Benzalkonium Chloride in them) that they talk about on this site.   I did very reluctuntly try the wipes that are recommended on this site but I was very nervous about it as I felt my eyes had taken such a beating already and I did not want to add to it so I tried it for only a short time.

Throughout the day I put in the Hylo Tears and depending on how my eyes are I wipe the lashes with the Optrex, how many times depends on the day/weather/traffic etc.  I am certainly doing it much less than I used to.  Sometimes at night I may also use a Lid Care wipe, particularly if I wear make-up, I have just started using eye shadow after several years of not doing so and when I have put it on and I am aware that my eyes/lashes are not so comfortable I very carefully put the Optrex on a tissue and just gently wipe the lashes and I seem to be able to tolerate the eye shadow and I am then off out.

I am telling you my routine because I feel I have broken the back of the condition and it just might help someone else as I found this site so helpful when I was starting out. 

Interestingly and disappointingly when I saw my Doctor she said whatever you are doing, keep doing it because it has clearly worked.  She did not ask or was the least bit interested in what I had done. She had a student Doctor with her and turned to him and said this patient had bleharitis/dry eye quite badly which is a condion which is a bit of a nuisance I said Doctor it is far more than that!!    Pity, as I can't see much change happening in the medical field, so clearly we have to help ourselves and each other.  I hope this helps someone.

 

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Hi Carol,

Wow...me too except my eyes were so dry that my corneas were drying and on their way to blindness. I underwent surgery to occlude my bilateral lower tear ducts in 1987.

Tears are comprised of three layers: mucus, water,oil

Blepharitis is the losd of the water layer. That leaves oil and the mucus that dries on the lids overnight.

The occlusion was effective for many years but about 2000 things went south again. I now use Restatis drops in my eyes, one in the morning ang one in the evening. Restatis is effective in treating the underlying inflammation process that causes the water layer loss. It actually allows the water layer to return.

Here I am, able to easoly open and close my eyes without all of the gunk buildup...no more warm wash cloths.

,Hope this helps

kind regards

judith

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Hi Carol, have you had cataract surgery? if so did you develop Blepharitis afterwards.  Your letter is very interesting, my husband has Blepharitis and like you is having problems, we will try what you have suggerted, my problem is different, I had cataract surgery on both eyes, the sight is Ok in both eyes now but I have developed other problems in my eyes and am wondering if I too may have developed Blepharitis, my eyes feel heavy and uncomfortable and I have lost a lot of my oomph if you know what I mean.

You are right about the site, it can be a really good help to others

Regards

Agnes

 

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Hi i have Sjogrens disease and have been having extreme dryness and all sorts of problems with my eyes.I can't find any systemic meds that i don;t react to.I was thinking of asking my eye specialist if i could try the Restasis eye drops next. Please could you tell me if you have had any side effects from them?