Lid scrubs not a good idea???

[Ariel]

I just came across this post:

http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showthread.php?t=5176

Dr. Latkany says he's "not a fan of lid scrubs and wipes". My understanding is that eyelid hygiene is part of the daily regime for the treatment of blepharitis as there is no other way for us to get rid of the crusty scales that form around the eyelashes.

So is Dr. Latkany saying that he does not like for us to use commercially available eyelid cleaning products or is he saying he doesn't endorse eyelid hygiene?

[dave25]

From my personal experience lid scrubs did not work for me. My alternative was to gently clean my eye lids with warm water while in the shower. However, I know of many posters on this forum who use lid scrubs and have had success with them. I think the worry with lid scrubs is getting any of the cleansing ingredients in the eye. That is what my doctor always told me, so maybe that is what Dr. Latkany is thinking as well. I am pretty sure everyone is for good lid hygiene, its just sometimes when using cleansing agents you can do more harm than good.

[kelly1977]

I just saw a corneal specialist the other day, and he said lid scrubs wouldn't do me any good.

Which is SO frustrating, since two years ago when I was diagnosed with blepharitis, I was told to do them every day like brushing my teeth, or else I'd lose my eyelashes.

Now, I can't wear my contacts since my eyes got worse. Eyelids are puffy, eyelashes are growing all different ways. But apparently I have POSTERIOR blepharitis. I still thought lid scrubs were supposed to be helpful in any case.

I used to feel pretty. Now I don't, and my eyes hurt all the time. And for what? To find out what I've been doing for two years hasn't been in any way helpful?

[dave25]

I know exactly how you feel Kelly. I have done several things for many years under a doctors advice only to find out that what I was doing was counter productive. I used to rub baby shampoo all over my eyelids during showers for like 2 years only to find out that when I stopped doing that my eyes immediately started to feel better. The thing is I would have stopped much earlier but my old doctor kept on telling me to do it!

As far as your looks are concerned I am sure you are just as pretty as you once were. I struggle with this myself because it is so hard to feel good about yourself when your eyes feel like crap. However, that line of thinking only leads to bad places. My family tells me all the time that I look the same, I just act a little different and am less confident. The truth is that in most cases people probably don't notice any difference in our appearances at all.

[KeLLStaR]

It's all very confusing because different doctors/people say different things.

I have to say though, as soon as I started the Q-Tip/Baby Shampoo/Warm water eye scrub routine my eyes began to feel SO much better immediately. It made such a difference for me & my eyes are whiter than they have been in months.

In the back of my mind I wonder what this shampoo is doing to my skin, but for now, it's working.

[dave25]

It's all very confusing because different doctors/people say different things.

I have to say though, as soon as I started the Q-Tip/Baby Shampoo/Warm water eye scrub routine my eyes began to feel SO much better immediately. It made such a difference for me & my eyes are whiter than they have been in months.

In the back of my mind I wonder what this shampoo is doing to my skin, but for now, it's working.

If it is working keep doing it. Some peoples lids need different things and if that works for you I don't see much harm in it.

[Súil Eile]

Which is SO frustrating, since two years ago when I was diagnosed with blepharitis, I was told to do them every day like brushing my teeth, or else I'd lose my eyelashes.

I was originally told to clean my eyelids every day. After a year and a half of this the opthamologist changed her tune and said I shouldn't do it every day or I could lose my eyelashes. It would have been nice if she could have told me that before I started scrubbing every day! Now I do it twice a week and use baby shampoo, as I find that less drying and irritating than the wipes.

[kelly1977]

I saw 3 docs in the same practice. One said to use baby shampoo (his reason? only that it's cheaper--nothing about being more effective).

Another said NOT to use baby shampoo, since it's like putting soap in your eye, much like BAK.

Do these doctors not talk to each other? I even kept telling them, "Well, the last doc told me this . . . "

They don't care. Most are so ego-driven they don't want to listen to anything.

[Ariel]

I want to thank you all for your helpful replies. I think DES and lack of good medical care unfortunately come together in many cases. It is bad enough that we have to live with this condition, wasting money on doctors that know very little about it and prescribe the wrong treatment really is the last thing we need.

In many cases, studying a patient's condition with enough knowledge, time and dedication would lead to a better treatment but too many doctors are only interested in ringing the register and moving on to the next patient. This, of course, is a different topic.

[manitobaskyline]

I think it all depends on the type of problem you have. If you have crud and grime on your eyelashes, there is no other option than to scrub them daily. I have been scrubbing with baby shampoo 4 times a day for over 10 years and I have had zero problems with irritation. Just make sure you use something mild and rinse rinse rinse.

[Rebecca Petris]

It's great that you have no irritation from it. But baby shampoo is horribly irritating to many other people with blepharitis.

It may be fine for the lids & lashes, but getting it into the eyes can be very damaging for people with a really bad tear film.