Blepharitis a chronic infection of the eye lid top or bottom, anyone know how to fix this problem or

[farang101]

who has had it or has it in Thailand? I am a 68 year old foreigner who has lived in Bkk about 9 years and had Lasik surgery on both eyes to correct my vision and they did a great Job in Bumrungrad I still have 20/20 vision and do not need glasses for distance or reading.Then they did Laser Surgery to prevent glaucoma. This was when I first got here.

Since then I had dry eyes and then a stye or two and then these chronic redness infection in lower or upper eyelids. I googled it and it says it is called Blepharitis and use hot compresses and wash with special soap they sell and if really infected see a Doctor and get Antibiotics.

They say it is common but no known cure.

I went to Bumrungrad many times where I had the surgery and sometimes the same Eye Doctor would have to cut the infection under the eye lid and told me to do as above. Then went to Eye Hospital Asoke near Petchuberi and they did the same. Then went to hospital near Saladieng and they did the same. Last year we went to New York Eye and Ear in NYC and they did everything the same except an extra few days of antibiotics and this condition continues. It is frustrating and cannot seem to get rid of this problem permanently. Does anyone seriously have experience with this condition and know of a cure for it? Thanks in advance.

[rhythmworx]

Any eye cleaner or drops with hyaluronic acid in should help.

Also hypromellose eyedrops will help lubricate the eye, use before sleep and again in the morning after you have cleaned them.

If you want a cheaper option using Johnsons baby shampoo and warm water is recommended by opthalmists.

Basically you need to bathe your eyes to stop the oil gland follicles from blocking up, that's what causes the infection.

Don't wipe your eyes with fingers etc...

Edited September 27, 2014 by rhythmworx

[farang101]

Any eye cleaner or drops with hyaluronic acid in should help.

Also hypromellose eyedrops will help lubricate the eye, use before sleep and again in the morning after you have cleaned them.

If you want a cheaper option using Johnsons baby shampoo and warm water is recommended by opthalmists.

Basically you need to bathe your eyes to stop the follicles from blocking up, that's what causes the infection.

Don't wipe your eyes with fingers etc...

thanks for the reply the eye soap they sold me in the hospital they say is better than the baby shampoo and I have been using that regularly. Tried the baby shampoo also and plenty of hot compresses as well, nothing seems to work. The eye drops they gave me also did not help for long. I don't know the name but they had a prescription and I think one had anti biotic liquid and the one for the tears. When I wake up the eyes are sealed shut and I only sleep about 4 or 5 hours at a time. Have to get up with sealed eyes and get to the sink like a blind man to put some water on the eyes. The problem persists mainly in the left eye. The right one so far is Ok but does get dry at night.

Again thanks for the feedback but am hoping that someone has had it and or knows someone that actually has a cure for this permanently?

[rhythmworx]

I do have it in both eyes and it's something you just have to live with.

Sorry to bear the bad news to you.

If you do find a cure let me know.

Edited September 27, 2014 by rhythmworx

[farang101]

I do have it in both eyes and it's something you just have to live with.

Sorry to bear the bad news to you.

If you do find a cure let me know.

sorry to hear that. How long have you had it?

Do you know how you got it?

Is the inflammation on bottom eye or top lid?

Have you been to any hospitals or Eye Doctors here in Thailand or outside the country?

Just curious about this since I wonder if it was not for the Lasik or Laser the second time I probably would might not have gotten it however who knows I see good without glasses and before the Lasik I needed reading and distance, the three in one glasses. Since the operation not even need to read small print. As the Doctor said he never guaranteed I would be without reading glasses. So it is amazing that part was fixed also.

In any case I do hope they come up with a cure for this ailment but it could be worse eh?

thanks and If I do hear of something I will pass it on.

All the best.

[rhythmworx]

Had it since I was a kid only used to get it in summer though, only got diagnosed with it a few years ago after I had a seperate recurring eye problem.

If you mean by inflame, I've had cysts/styes that turn septic and just bathe and squeeze as much septic out as possible,they shrink over time, but that forms a chalazion, last time the opthalmist recommended to surgically remove it. mainly the upper lids.

Blepharitis is often common in people with skin problems, excma, rosacea etc... according to the nurse.

Blinking in the morning is like having sand in the eyes and vision is blurry, hypromellose drops help a lot with that, the surgeon recommended a solution called Hylo-Forte, that's the Hyaluronic Acid I was talking about but I never bought any. You can get a mixture of the 2 in a drop solution made by other brands.

Very enjoyable them burning eye drops and injections along the eyelids aren't they? and the sound of the scalpel pinging as it gets scraped out.

[farang101]

Had it since I was a kid only used to get it in summer though, only got diagnosed with it a few years ago after I had a seperate recurring eye problem.

If you mean by inflame, I've had cysts/styes that turn septic and just bathe and squeeze as much septic out as possible,they shrink over time, but that forms a chalazion, last time the opthalmist recommended to surgically remove it. mainly the upper lids.

Blepharitis is often common in people with skin problems, excma, rosacea etc... according to the nurse.

Blinking in the morning is like having sand in the eyes and vision is blurry, hypromellose drops help a lot with that, the surgeon recommended a solution called Hylo-Forte, that's the Hyaluronic Acid I was talking about but I never bought any. You can get a mixture of the 2 in a drop solution made by other brands.

Very enjoyable them burning eye drops and injections along the eyelids aren't they? and the sound of the scalpel pinging as it gets scraped out.

Yes sounds familiar the sandy feeling and the burning. I spend allot of time watching the big screen which my computer is connected to. Now since it is one eye for me now, I don't remember if it moves back and forth but the last few years in left eye. Frustrated that they cannot cure this but like I say it could be worse.

So I am trying to sell or swap our Condo and go to USA permanently.

They had been building the Hyde on Soi 13 for many years and I am near by and I do believe the dust from all those years is what caused this. I also had a six week sound proofing in our Condo both rooms and I do believe the dust from whatever toxic materials they use in building here might have caused it but cannot be sure about anything.

In any case another belief I have is that diet is a cause and not cleansing or fasting and cleaning out the system is a problem with all ailments like this.

The part about acne is definitely true since at 68 i get the type of boils on my nose area and above the eye brows so I really think when and if we do sell we can get my Medicare Part B back and start getting it looked into and do some cleansings and whatever it takes to clean out my system.

Thanks again

[ricklev]

Are you using Ocusoft lid cleaner? Helped me a bit. Available at Boots, but some hospitals carry the antibiotic one also.

[farang101]

Are you using Ocusoft lid cleaner? Helped me a bit. Available at Boots, but some hospitals carry the antibiotic one also.

yes I got this in the hospital on Asoke. By the way is this Rick who bought the Hyatt Membership with me?

I think the name sounds familiar? Do you have this Blepharitis also?

You say this helped you but it seems to not help at all for me, however they all recommend the hot compresses a few times a day and that does seem to relief the pain when it is infected. Amazing how this just does not go away.

thanks Rick hope all is well. Sold my Black founder card on CL last month, we are trying to trade or sell our Condo and go USA end of April. thanks

[Sheryl]

It will especially flare up ehen your body is stressed e.g. from insufficient sleep.

sounds like you need to get more sleep.

zinc supplementation often helps reduce skin infections.

These measures plus the eyelid care already discussed.

[FBN]

Perhaps useful to get a nasal swab done and determine if you are a staph carrier and get separate and specific treatment for that. You may be re-infecting yourself so all of the precautions in the posts above are important but also very good hand washing practices.

[farang101]

It will especially flare up ehen your body is stressed e.g. from insufficient sleep.

sounds like you need to get more sleep.

zinc supplementation often helps reduce skin infections.

These measures plus the eyelid care already discussed.

none of the Doctors or hospitals here or NYC ever mentioned the zinc?

I have googled this and also no zinc mentioned?

Where are they mentioned in your experience? Also I don't know anything about the staph infections carrier, and I do wash and get sleep,

I don't know that is why I wrote here about the problem and open to all possibilities. So thanks all who wrote in their opinions.

[farang101]

Perhaps useful to get a nasal swab done and determine if you are a staph carrier and get separate and specific treatment for that. You may be re-infecting yourself so all of the precautions in the posts above are important but also very good hand washing practices.

thanks I will ask about this also.

[infinity11]

i find sleeping with the air con agrivates and creates both eye and throat issues

when i dont use the air i notice a big diff

even the fan can dry you out and aggrivate matters

FWIW

[Sheryl]

It will especially flare up ehen your body is stressed e.g. from insufficient sleep.

sounds like you need to get more sleep.

zinc supplementation often helps reduce skin infections.

These measures plus the eyelid care already discussed.

none of the Doctors or hospitals here or NYC ever mentioned the zinc?

I have googled this and also no zinc mentioned?

Where are they mentioned in your experience? Also I don't know anything about the staph infections carrier, and I do wash and get sleep,

I don't know that is why I wrote here about the problem and open to all possibilities. So thanks all who wrote in their opinions.

Not specific to styes but rather to skin infections and immune function in general. Google "zinc + skin infection" and you will find much.

[davo2003]

I have had this my whole life. For me it is just granules on the eyelids and is not too severe though it causes irritation and redness. I never get eye infections, styes etc. Lucky for me.

I was prescribed many years ago Arythromycin Cream. It was supposed to be used at night only for a couple weeks and brings the problem under control. Makes a mess of the pillow cases though! In America, by prescription only of course due to our scam medical system. To my delight I found it in Jomtien but I think it is probably available at about every pharmacy. It was only about 200 baht if that as I recall. Maybe someone mentioned it already but I didn't want to read every post in this thread so sorry if this is a duplicate answer.

I will tell you one interesting thing. I was in Samui years ago, high season, in the sun everyday. I lathered on normal sunscreen so as not to burn and coated my face including eyelids with a special "for faces" sun screen. After a week I looked in the mirror and was completely shocked to see my eyes clearer than they have ever been in my life. The whites of my eyes were white, the color of my eyes visible, I even yelled at my girlfriend to come have a look I was so surprised/happy/shocked. People without eye disease of any kind I think take these things for granted.

Good luck to you. Cheers.

[farang101]

i find sleeping with the air con agrivates and creates both eye and throat issues

when i dont use the air i notice a big diff

even the fan can dry you out and aggrivate matters

FWIW

yes so true, thanks for that feedback. Air con less of a problem than the ceiling fans and regular fans.

When the room gets cold I turn off the air con and turn on the fans, when I wake I have to pry my eyelids open or walk like a zombie to the sink with eyes closed to put some water on them to open.

Never had this problem prior to the Lasik and Laser surgery or when living in the USA or Germany.

I am not saying it is anything here especially could be my age and someone mentioned not enough sleep. I have spent many many hours on the Mac connected to the 55 inch Screen and the eyes get tired and I drag on. So discipline in that area would help and someone also mentioned clean hands and I have in this time and place felt the itching of those lids and scratched them. The eye Doctor at Bumrungrad showed me the dandruff on the lower lid as well.

He always said use the hot compresses all the time and use the drops and easy on the Computer.

Thanks again.

[muskoka]

My eyes (and skin) have always been sensitive from childhood (67yo). Eyes were always itchy and people would comment about how I was always rubbing my eyes. (It may have been partially to being a fair skinned redhead?) All my life I would get styes at least once or twice a year (some reading http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stye ). Around 25 years ago I read that the bacteria naturally occuring in the nasal passage was not healthy for the eyes, found a mention here...

Staphylococcus was first identified in 1880 in Aberdeen, United Kingdom, by the surgeon Sir Alexander Ogston in pus from a surgical abscess in a knee joint.^[1] This name was later appended to Staphylococcus aureus by Rosenbach who was credited by the official system of nomenclature at the time. It is estimated that 20% of the human population are long-term carriers of S. aureus^[2] which can be found as part of the normal skin flora and in anterior nares of the nasal passages.^[2][3]S. aureus is the most common species of staphylococcus to cause Staph infections and is a successful pathogen due to a combination of nasal carriage and bacterial immuno-evasive strategies.^[2][3]S. aureus can cause a range of illnesses, from minor skin infections, such as pimples, impetigo, boils (furuncles), cellulitis folliculitis, carbuncles, scalded skin syndrome, and abscesses, to life-threatening diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis, osteomyelitis, endocarditis, toxic shock syndrome (TSS), bacteremia, and sepsis. Its incidence ranges from skin, soft tissue, respiratory, bone, joint, endovascular to wound infections. It is still one of the five most common causes of nosocomial infections and is often the cause of postsurgical wound infections. Each year, some 500,000 patients in United States' hospitals contract a staphylococcal infection.^[4]

^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staphylococcus_aureus}

I realized that I would frequently rub my nose and eyes at the same time - I then made sure if I rubbed my nose or blew it into a kleenex I would immediately go wash my hands - no more styes.

I still had itchy eyes tho. Around 8-10 years ago I came across some literature on colloidal/ionic silver being effective against bacterial and virus infections and especially effective for treating most skin infections. I just found this in a quick search

Spectrum of antimicrobial activity associated with ionic colloidal silver. OBJECTIVES: Silver has historically and extensively been used as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent. However, the Food and Drug Administration currently does not recognize colloidal silver as a safe and effective antimicrobial agent. The goal of this study was to further evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of colloidal silver.

...CONCLUSIONS: The study data support ionic colloidal silver as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent against aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, while having a more limited and specific spectrum of activity against fungi.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23017226

I sprayed some ionic silver directly into my eyes (wash the area first) and the itchy-ness was gone, I have to repeat every week or two so the underlying cause of itchy eyes has not been cured, only the symptom. I have been using ionic or colloidal silver for all skin irritations for many years now as do my Canadian and Thai families with excellent results. I do not have an affiliation with any company.

My experience only, may not apply for your situation - especially if your eye issue is not caused by a bacteria or a virus.

I am not a medical professional, just my personal experience.

Doug

[Sheryl]

It is important to note that the above study refers to direct application i.e. topical use. Which for the condition discussed in this post would be appropriate (though there are other things that could also be used).

Should not be confused with the recommendation on many "alternate" health sites to take colloidal silver internally. There is absolutley no evidence that this has an efficacy nor that it is safe.

[infinity11]

i used some drops for a serious eye problem: spersadexoline

are you a smoker?

as off the wall as this sounds:

you can experiment with diet exercise and fasting

do you use/drink a lot of milk or everyday?

sweets?

drink a lot?

some food stuffs can boost your immune system

some can do the opposite

sorry if i lost track of some details here

[infinity11]

btw how hydrated do you keep?

[farang101]

thanks all for the feedback, I have not gotten a reply as I used to when someone posted on my topic, just decided to look

and saw many replies in any case. I have been drinking some herb teas and after using the tea bag on the left eye when it is still

warm. It has been better the last few weeks so I will continue doing the cleaning of ceiling fans and air con filters and using the hot

compresses and rest the eye much more as it all seems to help thanks again.