1. Community
  2. Eyes
  3. Blepharitis

Red Swollen face

Posted , 8 users are following.

tammy65286
tammy65286

Hi Everyone

I have recently been diagnosed with blepharitis, i have suffered with really dry eye balls since feb this year so much so i wanted to claw my own eyes out.  I pushed my gp to refer me to the eye clinic where i was told i have blepharitis i never considered this as i never had the sore eye lids or crusty eye lids. I have been prescribed clinitas and lacrilube which have relieved the dry eye ball.

However the past couple of weeks i have had the swollen eyelids which end up really drying out and leaving me with deep lines.  I have also had a swollen red face resembeling an allergic reaction has anyone else had this?

I keep returning to my gp but i dont feel i am believed about all my symptons as time i actually get in to see a gp the symptons seem to die down, however i pushed to get an appointment this week on the day of my flare up i see a locum gp who prescribed me with steroids which have helped.  I am keeping fingers crossed that it isnt going to flare up once the steroids are stopped, i will be honest this is getting me down as i dont want to go out as i look a mess.

I am reading everyones input and going to take a lot of what has been said on board, so i have some wipes and mascara wands on order.

So does this affect anyone else face????

Although i go swimming 4 times a week so i am just hoping this has nothing to do with it.

Any advise is welcomed

Many thanks

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • catherine45996
    catherine45996 tammy65286

    Posted

    dear tammy i do hope its not the swimming that is causing it maybe you should stop for a week or two just incase it is the chlorine that is doing it i can only speak for myself as i said on my last post i suffered for years attended hospital as well but about 3yrs ago i started using bio-oil on my face for my skin i then realised after about 4days i hadnt put anything in my eyes and i havnt since iput it all over my face in the morning after i wash paying particular attention to my eyes and my eyelashes again about teatime i wash my hands and then i sit and massage my eyelashes you can then feel the little crystals on your fingertips i then reaply the oil to my eyes and eyelashes my family couldnt believe the change in me as that condition can really drag you down if you do decide to try my way please let me know how you get on but it really really works for me no more going to bed at 8pm just to close my eyes regards cathie
    • tammy65286
      tammy65286 catherine45996

      Posted

      Thanks catherine, i shall lay off the swimming for a week or two just to see what happens or if it flares up again when i go back.  As for the bio oil i have some so i may give it a try.

      Hey i know what you mean about 8pm bed i think my earliest was 7pm just so i could use the lacrilube lol

  • jeanette43594
    jeanette43594 tammy65286

    Posted

    HI tammy

    when i had a flare up one side of my face would look swollen i just put it down to the flare up and thought no more but i have been using the wet ones and now i only do them twice a day. i was cleaning my eyes four times a day with baby shampoo  i was not diagnosed by my GP it was my optician he also said to use eye drops! so i just bought eye drops from my local asda and they really helped but not as much as the wet ones!! I very rarely use the drops now!! have you tried wearing goggles when you go swimming? what ever you find to use i wish you luck because i know what it is like and like everyone on this site you cant believe your luck when you find something to ease the pain and burning you get!! just take your time and check out all the advise on the site as there is some good advise on there.   rolleyes  take care and try and not let it get you down (i know its hard)

  • libralady13
    libralady13 tammy65286

    Posted

    Hi Tammy, I know what you are going through I have suffered for many years. I see you do not have the usual sore eyelids or crusting, but apart from the dry eye treatment have you been told about hot compresses, massage and eyelid cleaning which is the mainstay for this condition.  Others on this groups have other advice which you might find useful.  I agree with Catherine chlorine may be a problem for you.  You mention about your red swollen face.  Have you considered the skin condition Rosacea. It causes facial flushing and in more severe cases acne like spots.  It can also cause eye problems like blepharitis. I am not sure if there is a discussion on the forums, but google it and see what you

    think.  I used to suffer from it with out the eyes.  Now I have the eye problem but

    not much trouble with the face.  Not sure about Steroids whilst they are great for inflammation they can I think have rebound symptoms after to stop them.  Hope this helps.  Any other questions please ask.  Take care.

  • lynda79
    lynda79 tammy65286

    Posted

    Dear Tami,

    I posted about the hand wipes. If you are not allergic to the items listed such as detergents and shampoos, etc. you can give it a try.

    The steroids you are using have .01% of BAK (Benzalkonium Chloride) in them as a preservative. That is what is in the hand wipes sold in the UK.

    Staphylococcus is what causes Blepharitis. These Quats which are ammonium salt compounds like Benzethonium Chloride and Benzalkonium Chloride) kill Staphylococcus.

    I found this information by just googling the words. My friend killed it first with the antibacterial facial scrub. When I could not find that item for sale I looked on-line and found the wipes with Benzethonium Chloride in them.

    I did use 2 wash cloths each time as to not re-infect each eye again.

    You should probably put eye lubrication in your eyes as soon as you get out of the pool. I love swimming too. You can kill this it just takes a few months.

    Start out 4 times a day if you can and then go down after a week to 3 times a day. I did that for a month but Honjon, on this site, went down a lot faster. The next couple of months I used them twice a day.

    Let me know if you have any questions if I left something out?

    Thinking of you,

    Lynda79

  • lynda79
    lynda79 tammy65286

    Posted

    Dear tammy and Catherine,

    I just found out that the wipes in the UK have .3% Benzalkonium Chloride in them.

    The ones I used (you can buy on-line) have only .03% Benzethonium Chloride in them. That explains why honjon went down so fast in the time he used them.

    It is too strong to use around the eyes.

    Please get the safer ones the Wet Ones sold on-line with .03%.

    Wish I knew this before.

    Sorry,

    Lynda79

  • catherine45996
    catherine45996 tammy65286

    Posted

    yes please do try the bio-oil twice a day tammy i am almost positive it will work on your eyes my life has totally changed for the better since i have been using it of coarse its not a cure but my goodness it sure makes the symptoms so so easy to live with regarding your face i dont know if that is connected to your eyes my face was okay but i put the oil all over my face as well and as i said that has been for 3yrs olive oil and vasaline are to heavy on the eyes i have tried those take it the cheaper version of the bio-oil that you get in savers would do the job just as well but  i havent tried that please let me know if you use the oil and if it makes you more comfy regards cathie
  • NatalieLanoville
    NatalieLanoville tammy65286

    Posted

    Yes, I had that weird swelling a few times and it made my cheeks and eyebrows really itchy.
  • debbie47456
    debbie47456 tammy65286

    Posted

    hello tammy

    long story short. i was diagnoised jan 2011 with blepharitis. i went through hell with eye appointments. i have conjuntivitus as well. i used cloronfenical and betnisol on the eye lid margin twice a day until last august 2013. then i went to boots and bought blelthaclean wipes and it was a miricle. used morning and eve. no more steroids no more bad eyes. also use hylo tears  you can get these on precsription  and wipes cause they are expensive. always keep your hands clean and dont rub your eyelids. dont use baby shampoo and hot water cause this dried my eye lids after using for over 2 years. no one knows why this happens. get a good mascara and change every 6 weeks. hope this helps. let me know.

  • lynda79
    lynda79 tammy65286

    Posted

    Dear Everyonw,

    Made a mistake. The wipes in the US have 0.3% Benzethonium Chloride in them and kill the staphylococcus that causes blepharitis.

    Sorry for mistake,

    Lynda79

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.