Just been diagnosed

Elinor Good morning. Just a quick reply before I head to Hospital for tests. There is wonderful information on this thread so please take the time to digest it. Many doctors especially PCO do not have a clue as to what Blepharitis is and how to treat it. Unfortunately many eye doctors give it a lick and a promise and tell you to use the baby shampoo, lather your eyes in steroids etc. Lynda on this site gave me great hope with the use of Wet Ones. Been on it for 2 days. BlrphEx is supoosed to work miracles, that is next. DO NOT try LipiFlo , waste ofr money INHO. . Hygiene is important, keep lids clean, Check out the BlephEx, good luck sorry I am in a hurry to get ready for Hospital.

With you on the haggard lower lids Elinor, it looks shocking on me, I've aged about 20 years. I have been reassured by someone today that this happened to them and her eyes looked perfect. I think it must be the swelling. Yours and my experiences seem identical. 

In terms of massage you fairly firmly stroke from the inner corner of the eye to the outer both on the top and bottom lids immediately after the hot compress. This is supposed to help the glands that are blocked free up so that the oily secretions can flow and moisturise your eyes again. The eye pad off Amazon that you heat in the microwave is really nice to use. Good luck.

Dear Elinor,

From what I found out is that Blepharitis can be caused by staphylococus.

I used the hand wipes, WET ONES (US), and killed it. Honjon, on this site used the ones in the UK and seemed to have the same success.  My friend killed it with a facial scrub with Benzethonium Chloride in it. They reformulated and so I looked online to see what other products had that in it.

If you are not allergic to shampoos, detergents, hand wipes, fabric softeners, or lanolin it may work for you.

I was wondering if the wipes kill the staphylococcus and yet people keep putting some kind of a bag on their eyes, could they be reinfecting their eyes all over.

That bag needs to be wiped with the hand wipes to kill the staph too.

I use a warm washcloth (put in microwave) each day. I use a different one each day. The doctor said it would help to get things going in the eye.

I was able to use mascara and kill it at the same time. Let me know if you want more info. I have posted it on this site.

Hope this offers some hope.

Lynda79

Hi Elinor. Do not fret - I too had the loose, swollen and haggard looking skin around my eyes and looked like i had aged 20 years within weeks.

I have already posted on this forum that Doxycycline is the best antibiotic to take for this (in pill form) so ask your GP about it.

At the advice of my pharmacist I also used low 0.1% hydrocortisone sparingly on the lids and corners (being careful not to get any in the eye) and once that had sunk in I applied 100% natural Vit E oil over the top. You look a bit 'greasy' for a while but it's certainly better than the alternative. I thought that the sagging and swelling was going to be permanant but thankfully, along with the Doxycycline this regime had my eyes back to normal within 2 weeks.

Be VERY careful wuith all this Wet Wipes advice - I do believe they made the itching, swelling, redness, and drying of the delicate skin around the eyes even worse!

Good luck.

I use the microwave eye bag (got mine on Amazon, but saw it for sale in CVS the other day).  I wrap the bag in a clean washcloth each time I use it, so no worries about having to wash it.

I also do the firm stroke from inner to outer corner of the eye immediately after removing the warm eye bag.  I rinse my eyes next - sometimes with eye drops and sometimes just splashing with water.  I had used the baby shampoo, but do that very rarely now.  I use the Wet Ones next.  My method is to tear each sheet into 4 strips, and use one strip at each session, using a new part of the strip for the upper and then lower eyelash margins for each eye to wipe from the inner to outer corner, with a third swipe across each eye to finish.

I did the microwave eye bag daily in the morning, and the Wet Ones both morning and evening for about 3 months.  Occasionally I was not able to do the eye bag, but still used the Wet Ones.

I did eventually stop doing it every day, and then it became only occasional.  When I saw my eye doctor recently he suggested that I continue with the warm eye bag 3 times a week.  I guess this is important to keep the oils flowing.  But all the inflammation was gone and my eyes are back to normal, although still dry.  They have been dry for many years, but this past year was the first time I had the inflammation that turned out to be blepharitis.  The eye doctor tried treating it with antibiotic cream and a steroid cream, but it was the Wet Ones that did the trick, along with the stopping of a moisturizer that I was applying to my dry, irritated eyelids.

Hi elinor i was diagnosed with MGD but i dont think GPs have a clue as to what this is.  Along with the swollen eyelids my face was swelling and i had a rash that would come and go i have been like this since may.  I was sent to the allergy clinic as gp thought i had an allergy turns out i dont.  So now i am being reffered to a dermatologist which hopefully will be able to help.  As if you read up on MGD it can have a secondary effect on the skin which is what i have been suffering with not that my gp has entertained this idea.  At present i am using optive eyedrops for dryness lacrilube of a night time plus i have been put onantihistamines and  i also take montelukast for this. i have been washing my face in vagisal femine wash which has worked wonders for the first time since may i regonise myself in mirror but i do still have the lines but fingers crossed these will go as i too feel i have aged decades in weeks/months.