I've had this condition for 28 years

Posted , 4 users are following.

Hello, I've had Blepharitis all my adult life, An eye specialist at an eye hospital  diagnosed me when i was 15, At that time i was prescribed Maxitrol steroid eye drops which work brilliantly and still do, But Blepharitis does come back, i can have weeks of 'normal' eyes then wake up with burning itchy gritty eyes (worse in the mornings) which when it gets severe will cause blurred vision, quick use of maxitrol sorts it but you can't use these drops for long periods of time as they will cause more serious problems, They sting a bit when first applied along with a nasty taste in your mouth but are very affective, An observation also interesting is that i noticed that using maxitrol also helped to  clear up any acne i had at the time on my face!

This might sound strange but cold moist tea bags gently resting against your eyes with head tilted backwards also helps!

Interestingly enough Blepharitis has the same symptoms as arc eye which you can get if your a welder! I wonder if Blepharitis is caused by UV sun light? I do wear dimmed prescription glasses that do help on bright days as i'm sure other sufferers have noticed that sunny days are intolerable!

Lack of sleep or disturbed sleep can also bring on Blepharitis

Regular hot showers or baths will help but don't over wash your eyes as this will just cause the area around them to become sore, A hot flannel whilst in the bath pressed against your eyes is best!

Hope this helps

Andy.

1 like, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • Posted

    Thanks Andy!

    Apparently, if you've had a retina tear which I had recently (not detached but torn), one needs to avoid drops with a steroid in them as they alter eye pressure according to my dr.  I too am finding that this condition comes and goes.  I actually like cucumbers on the eyes more than tea bags and have tried both!  I guess we just have to live with this condition, it's a nuisance, but not life threatening, and find ways to manage the times when it gets out of control.  

  • Posted

    I'm so glad you shared your experience Andy. I have been using Maxitrol for a while now and find that they work better than anything, but I was a little worried about using them long term. I try to keep it to a minimum but I probably use them about 2 to 3 times a month for a day or 2. They are the only thing that work for me in conjunction with hylo forte drops which in use all the time. I find if I forget to use them for a day I get a flare up. 

    As you say the dark glasses are a must even on dull days now I tend to wear them. And also the microwaveable eye bag gives great relief. I must try out the tea bags. I did use them once before in desperation when I was going for an interview and they did the trick that day.

    Regards 

    Janet

    • Posted

      Hi Janet

      It's so nice to find others that have the same condition as me, I was beggining to feel it was something that only i suffered from, I was told by the specialist that my condition was quite rare, I have tried just about everything over the years but nothing really works apart from good old maxitrol, Kinda stuck with it i guess, I was also told i could go blind in later life, I had an eye examination this year where the optitician told me that i have a birth defect where my optic nerve didn't attach the the retna properly on my right eye, I have a 'lazy' eye where everything i see has a halo round it, like looking at an eclipse of the sun so everything looks to me like it's got a bright light behind it, If that makes sense!

      Over the years i've adapted my life around the Blepharitis finding that working nights was best for me as theres no daylight to worry about.

      The tea bag trick works well though and worth remembering,

      Maxitrol drops are only ok for one month after opening though.

      Kind Regards

      Andy.

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