Ocular Rosacea Treatment without IPL

[BigNate]

Does anyone know of a way to treat ocular rosacea other than IPL?

[browneyesblu]

Hi BigNate,

I'm not sure if this is going to be any help if it's the cost of IPL you're concerned about, but if it's the MG's that are the problem, why not Lipiflow? For one thing it treats all 4 lids and IPL only treats the bottom ones. Regards.

[Cali]

I have struggled with facial rosacea for 30 years, keeping it under control with Metrocream and laser resurfacing. I saw a dermatologist last week, who I was referred to by the person who discovered the cause of rosacea (Richard L. Gallo, M.D., Ph.D. at UCSD: http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/newsrel/hea...RosaceaDK-.asp). The doctor (head of dermatology at a prestigious university), said there was nothing special I could do for ocular rosacea except antibiotics (like doxycycline), used intermittently and during a flare up.

I’ve seen about 6-7 cornea specialists and none have addressed my ocular rosacea. My current opthamologist told me “all” of my lower glands have dropped out/atrophied. Freaked out, I went out on my own and got a meibography yesterday, I wanted to physically see it. It showed that 85% of my lower glands are “functioning.” So, never mind the scary misdiagnosis. But, on the outer edges inside my lower lids were "telangiectasias" (they would look like broken spider veins/capillaries on your face), the physical manifestation of ocular rosacea.

If you read the article above about the cause of rosacea, you’ll see it’s about an enzyme being produced in rosacea sufferers. The doxy inhibits these enzymes. It is these enzymes that cause inflammation. The inflammation caused by ocular rosacea can cause your glands to drop out or atrophy.

There is no cure for facial or ocular rosacea. My understanding is that you must “manage” the disease by avoiding rosacea triggers and going on a rosacea diet/anti inflammation diet/no histamine producing food diet but adding in fish oil plus doxycycline during an acute flare, I don't think there is anything special you can do.

Getting the meibography really helped me to understand how the glands work. And I believe that "telangiectasias" can be seen by an opthamologist via a slit lamp (not sure if the meibography showed this or it was via the slit lamp).

IPL was not mentioned as a treatment for ocular rosacea. I’m assuming it’s to help the glands being effected by ocular rosacea, but treatment is all about “management” and avoiding all rosacea triggers so you don’t have inflammation (rosacea is cyclic).