Had blepharitis... now have dry eyes... can I have normal eyes again?

[Dinobear]

"If left untreated, blepharitis can stimulate inflammation, causing the eyelids to become red, swollen and irritated. The inflammation can often disrupt normal tear production causing dry eye."

I had blepharitis for about four months, characterized by red eyes, a gritty sensation, eyelashes falling out, and a mucousy discharge among awakening. It's not that I didn't treat my blepharitis per-se, rather the medicines I was given (azasite and FML) did not seem to effectively alleviate my symptoms. After the four months of suffering with the blepharitis, I awoke one day to dry eyes, and red puffy eyelids. This was about 5 months ago, and my eyes are still dry, red, and puffy. Can my eyes ever get back to normal at this stage? I am now seeing a new eye doctor and he wants to prescribe restasis for me to treat the dryness. I am an 18 year old female and from what I understand restasis is something that needs to be used every day continously in order to maintain its benefits. The thought of having to rely on a medication for the rest of my life scares me. And I don't believe Restasis will target the root of my specific problem, which is malfunctioning meibomian glands (am i right?). I do not have an aqueous deficiency. I am thinking about asking for doxycycline. The option was never offered to me, by any of the 5 opthalmologists I've seen. What should I do?

[Plat]

Ask a your Doctor for Doxy, try it for 2-3 months to see if it helps.

[rooneyandfergie]

I have suffered dry eyes since Dec. I too have blepharitis which further exacerbates my dry eyes and causes my eyes to be red. I too wonder if my eyes will go back to the same level it was at previously.

I was given antibiotic eyedrops (fusidic acid) for my blepharitis. It worked when i was using it. the redness and dryness got better. I did not do any form of eyelid hygiene during this period. After i was off the antibiotics, the redness and dryness problem returned.

3 weeks ago, I started doing warm compresses and eyelid scrubs 2 times a day. I figured since blepharitis is often caused by bacteria that feeds on the eyelid debris we produce, removing them would solve the root cause of the problem. And it has worked! it has made my eyes less red and more able to tolerate computer and tv screens. In addition i am taking fish oil supplements which help increase the quality of the tear oil layer secreted by the MG. The warm compress will help open up your Meibomian glands and melt away any debris stuck in you glands.

i do feel that if you do proper eyelid hygiene and take omega 3 supplements, your situation will improve. It does take some time to see the effects. I didnt see much improvement till 3 weeks later so you gotta be patient. Furthermore, you shouldn't touch the eyes when your hands are not clean. I read somewhere that the nose sometimes contain Staph bacteria which causes blepharitis.

[advocate]

Have you tried the allergy treatments that I suggested in the "guide" to blepharitis treatment that I posted last year?

"If left untreated, blepharitis can stimulate inflammation, causing the eyelids to become red, swollen and irritated. The inflammation can often disrupt normal tear production causing dry eye."

I had blepharitis for about four months, characterized by red eyes, a gritty sensation, eyelashes falling out, and a mucousy discharge among awakening. It's not that I didn't treat my blepharitis per-se, rather the medicines I was given (azasite and FML) did not seem to effectively alleviate my symptoms. After the four months of suffering with the blepharitis, I awoke one day to dry eyes, and red puffy eyelids. This was about 5 months ago, and my eyes are still dry, red, and puffy. Can my eyes ever get back to normal at this stage? I am now seeing a new eye doctor and he wants to prescribe restasis for me to treat the dryness. I am an 18 year old female and from what I understand restasis is something that needs to be used every day continously in order to maintain its benefits. The thought of having to rely on a medication for the rest of my life scares me. And I don't believe Restasis will target the root of my specific problem, which is malfunctioning meibomian glands (am i right?). I do not have an aqueous deficiency. I am thinking about asking for doxycycline. The option was never offered to me, by any of the 5 opthalmologists I've seen. What should I do?

[Dinobear]

To Advocate

Advocate, I did in fact read your post, and I only decided to get tested for allergies after reading it. After prick testing and intradermal skin testing, it turned out I am allergic to dust mites, dogs (which I am rarely around), and cockroaches. I started immunotherapy, mainly for the dust allergy, but I am not convinced that my dust allergy alone could trigger the blepharitis which caused my MGD. I think that it was caused by an infection due to contact lenses, or something along those lines. I tried some of the things you recommended in your guide, such as the cold compresses, Pataday, allergy drops, getting sun exposure every day, intensive cleaning of my bedroom and surroundings... but to little avail. Unlike you, I am not allergic to mold, which could be why I did not respond as well as you to the treatments you described in your guide.