Blepharitis

[happy_face]

My boyfriend has just been told he's got blepharitis. Have any of you got it or do you have any experince with it. I would love to know how you cope with it and if you have any tips. Any help would be appreciated.

[gypsy]

blepharitis is a chronic inflammation of margins of the eye.being your boyfriend has been diagnosed then obviously he will recieve qualified attention as eyes are not to be played around with,,if it reoccurs after treatment get him to go back to the gp and ask for an allergy test as sometimes it is caused by an allergic reaction to certain chemicals and if that is so if its eliminated then the problem is resolved...gypsy

[happy_face]

Gypsy thank you for your answer. The thing is I know what Blepharitis is as it's second time in 2 years he's got it. He always goes to the Gp, but I was just wondering if anyone had any tips on how to live with it as it's something he'll have for the rest of his life on and off.

[Clanad]

Check here...

http://www.agingeye.net/otheragingeye/blepharitis.php

I've used the commercially available lid scrub Occu-soft, with good results.  They are individually sealed towelettes and have a rather rough surface to remove the debris.  My Dr. then prescribed an ointment which is applied in the eye in the evening before bed.  Used this daily for about a week then went to once every two or three days... all's well... Luck!

[AB Editor]

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[kaz35]

My other half also suffers with this quite iritating condition - his eyes used to often look red rimmed and feel quite dry and uncomfortable.  The optitian that eventually diagnosed this told him to use lid wipes (as already suggested by Clannad) a couple of times a week, but in between, it was recommended that he use cotton buds soaked with baby shampoo as he felt he needed to (he did this every day for a while).  He runs the cotton bud/shampoo along the inside of both lower & upper eyelids to remove the build up of ' grime. '  Sounds horrific, but baby shampoo doesn't sting, and it really does work for him.( Easy on the pocket too!!)  He also uses eye drops (very occasionally) to keep the eyes moist, called "tears naturelle," available over the counter at chemists - non-medicinal, just keeps the eyes moist.It still does flare up every now and again, but, as you say, it's knowing how to deal with it.  It's nowhere near as bad as it used to be, and the 'attacks' are far less frequent. Hope this is useful to you both, be interesting to know how you get on xx :)

[happy_face]

Clanad and Kaz35 thank you so much for your answers. You have been most helpful. Now that I know what I'm looking for I'm going to the chemist to get wipes, eye drops and baby shampoo. We're flying on holiday over christmas and I thought it'd be good to have some eye drops for the plane as the air in planes normally is so dry.

I would like to ask Kaz35 if your partner uses the baby shampoo neat on his eyes or if he dilutes it ?

Once again thank you so much. Kaz35 I'll let you know in the new year how he's doing. So have a look later on.

Merry Christmas to you both.

[kaz35]

Sorry, Happy_face, forgot to mention that he dilutes the shampoo with warm water in an eggcup, or a small glass will do, and then just rinses his face / eyes afterwards in the sink with clear water.

Hope you too have a lovely Crimbo and a good holiday! xx:)

[mrsmac]

I have been living with blepharitis for a few years now and wholeheartedly agree with (my opthalmologist and...) Kaz 35 who both go with the baby shampoo ,diluted about 1 in 10, and drops during the day and also Simple eye ointment in the eye at night. 

It is a bit like Eczema or Psoriasis there is no cure just treatments to keep it at bay.  Its a pain in the ass but you just have to hit on the right routine for you (or you partner).

 

Good Luck xx

[kalise25]

Perfect advice from Clanad and kas35 - it's what I tell all my patients in practice (hot compresses, diluted baby shampoo etc.) If you're going travelling the lid wipes may be easier to use - there are several brands available, most commonly one called Supranettes.

Blepharitis is really common, and unfortunately does tend to be chronic, but it will tend to flare up on occasion and go into remission - so to speak -  on others.

Just make sure he keeps up the lid care and uses preservative free artificial tears as needed, and he should be fine.

[kaz35]

Happy new year!!   How is the Blepharitis?  X :)

[happy_face]

Hi Again and I'd like to wish you all a happy New year and thank you all for your answers and help.

The Blepharitis has now "gone"... well for the time being that is. He did the whole baby shampoo and fake tears and the eyes themselves got a hell of a lot better but he was still suffering with very dry skin around the eyes. All he put on was abit of vaseline when we were at home but it seemes to make it worse.

Then we got some excellent advise from a chemist. Vaseline is the worst thing to put on as it just sits on top of the skin and gives no moisture. We got recommended a good eye cream by a make called Dr Scheller... don't  know if you can get it inthis country though. It's full of natural goodies like sea weed and salt from the dead/red sea etc. and within 2 days his eyes were perfect. We've now obviously brought back a stock of that cream with us.

So things are going well this end and now that we know he has to keep up the eye routine I hope we can keep it well under control.

Once again thanks everyone and especially to you Kaz - you've been a great help. Hope you all have a great 2005.