Someone Help!!!

Eye care
1

I was diagnosed with chronic blepharitis in 2007 after a huge flare up that put me out of school for five months. The Dr. thinks I have had it my entire life, but itsn't sure. I have been on a daily dose of 100 mg doxycycline since late 2007. This past year I found a new eye Dr. due to increasing pain and my Dr. not doing anything about it. Since then I have come off of antiinflammatory eye drops which I have been on for over 14 years. She started me off on steroid drops to back me off of the NSAI drops then switched be to tacrolimus (cyclosporin). At the beginning of January I started using Autologous Serum drops for my dry eye with SIGNIFICANT improvement, but I am still having the frequent attacks of tears that burn by eyes. I am still on the doxycycline, tacrolimus, and serum drops as well as a weekly allergy shot. I do hot compresses twice a day and wash my eyelids at least once a day. 

Is there ANYTHING else I can do to prevent these horrible attacks?

2

Hi lakenzie57371

my daughters is not as bad as yours. She uses cammomile tea to bathe her eye lashes in and then she places the cotton wool with camomile on her eyes for about 10 minutes she does this at least once a day. Whilst she is at school she uses clear eyes by murine gentle cleansing wipes they are preservative free hypoallergenic ph balanced. As I have said her case is not as bad as yours maybe just give it a try. This method is inexpensive and does not hurt to try. Let me know how you go

3

The only thing that has worked for me is the Wet Ones that I buy at WalMart.  I do hot wet compresses in the morning and I satrted with the Wet Ones (antibacterial wipes) four times a day.  It took about 3 months and now I use them only when my eyes itch or tear. Wipe the base of the lashes and leave it on.  It has been a miracle for me.  Hope it works for you.

4

I also use wet ones as Sandra. Get Be Gentle without alcohol if you can. I apply warmth and massage eyelids from nose to temple with eyes closed four times daily. Started a week ago when my eyes were irritated and watering so much that I couldn't see to read. No medicines at all. I am back to normal now, but I shall continue with this treatment for three months, then I shall do it a couple of times a week.

My doctor likes to try the simplest methods first. She explained tiny glands on the edge of the lids ( they lubricate the eye) get blocked or infected. Click on the drawing to see were they are.

Lots of luck

5

sorry that line of red stuff appeared from nowere, ignore it please.

6

lakenzie - I, like you, have had blepharitis since way before 2007 - I have been fighting this same battle as you have and I'm sure I don't have to tell you what a pain it has been.    Everything you have been doing is something that I have done at some time during the past years.  The only thing you didn't mention - that I have done in the past - is massage.  Maybe you have tried this and just forgot to mention it.  This is especially important to do after you have done the hot compresses.  When you do hot compresses on the lids, this softens the oils, etc. inside the lid, but then it's important to express what you have softened.  You do this by massaging the eyelid.  There is a way to do it and I will try to tell you, but if you don't understand my instructions - you might be able to find it online or through your Doctor.  Gently close the eyelids.  Put your index finger on the outer corner of the eyelid.  Pull the eyelid towards the ear, so that the eyelids are stretched taut.  Next use the index finger of the opposite hand to apply direct pressure to the taut eyelids starting at the inner aspect of the eyelid near the base of the nose.  Sweep with firm but gently pressure towards the ear. Repeat this maneuver four to five times.  Remember that the goal is to apply gentle pressure to the eyelids - so just rubbing the eyelid surface will do you no good.  The eyes will probably be a little blurry right after this procedure, but not for long.If you have never tried this, then good luck and I hope it helps you out.  It has helped me.

7

It sounds like you've been through a lot. 

I use Vaseline around my eyes every night. Take fish oil supplements 2x a day.

wash my hands before touching my eyes.

got rid of feather quilt I used at night.

use allergy eye drops

use eye lubricating drops without preservative. The drops with preservative made eyes worse after time.

use Q-tips for cleaning eyes every morning.

i did use the warm compresses when it was bad. In USA they sell an eye thing that you heat in microwave and gently leave on your eyes for 5 minutes then message oil glands but what a pain to have to add this into my AM routine.

they sell it at Bed Bath and Beyond for $9.99. Maybe you can get it online?

one doctor gave me steroid eye drops but warned don't use them more tha 3 days they can cause glaucoma ......great......ugh😹

8

Google 'Tea tree oil demodex blepharitis' to find links to blepharitis being caused by an 'infestation' of the microscopic skin mite, demodex, and the treatment plan to cure it, in case this is the cause of your blepharitis.

The demodex mites live in your hair/eyelash follicles and the glands in your eyelid margin, and you have to catch them when they come out to the surface of your skin to breed, hence the repetition and  1 - 3 month time frame to break the reproductive cycle and eliminate them altogether.

We almost all have these microscopic mites on our skin, but insome people it causes irritation.

Treatment is with 100% pure tea tree oil diluted with olive oil. You must dilute because tea tree oil is so strong it might irritate the skin around your eye otherwise. The tea tree oil is one of few things that will kill the mites.

I know it sounds completely bonkers, but it has worked for my son where prescribed medicines have not. He saw a massive improvement within the first week, and now after a month is almost 'bleph free', after suffering for 2 years.

There’s a really good description of how to carry out the treatment in a number of the links on Google, but quick description here:

Use a cotton bud dipped in the diluted TTO, clean eyelid margin and lash roots :

once a week for 1 month  - 50/50 dilution, 3 cleanses one after the other, 10 mins apart

on a daily basis, twice a day  - for at least 1 month, cleanse with 10/90 dilution – i.e. 10% tea tree oil to 90% olive oil

massage the eyelid after each cleanse to clear glands of debris, wipe off gently with clean cloth.

9

Can i just ask you were you diagnosed with any ilness as my sister has belpharitis for years( 10) and her doctor never coped it until towards the end of her 10th year having it,it turned out it got so bad that she went to an eye specialist and he diagnosed her with blepharitis but added there was something else going on in her system as her blepharitis was so bad and severe he was astounded that her doctor had left her in this condition for so long without getting futhur investagation, it turned out she has sjorgens disease raynards and fibromyalgia. This blepharitis is always a sign that there is somthing else going on as it just dosen't appear out of nowhere. So it comes with an autoimmune disease when all the blood test wer done she was diagnosed with autoimmune,if you google it it tells you all the imformation you need to no. Her symptoms were tiredness and absolute pain for a long time and her doctor insisted she was over worked. Now she is out off work after working from the age of 14 she is now 56 and out of work the last 3 years as her autoimmune disease has taken over where she is unable to walk some days. so please get yourself tested for an autoimmune disease as you have the blepharitis for so long it dosent sound good. And when nothing is clearing it up that isnt a good sign its the autoimmune with my sister that gives her the flare ups of blepharitis she was told this by her specialist hence anything that her doctor had given her didnt work.

Dont want to alarm you but eye infections should be curable when there lasting for years there is somthing else lurking. I myself have had symptoms of blepharitis over the last six months and nothing clears it up, teatree and apple cider vinegar helps a lot but dose not cure it it will always come back. I am now getting tested for autoimmune as my sister has one.

Good luck and hope you haven't got an autoimmune disease.