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Hello everyone.
Although this is my first post here I have been reading this forum for quite a while now. I would like to start by thanking not only the forum creators but also everyone else, you have all been an invaluable resource of information by sharing your own experiences and gathered information, which have been helping me a lot in understand my condition and how to better cope with it. I hope I can give something back. I am sorry if sometimes what I write may not be very clear at first but I may have trouble findings words to describe some situations as english is not my main language, and sorry if this turns out to be a lenghty post.
Just to put myself into context, this is my story so far...
Back in February 2008, what first seemed like a stye turned out to be a huge chalazion, first in the middle of my right eye upper lid, after that the eyelid started to become red everywhere, huge inflammation, more chalazions, then in the middle of lower lid. I could actually feel some prickling sensation in the lid before chalazions appeared, whenever I had such feeling, next day I would wake up as if I was punched in the eye, huge swollen red eyelids, and then after all that swelling subsided usually in 1 to 2 days a new chalazion would be there.
The whole situation seemed to have a course of its own. I was unresponsive to any medication. I was always followed by ophthalmologists which considered this to be blepharitis, I was prescribed countless drops, ointments, the usual hot compresses (which actually made it all feel much worse, more redness, even just taking a bath with hot water made appearance/redness worse) oral antibiotics, oral antihistamine and even oral prednisolone, nothing worked. After so many treatments and so much frustration, I've decided to let it go on it's own since it was not causing any disturbance to my vision. Each chalazion took about 8 to 10 months to disappear. The bigger ones about a year. This was happening to my right eye only. Of relevance, any drops/ointments tried were applied to my right eye only.
Approximately one year later, my left eye lids started to show exactly the same pattern, however since I had no results with any medication on my right eye during the year before, no treatments were attempted, which I suspect may have had some impact on the situation im in now, and possibly a victim of what was mentioned in this post: (either that or just coincidence) - more on this later
http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showt...lmic-compounds
The eyelid inflammation and chalazions eventually subsided almost completely by their own, however my last chalazions (there was an unexplained symmetry on the appearance of them, no doctor could explain why) were so huge on the outer extremeties of my upper lids that left a permanent scar, It was not very pleasant to see, 2 huge white balls hanging on your lids for some months.
My real problems however, started about a year ago, RCE on my right eye (the one that took with all treatment attempts for blepharitis/chalazions), erosions have become bigger and almost every night, some lighter than others but with about 5 or 6 episodes of having to go to ER so far. Erosion is always on the lower part of the cornea, same place. According to the doctors 1/3 of the lower part of my cornea was ripped off.
I have been always followed by doctors which have prescribed another battery of ointments/drops/gels etc, I'm currently on doxy 100mg daily for almost 2 and a half months now, but still suffering from erosions. Ironically some of the worst ones have been about 2 hours after going to sleep (sometimes in the REM phase) even with ointments that supposedly shouldn't let it happen (Celluvisc, Vidisic)
I am desperately trying to find some information about the following because one thing just doesn't make sense, I have asked every doctor and it seems they just don't know how to explain to me, or what exactly is the cause:
Doctors tell me my tear film is ok, I have no DES symptoms whatsoever during my waking hours, I don't even need drops (unless I had an erosion and do it for prevention). Made a schirmer test two weeks ago which gave 10, consulted another corneal specialist which checked my tear film and my meibomian glands which, according to him, seemed ok.
The strange thing (at least for me) is, I started to noticed many months ago (after erosions started) that when I was at the computer till late (or just being waken up until that sleepiness feeling come to your eyes - hopefully you'll understand what I mean) I felt this "sleepy eye" sensation in my left eye only. After that feeling when I check in the mirror (using light reflection on a pen) my left eye already has some "viscous substance" in it, nothing in my right eye. I also began to notice that upon awakening during the night, my left eye (good one) continues to have viscosity in it (just looking at my cell phone with left eye only everything was blurry) but when I looking with just my right eye everything was crystal clear (no viscosity whatsoever when compared to the left eye). I have that glued eyelid feeling on my right eye only and that's what's obviously contributing to the erosions.
The longer into the night, the dryer the feeling. I have been waking up several times during the night to check this (and to prevent further erosions).
I asked the doctors if there could be something related with eye/eyelid/whatever nervous system or any problem with it, since that, if they say that my m
meibomian glands have oil in it and I have no symptoms whatsoever during the day. Got no answers, just a "perhaps".
The questions to which I have no answer:
Is there anything different in the mechanism of action of meibomian glands during the night? If so does anyone have any point to information about it?
The lack of "sleepiness feeling" in my right eye leads me to suspect of something of nervous nature, does this make any sense?
Could my right eye lids be so cloged (not according to the doctors) to the point of having no such feeling and still let me have a normal function during the day?
Can blepharitis cause permanent damage on the function of the secretion of the oily layer during the night? assuming that the mechanism of secretion is different thru the night...
Thank you for reading!
Although this is my first post here I have been reading this forum for quite a while now. I would like to start by thanking not only the forum creators but also everyone else, you have all been an invaluable resource of information by sharing your own experiences and gathered information, which have been helping me a lot in understand my condition and how to better cope with it. I hope I can give something back. I am sorry if sometimes what I write may not be very clear at first but I may have trouble findings words to describe some situations as english is not my main language, and sorry if this turns out to be a lenghty post.
Just to put myself into context, this is my story so far...
Back in February 2008, what first seemed like a stye turned out to be a huge chalazion, first in the middle of my right eye upper lid, after that the eyelid started to become red everywhere, huge inflammation, more chalazions, then in the middle of lower lid. I could actually feel some prickling sensation in the lid before chalazions appeared, whenever I had such feeling, next day I would wake up as if I was punched in the eye, huge swollen red eyelids, and then after all that swelling subsided usually in 1 to 2 days a new chalazion would be there.
The whole situation seemed to have a course of its own. I was unresponsive to any medication. I was always followed by ophthalmologists which considered this to be blepharitis, I was prescribed countless drops, ointments, the usual hot compresses (which actually made it all feel much worse, more redness, even just taking a bath with hot water made appearance/redness worse) oral antibiotics, oral antihistamine and even oral prednisolone, nothing worked. After so many treatments and so much frustration, I've decided to let it go on it's own since it was not causing any disturbance to my vision. Each chalazion took about 8 to 10 months to disappear. The bigger ones about a year. This was happening to my right eye only. Of relevance, any drops/ointments tried were applied to my right eye only.
Approximately one year later, my left eye lids started to show exactly the same pattern, however since I had no results with any medication on my right eye during the year before, no treatments were attempted, which I suspect may have had some impact on the situation im in now, and possibly a victim of what was mentioned in this post: (either that or just coincidence) - more on this later
http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showt...lmic-compounds
The eyelid inflammation and chalazions eventually subsided almost completely by their own, however my last chalazions (there was an unexplained symmetry on the appearance of them, no doctor could explain why) were so huge on the outer extremeties of my upper lids that left a permanent scar, It was not very pleasant to see, 2 huge white balls hanging on your lids for some months.
My real problems however, started about a year ago, RCE on my right eye (the one that took with all treatment attempts for blepharitis/chalazions), erosions have become bigger and almost every night, some lighter than others but with about 5 or 6 episodes of having to go to ER so far. Erosion is always on the lower part of the cornea, same place. According to the doctors 1/3 of the lower part of my cornea was ripped off.
I have been always followed by doctors which have prescribed another battery of ointments/drops/gels etc, I'm currently on doxy 100mg daily for almost 2 and a half months now, but still suffering from erosions. Ironically some of the worst ones have been about 2 hours after going to sleep (sometimes in the REM phase) even with ointments that supposedly shouldn't let it happen (Celluvisc, Vidisic)
I am desperately trying to find some information about the following because one thing just doesn't make sense, I have asked every doctor and it seems they just don't know how to explain to me, or what exactly is the cause:
Doctors tell me my tear film is ok, I have no DES symptoms whatsoever during my waking hours, I don't even need drops (unless I had an erosion and do it for prevention). Made a schirmer test two weeks ago which gave 10, consulted another corneal specialist which checked my tear film and my meibomian glands which, according to him, seemed ok.
The strange thing (at least for me) is, I started to noticed many months ago (after erosions started) that when I was at the computer till late (or just being waken up until that sleepiness feeling come to your eyes - hopefully you'll understand what I mean) I felt this "sleepy eye" sensation in my left eye only. After that feeling when I check in the mirror (using light reflection on a pen) my left eye already has some "viscous substance" in it, nothing in my right eye. I also began to notice that upon awakening during the night, my left eye (good one) continues to have viscosity in it (just looking at my cell phone with left eye only everything was blurry) but when I looking with just my right eye everything was crystal clear (no viscosity whatsoever when compared to the left eye). I have that glued eyelid feeling on my right eye only and that's what's obviously contributing to the erosions.
The longer into the night, the dryer the feeling. I have been waking up several times during the night to check this (and to prevent further erosions).
I asked the doctors if there could be something related with eye/eyelid/whatever nervous system or any problem with it, since that, if they say that my m
meibomian glands have oil in it and I have no symptoms whatsoever during the day. Got no answers, just a "perhaps".
The questions to which I have no answer:
Is there anything different in the mechanism of action of meibomian glands during the night? If so does anyone have any point to information about it?
The lack of "sleepiness feeling" in my right eye leads me to suspect of something of nervous nature, does this make any sense?
Could my right eye lids be so cloged (not according to the doctors) to the point of having no such feeling and still let me have a normal function during the day?
Can blepharitis cause permanent damage on the function of the secretion of the oily layer during the night? assuming that the mechanism of secretion is different thru the night...
Thank you for reading!