Dry eyes & skin problems

[Konnan]

Hi everybody, my first post and obviously I have dry eyes as well. Besides that, I also have rosacea and seborroic eczemia, alot of dryness on the facial skin.

I've started to get dry eyes in puberty, about 8 years ago (I'm 22 now). I thought I would grow over it but it only became worse during the years (I didn't exactly know what I had until a few years ago). Now I've used many things to get rid off it or at least control the condition but it's so hard. Eye drops don't have any effect and often make it worse. Heat treatment is very comfortable but only for about 5 minutes. I've used alot more but only 1 thing worked well for me.

I think the name of the eye ointment which worked is called tetracycline? I had to use it 2 times a day for 2 weeks. It were 2 very, very bad weeks and I thought this was the next thing that wouldn't work. But after I stopped using it my eyes felt like never before. They felt perfect for about 4 or 5 days, but then it started again and slowly became worse with the day.

My eye doctor told me my glands don't function properly and don't produce enough oil. Can somebody verify this and tell me what I have EXACTLY? And perhaps how to threat it? I may only use tetracycline periodically or something so this wouldn't work?

Thanks alot

[Rebecca Petris]

Hi Konnan and welcome to the forum.

My eye doctor told me my glands don't function properly and don't produce enough oil. Can somebody verify this and tell me what I have EXACTLY? And perhaps how to threat it?

Well your doctor should be able to clarify. From what you've described and related of what he said, sounds like meibomian gland dysfunction from rosacea.

Some suggested reading for more background...
http://www.dryeyezone.com/encycloped...esyndrome.html (basic introduction to the 3 layers of the tear film and where they come from so you know how the meibomian glands fit into things)
http://www.dryeyezone.com/encyclopedia/mgd.html (briefer explanation of MGD and treatments... though it sounds like you already know the treatments)

You may want to post in the Q&A with Dr. Latkany forum - he knows a lot about this - and from what he's described the book coming out will have more information on this subject. He also recommended to someone else recently looking into books on dietary management of rosacea.

Have you been on acne medication? (These can tend to accelerate dry eye/MGD problems.)

You're in good company here - MGD is very common amongst members here.

[Konnan]

Thanks for the warm welcome. Sometimes I really feel alone on this planet with the dry eyes, because I don't know anybody else who has it. So it's good to speak people here who know how life changing and hard it is to live with.

Thanks for the links concerning MGD. It's exactly what I have! I didn't know there were so many types of dry eyes, so it's good to know what I have. I'm not sure though if I have blepharitis or not, maybe somebody can tell me by the information I give.

I don't have crusty stuff or any other stuff in my eyes after I wake up or during the day. Just sometimes a bit of dried up tears, but this is normal. Lid scrubbing doesn't have any effect and only makes the dry eyes worse most of the time. I do (or at least did) form inflammation in my eyes which I cured by using an antibiotic ointment (tetracycline?) a few months ago. But slowly my eyelids are getting inflammed again I believe? Has this anything to do with blepharitis or just MGD?

I haven't been on acne medication but I do have alot of problems with my "oil glands?" on my whole face. I've controlled this for a very large part by taking oral antibiotic pills, some sort of doxyclicine I believe. My whole skin became a lot smoother. This also had some effect on my eyes because I had alot more good days. My doctor told me the glands in the eyes are alot bigger then the glands on the rest of my face, so it's alot harder to control.

[Konnan]

After doing some reading and research I start to believe I have posterior blepharitis. Anterior blepahritis is impossible because I don't have any crusty flakes in my eyes and lid scrubs don't work at all. Any feedback please.