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Original poster

Blepharitis - fed up! Give me your best tips?

50 replies

ScreenPrinting · 09/10/2023 09:52

It just won't GO!

It's not absolutely terrible, but I'm doing everything I've been told to do and I just want to know if there's anything I'm not trying that might speed it up/settle it down.

It's been months now, though admittedly I was treating it wrongly for several of those months because I thought it was an eye infection.

I'm doing a heated eye mask twice a day, plus gentle massage twice a day, and have been doing so for 2 weeks now. I thought it would really help but it's only been marginal improvement. Do I need to do this for weeks more before I see much more improvement?

Wiping with Blephasol twice daily - again, I've been doing this for about 2-3 weeks, I can't tell if it's helping or not. I think I have blocked glands in the eyelids rather than any of the other reasons you get blepharitis (I don't have crusty eyes, just incredibly dry and gritty-feeling) so I don't know if the eyelid hygiene thing is so important? Are there better/more effective products? I quite liked some tea tree wipes I tried a few weeks ago but they were crazy expensive and I don't know if they were any better than blephasol.

Eye drops recommended by the optician, Hycosan, twice a day

I was wearing contact menses minimally for months but now I haven't worn them at ALL for 2 weeks - I thought this would be the clincher but it's not had the positive effect I thought, at least not noticeably. This is the hardest thing for me because I'm a diehard lens wearer and have worn them without problems for 35 years... I just want to be able to wear them again, even if I can't wear them all day every day like I used to!!

I've started taking Omega 3, only done a week but does this help eventually? Any other supplements any help?

I'm drinking more water, again, only done this for the last few days but will this help if I keep it up?

I know it's not a condition that goes away totally, but I'm feeling disheartened by the lack of improvement. It IS getting a little better, but so so slowly, and I just don't know if it will ever be kept at bay enough to wear contact lenses and NOT have a horrible gritty sore eye when I wake up in the mornings...

OP posts:
SweetPetrichor · 09/10/2023 10:10

The only potential thing you could add is a gel treatment like Viscotears (think that’s what it’s called). Or any similar carbomer eye gel. I use it at night before going to sleep cause it will make your vision a bit fuzzy.

I find it is important to keep a routine, constantly, and when I get lackadaisical I end up in pain! I take Omega 3 6 9 daily, I use an eye wash like blephasol at bedtime, I use eye drops morning and night (and more if flaring up) - currently using Hycosan intense, and I use carbomer eye gel before sleep if in a flare up. I do also use heated eye masks in a flare up too.
Always worth talking to an optician too if you can’t get it to settle down. A few years ago I ended up in the eye unit at the hospital as an urgent referral cause my eye had got scratched up from the dryness and the pressure was too high in the eye. The optician was able to send me straight to a referral at the hospital. They’re great if you’re having issues.

hellsbells99 · 09/10/2023 10:11

I have found that wearing my contact lenses helps as it protects the eye. I have more or less stopped wearing eye make-up (very very occasionally wear a cream eye shadow rather than a powder) and this seems to help the most. Otherwise I do everything you say and have also had long term antibiotics which have helped. It is also linked to rosacea.

Hungrycaterpillarsmummy · 09/10/2023 10:12

This was years ago but there was a roller ball gel thing that I got for my boyfriend at the time and it really helped his. I got it on boots just a generic eye roller ball thing.

The thing that stands out to me is your using a heat mask? I definitely wouldn't be using hear as surely that will irritate it/dry it out more

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General health
GCAcademic · 09/10/2023 10:14

I agree with stopping wearing eye makeup - I gave up wearing all make-up a year ago and haven't had any recurrences of blepharitis since.

underneaththeash · 09/10/2023 10:14

If it's still no better in a couple of weeks, get back in touch with your optician. Some of us can now prescribe stronger treatments (although not many) and if they can't, ask to be referred to your GP for a course of oral tetracyclines. (these aren't suitable if you're pregnanct or breast feeding)

Sar90 · 09/10/2023 10:16

Recommended by an ophthalmologist for my dad: 250ml cool boiled water, add in some drops of baby shampoo. Gently "scrub" area with cotton bud three times daily initially and then twice daily for maintenance. Hopefully that helps you. It has been great for my dad.

NashEnquirer · 09/10/2023 10:17

I sympathise - I had several chalazions during Covid and it was bloody miserable. Have you tried OcuSoft? I don't know if it's technically an eye cleanser but it seemed to clam my eyes down a bit and made them less itchy. It's a sort of foam that you use before bed.

Original poster
ScreenPrinting · 09/10/2023 10:19

Oooooh hells bells, now you're talking :) I wonder if that might be the case for me too - certainly I am really surprised that the lack of contact lenses isn't making it so much better really fast - I have barely worn lenses since July and I really would have thought that this would have helped - but it hasn't seemed to. I might try the lenses again a bit and see if that helps or not - tbh if it doesn't make it any worse that's helpful too. I have also not worn eye makeup since July so I don't know if that's helping or not - I assumed best to avoid.

Hungrycaterpillar, the optician advised the heat mask which is why I've been doing it - she said to do it religiously but I have to be honest, I'm having my doubts, as it honestly doesn't seem to have got ANY better since OI've been using it religiously! I have heard they help a lot of people though - anyone else had good experience (or bad?) with heat? tbs it is warm rather than hot - I think the idea is it helps open up the locked glands?

SweetPetrichor, I have heard about the overnight treatments, that might be something else to try... glad to hear you've had some good from taking Omega supplements - I've only been taking them a week now so I guess they can't be helping yet, but I will continue.

Thank you so much.

OP posts:
Original poster
ScreenPrinting · 09/10/2023 10:22

Thank you all!

Sar90, I had heard about the cotton bud treatment with the baby shampoo - thank you for reminding me! I don't know if that's better than Blephasol...?

underneaththeash, I will definitely go back to the optician in a couple more weeks if it's not any better. I didn't know there were treatments - would those be effective even if the problem isn't caused by (what I think are) little mites?

So grateful for all the advice, thank you so much - I will try and find Ocusoft, I have also seen this at Boots I think.

OP posts:
Jeffjefftyjeff · 09/10/2023 10:29

a heat mask worked quite well for me. I used a natural one (filled with rice or something) that you microwave. A big trigger for me is dry air caused by heating or air conditioning.

Beefstew · 09/10/2023 10:30

The heat mask may be exacerbating the blepharitis, it can cause cells to dilate and inflame the eyelids even more
The cool sterile water with baby shampoo definitely does work. no eye makeup whatsoever until its completely cleared
I've always steered clear of lenses when I have a flare-up, the less unnatural products near my eyes the better but I'm no expert

Original poster
ScreenPrinting · 09/10/2023 10:33

So interesting to read this about the heat mask… my gut reaction is that it’s making it worse, it did seem to help a bit when I did it less but now I’m doing it twice a day I’m surprised how little it’s helping, if that makes sense…

the optician was very firm about it though and she’s a great optician…!

is this one of those pain-in-the-neck conditions where totally opposing treatments work for different people?!?

OP posts:
MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 09/10/2023 10:35

I don't like Blephasol, Optase tea tree eye wash is what keeps mine at bay along with not using any eye make up remover (I only wear washable mascara.)

INeedNewShoes · 09/10/2023 10:45

I had recurring stubborn blepharitis end of every summer until this year as I worked out the cause. My face can't tolerate most sunscreens. This was the route cause of it and it got bad, raw weepy eyelids etc. Medical treatments didn't really work. Eventually a GP told me to wash my face using bar soap and then apply Aveeno skin relief to my face. I was sceptical and didn't think this would be enough but it was. I use the Eco Warrior sensitive face soap to wash my face and then a thin amount of Aveeno skin relief (Aveeno's range is massive so if you want to try it make sure you get the 'skin relief' lotion). The key thing though was finding out the cause of it. Interestingly, my daughter's face can't cope with Nivea/Soltan etc. either.

INeedNewShoes · 09/10/2023 10:47

ROOT cause not route Halo

Original poster
ScreenPrinting · 09/10/2023 10:52

That is so interesting NewShoes… I honestly think mine started when I accidentally put (mineral) sun screen over my eyelids earlier this summer.

I am very careful now to put it nowhere NEAR my eyes, I avoid the whole eye area when I put it on… but maybe some microscopic amount is still reaching the eyelids somehow…?!?

OP posts:
tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz · 09/10/2023 10:53

I had an awful battle with Bastard-itis last year and in the end the only thing that worked for me was leaving the problem eye alone. Completely. As in applying absolutely nothing to it.

After a week/10 days is seemed to heal itself although granted it wasn't pretty especially when the skin started to flake Confused I looked like a bloody X File.

But I think trying so many things, even though marketed as for eyes, for the condition and/or gentle the skin barrier was just completely knacks and it needed to just heal by itself.

Then I started Blephasol twice a day (lotion not wipes - plus I've ignored the bollocks on the bottle about chucking away after 3 months with no adverse effects) then after a week of being in again I started to use an eye cream by Pai (£34 but they do a 90 day money back guarantee if you have any issues which, after the small fortune I'd spent on trying to sort my eyes was a godsend.).

Touch wood I've been symptom free since February.

Good luck OP it is a horrible thing to have. Especially if you're a little bit vain like me Confused

timtam23 · 09/10/2023 10:54

I had sudden onset dry gritty eyes a couple of years ago and very usefully I also have a friend who is an ophthalmologist, so when it didn't clear up with a few days' rest from contact lenses I asked my friend for advice. She suggested treating for anterior blepharitis so I used the cotton bud + dilute baby shampoo method to clean the lid margins, and eye masks of cotton wool pads soaked in fairly hot water for at least 10 minutes twice a day - it needed to be fairly hot rather than lukewarm I think. I kept the lenses out completely until it cleared up. It seemed to take forever but was only a couple of weeks in total until the grittiness cleared up so if you're having months of problems your optician would hopefully be able to advise again. I've been lucky and it has never recurred as painfully again, if I get any early signs of recurrence I do the cotton bud lid margin cleaning routine and it seems to keep it at bay. I hope you can get it completely sorted out

tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz · 09/10/2023 10:55

Oh and it may or may not be a coincidence but I'd been using a lash serum for a while before my symptoms started and I stopped using that.

I miss my bambi lashes but prefer my actual eyes to be ok more.

tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz · 09/10/2023 10:56

Oh and I'm now able to wear mascara again! The joy.

I use my Blephasol as an eye make up remover

wankyseahorse33 · 09/10/2023 10:57

Lumecare eyelid wipes cured mine. They are on Amazon.

Original poster
ScreenPrinting · 09/10/2023 11:12

tellmewhenthespaceshiplandscoz - I'm starting to wonder whether doing 'nothing' might be better than what I'm currently doing!! Sorry, just to be clear - you stopped everything EXCEPT the Blephasol, or you stopped everything INCLUDING the blephasol...? Huge thanks for your advice.

timtam - i want an ophthalmologist friend!!! I have just googled anterior blepharitis and I don't know if this is what I've got... my eyes are not crusty at ALL, just dry and gritty. But it seems like this cotton bud/baby shampoo treatment is really a good one to try.

I think I'm going to stop the heat mask for a few days and see if my gut reaction (that it's making it worse) is correct... once I've worked that out, I think I will switch to a different eyelid cleansing product, either the baby shampoo or something with tea tree, rather than the blephasol.

Thank you so much everyone, this is so helpful. It really is an annoying condition - I have several other annoying conditions that require careful long term management so I REALLY want to get on top of this one, at least...

OP posts:
flufferknutter · 09/10/2023 11:18

My blepharitis turned out to be an allergy. I don't know what to, but I started taking Fexofenadine every day and it miraculously improved to the point I no longer need to use eye drops or special cleansing measures.

Original poster
ScreenPrinting · 09/10/2023 11:33

Flufferknutter… thst is very interesting… I had wondered about allergies. The optician asked me about hay fever too.

Is that just a regular antihistamine?

OP posts:
happyhearts · 09/10/2023 11:41

Have a look at hypo21 I think it’s good for everything.