Cleaning Eyelids

[Damocles]

It looks like there are two main ways to clean your eyelids.
The most often used as well as the cheapest is by diluting baby shampoo in water in the ration of 1:9 and then using a cotton bud to "scrub" the base of the eyelashes.
The greatest drawback using this method is that not many people are good at it, especially those whose eyesight are poor or the elderly.
For those who are long sighted, such close work may not be easy at all.
The alternative is by using lid wipes which comes prepackaged in aluminium foil.
But these are expensive.
Is there any other way to do the job efficiently?
I was thinking about applying cleansing cream to the whole face while bathing and then using a face towel to wipe the eyelids a few times to clean them.
What I am uncertain is how effective this will be.
Has anyone tried it?

[Max52]

There are plenty of pump action foaming eyelid cleansers on the market..thera tears, ocusoft, etc. that do a good job.

[cathy8889]

Hey, I read or watched a you tube seminar by john hovanesian a while ago that baby shampoo can exacerbate problems, especially for mgd sufferers, just found this from this web page

Not so gentle?

Though many physicians advise dry eye patients to scrub their lids with baby shampoo, Henry D. "Hank" Perry, M.D., Mineola, N.Y., says he's a little more cautious. Dr. Perry gave Hawaiian Eye attendees an update on dry eye diagnosis and treatments, including artificial tears and punctual plugs.
"Lid hygiene is extremely important in treating these patients; warmth is especially important in helping meibomian gland secretions," Dr. Perry said. However, "I've always wondered why people use baby shampoo, since most of our patients have meibomian gland disease, which involves too much detergent in our tear film. The free fatty acids and inflammation lead to saponification or soap formation, so why in the world do we add shampoo to a problem that has too much to begin with?"
Dr. Perry advocates tea tree oil shampoo on patients with MGD. http://www.eyeworld.org/article-repo...aiian-eye-2013


I use the packaged wipes but you are right they are expensive. I'm sure some dry eye members use hot water with salt in, I remember reading this somewhere but can't be sure so wouldn't like to say for definite

Hope you find something that works

Cath

[steveyez]

I use Blephaclean wipes ( which you can get on a NHS prescription ) after doing a hot compress.

I used to use Johnson Baby Shampoo but Blephaclean wipes + Hotcompress seem a lot better for me Im glad to report ;-)

[cathy8889]

Steve thank you! I didn't know you could get them on prescription. This makes me happy! )

[CharlieGreenEyes]

Steve thank you! I didn't know you could get them on prescription. This makes me happy! )

Thank you too! Just seen this. I was originally using hot water with bicarb of soda (suggested by one of the opthalmologists I saw) but I found it difficult and it seemed to make my eyelids go more swollen and red. In fact I've just given up on hot compresses altogether because it seemed to make things worse.

I've started using blephaclean but they are expensive. I didn't know you could get them on prescription. Just hope my GP agrees to prescribe them....I think my doctors (GP surgery) think I'm a bit of a pain. They didn't even want to refer me to an opthalmologist originally and suggested the pain was "psychological"...

[steveyez]

Charlie

Ive been prescribed bicarb of soda many years ago before Johnsons baby Shampoo - both irritated my eyes more than they help - and yes your medics reaction to you is all too common I'm afraid

Stick at it and dont let them grind you down - Ive recently had MGD probing done in the NHS at the Opths suggestion - once an opth is on your side you'll be fine - its just being patient enough not to let the bad Opths discourage you from getting the treatment you deserve ;-)

Blephaclean Wipes are definetly available on the NHS - my docs gave me no hassle prescribing them at all

Cheers
Steve

[lizzyk]

Hi Steveyez

Im very glad to find out the wipes are available on prescription but im even more amazed to find out the NHS would do MGD probing!! Can you please give me some info on how you managed this and who your op is? Like many on here i will just about explore any possibility to get some relief. Thankyou

[CharlieGreenEyes]

Hi Steveyez,

Thanks for your supportive words. I'm going to make an appointment with my GP and ask for blephaclean on prescription. I might as well ask.

It's also good to hear your experience of bicarb of soda. The first time I mentioned it was making my eyes worse, the opthalmologist made me feel as if it was just me not doing it properly. Then again, he was the really rude one that I was first seen by who tried to dismiss me - telling me just to keep using OTC drops and then advised laser surgery for my short sight (despite me having dry eyes, and a complex prescription that would only be corrected by the same procedure as cataract removal). Since then, I've been referred on luckily but I don't have much faith in his advice.

It's good to hear you had some treatment for your MGD on the NHS. That's positive to know. I hope it helped you? It's hard being patient (especially when the eye problems make it hard to work) but I'm going to try to stay sane, and hopefully I will get somewhere with treating the MGD and dry eyes.

[steveyez]

Hi Steveyez

Im very glad to find out the wipes are available on prescription but im even more amazed to find out the NHS would do MGD probing!! Can you please give me some info on how you managed this and who your op is? Like many on here i will just about explore any possibility to get some relief. Thankyou

My opth is based at the Birmingham Midland Eye Centre (BMEC) and did the MGD probing op.
I dont think they do MGD probing routinely as its quite a tortuous operation for both sides and the recovery time from it took me a good 3 weeks of looking like a boxer!
I go to the BMEC because its the regional centre for me, my case was too complex/severe for my local NHS to deal with and so I got referred up the chain so to speak.
Ive been seeing the same opth for about 18 months now and i was only prescribed MGD probing over a year down the line of being prescribed Autologous Serum and other regimes first.

Hope that helps
Steve

[steveyez]

Hi Steveyez,

Thanks for your supportive words. I'm going to make an appointment with my GP and ask for blephaclean on prescription. I might as well ask.

Glad to help but i would ask for Blephaclean Wipes rather than just Blephaclean - for me i get on better with the wipes

[lizzyk]

Steve, has the probing made any difference?

[steveyez]

Steve, has the probing made any difference?

Lizzy - i had it done approx 3 months ago and i would say its helped but i wouldnt say it was a dramatic difference - i would say it was marginally positive but is a brutal operation to have to undergo in my experience

My opth is using probing as one of the building blocks for my overall treatment - autologous serum / prp serum , hot compresses, mgd probing, occasional use of dropodex and azyter, vismed artifical tears, blephaclean wipes and a lot of time ;-)