A question for Dr Justin Bazan

[Justin]

thanks, Dr Bazan, for another good suggestion - I went out today and got a cool pack to try on my eyelids in between the warm compresses.

Your very welcome, I hope you find some relief. Keep in mind heat is crucial to expressing the glands. After the glands are cleared, some people may find additional relief from the cold. Talk it over with your doc.

I look forward to reading a thread on CVS - I think all of us on here are internet junkies, searching and searching for answers and ideas on how to improve our condition!

I think I have some material posted on my blog, but I think a good start would be http://www.allaboutvision.com/cvs/. CVS is real and very prevalent. Patients everyday are coming to me with issues stemming from staring at a computer all day. It is also a very complimentary specialty to Dry Eye. A lot of overlap.

[Justin]

Dr. Bazan,
Your posts here are immensely helpful. Thank you for taking the interest to take the time and care in your answers that you do. I hope you don't get bored with us. We need people like you here!

Even after the initial flurry of excited postings simmers down, I promise to remain very active and will always address questions posed to me.

I'm very interested in what you said about using diluted dandruff shampoo as an eyelid cleanser.

I was attending a continuing education lecture and the OMD was raving about how a certain type of blepharitis (anterior seborrheic) was positively responding to a careful lash and outer lid margin cleansing with a q-tip dipped in diluted selsun blue. I am not endorsing this. If you like the idea, ask your doc about it. Speaking of bleph....it appears there is an online community for its sufferers. Search here for some more insight. (Sorry I am an Google addict as well!) http://blepharitisforum.com/forum/in...8;sa=showPosts

[NYer]

I like the idea but what happens if it touches your eye?? There are so many warnings about keeping that stuff out of your eye, I'm wondering what will happen if it does get in your eye? Will I explode? Go blind? Eyes burn? Erosion? (OK, I'm done.)

[Justin]

I like the idea but what happens if it touches your eye?? There are so many warnings about keeping that stuff out of your eye, I'm wondering what will happen if it does get in your eye? Will I explode? Go blind? Eyes burn? Erosion? (OK, I'm done.)

From time to time any shampoo will end up in your eye. I assume that dandruff shampoo will provide you with a similar experience.....some irritation, but no long term damage. I have never prescribed or endorsed this treatment, but I am curious to learn more about it.

[Rory]

I very much think that dandruff and blepharitis are directly related.

We all have different causes for our dry eyes and most of us probably have multiple and complex causes. Those that are prone to dandruff....are likely to be experiencing a similar process with eyelashes??

I have always felt that my dry scalp and dry eyes are related... Whilst however the dandruff is easily controlled by anti dandruff shampoos....the eye condition has never been successfully addressed. Recently I have started using sterilid and although I have been doing numerous other things...I believe that this has helped most. It is not however anti dandruff...more anti bacterial. I have never used an anti-dandruff shampoo (diluted) on the eyelid margins...however it makes an awful lot of sense. Preventing as much debris (particularly skin/skin lipids) polarising and disrupting the tearflim is essential? Is this not the source of Dr Holly's dewetting theory?

I currently use T-Gel..Coal tar based anti dandruff shampoo....I would not be too keen to apply this to my eyelid margins..no matter how diluted. I will therefore seek out either selsun blue or another anti dandruff shampoo.

Another concern that I often had ...was dandruff and nightime. If someone has dandruff ..surely this will enter the eyes during sleep from the pillow etc? Would wearing some sort of mask at night help with this?

[NYer]

Rory,
Not only do I totally agree with what you wrote, but I've been having exactly the same dillema about the shampoo. I've found that T-Gel with coal tar is the only thing that works - and works great - as a dandruff shampoo. But during this discussion, I kept imagining putting that on my eyelid margins and going blind!
I doubt that the dandruff from your head getting into your eyes would be of real concern. After all, flakes from your face and other dead skin cells come off on the pillowcase and if you turn over, those could get into your eyes same as any other junk, like dust or bacteria. And your eyes (should be) closed. I would have to think that simply wearing the Tranquilize goggles would do the trick to prevent that. I mean, you could wear a shower cap but you'd still get other things on your eyelids without goggles.
I'll say one thing, as a group, we know how to look sexy at night: goggles, shower cap, tape over our eyes....whoo hoo!

[Rory]

Perhaps dandruff is more substantial and damaging to the tearfilm than everyday dust? But yes it is more likely the condition on the actual eyelids mimicing the scalp sebhorreic condition that disrupts the tearfilm. I will therefore be trying a diluted anti dandruff shampoo very carefully on the eyelids... I shall report back in the next few weeks.....

I have abandoned all nighttime masks goggles etc for the time being...not sure why..but I feel my eyes need to breathe and I do worry that tranquilleyes and masks are more appealing environments for bacteria than my pillow.