Eye problems - chelazion, blepharitis.

[Naturegirl8]

Hi there, I was just looking up blepharitis on the hypo group as have it myself, and 9 weeks ago woke up with a completely shut, swollen eye, no pain so defo not a stye. GP called it chelazion which is a blocked mybomian gland: the glands in eyelids that add oil to tears. I've suffered with increasingly dry, intensely itchy and gritty eyes for more than a year, maybe two, can't remember. Eyes have been very bloodshot for as long as I can recall, long before overt symptoms, but optician said it was just dry eyes. Been on thyroxin for about 5 years. There's no mention of chelazion in the search box, so was just wondering if anyone else has had this. The eyelid swells up into a peak at the spot where this gland is, most noticeably in the evenings and is down again every morning, but never completely goes away. GP prescribed hot compresses and cleaning eyelashes with baby shampoo, plus gave me hypromellose drops for day and lachrylube for nighttime. It doesn't help much, and sometimes the chelazion is slightly scratchy on my eyeball which is worrying as could cause ulceration, so I will get a referral to eye specialist.

Also my vision which had always been stable, began going intermittently blurry about 3 years ago. The blurriness became more and more constant until its now there almost all the time so I have to wear glasses but it gets worse frequently so glasses are not strong enough to correct it.

sharing in case anyone else has experienced similar or can advise. Thanks

[Hennerton]

I had a bad case of blepharitis and blocked gland a few years ago and ended up at the eye casualty department of my local hospital. I definitely think it is more common with hypothyroidism. I had never had a problem until my thyroid was removed. The consultant told me to use sodium bicarbonate dissolved in hot water and then cooled. I now clean upper and lower lids with a cotton bud, a different one for each eye, morning and evening. I never miss a time. It is just like brushing my teeth now but I resisted doing it at first as it seemed such a nuisance. I use a tiny lidded pot, the tip of a teaspoon of bicarbonate and change the mixture every few days. It took a week to calm down but is now no trouble but I know it will return if I let it, at least that is what my optician said. Hope this helps with the blepharitis and blocked gland but I am no expert on the blurry eyes. Sorry.

[Naturegirl8 in reply to Hennerton]

thank you for your response. I'm realising lots of symptoms are linked...

[Nanaedake]

Similar problems for me. It could be not enough thyroid hormone contributing but others get it too and more common with age and post menopause. I read (somewhere on Internet but didn't save the link) that eating chicken with skin on may help due to something under the skin being beneficial. I buy chicken portions with skin now and use all chicken bones plus skin to make broth for stews, soups etc.

Computer use may exacerbate I was told. No escape in 21st century

[Naturegirl8 in reply to Nanaedake]

Thanks for responding, I'm post menopause (62) and think I'm undermedicated but as lots on here find, the GP won't increase my thyroxine as I'm "within range". Can't try the chicken skin as I've been vegan for 45 years

[Nanaedake in reply to Naturegirl8]

Give your GP a copy of Professor Toft's document and ask for a dose increase if you're undermedicated.

Professor Toft - Counterblast to Thyroid Guidelines

rcpe.ac.uk/sites/default/fi...

Too bad about the chicken skin.

[Naturegirl8 in reply to Nanaedake]

Thankyou Nanaedake

[Naomi8]

I am now 67.In my 20s/30s I had 3 chelazion.My experience of them was that they started like a stye,but when the infection had gone,i was left with an unsightly pea-shaped swelling.The first 2 were removed painlessly with local anesthetic at the eye clinic of my local hospital-the doctor rolled back the eyelid.When I attended the eye hospital for the 3rd one,the doctor wanted to cut it out from the front of the eyelid.I actually got up & left quickly.I had the proceedure done privately.

Since then I have always used eye ointment on my lids every day.For years,this was Brolene.This was withdrawn from the market & I now use simple eye ointment on prescription.

At my last eye test I was told I had blepharitis,probably caused by demodex mites.I now use baby shampoo or a weak solution of bicarbonate of soda & then apply eye ointment.

I also suffer from blurry vision,which I suspect is linked to thyroid & adrenals,as stress makes it worse.Same with my tinnitus.

[Naturegirl8 in reply to Naomi8]

thanks for your sharing, the optician told me the usual protocol is to cut the chelazion out

[ollymummy in reply to Naturegirl8]

I used to work in a clinic where we would incise and drain them - however mostly they would return, the best solution was the twice daily rubbing of the lash line with a cotton bud and baby shampoo, this would massage the chalazion and encourage natural drainage the sooner it drains the less likely it is to cause a scar which feels like a pea - we had many a patient who thought they had a active chalazion but actually it was scar tissue that would need full surgical removal or just living with - the incise and drain was brutal enough I’m not sure I would fancy that or surgical removal!

[Naturegirl8 in reply to ollymummy]

Ooh no! Mine is already hard, its been 9 weeks since it appeared first. Been doing the hot compresses. If it doesn't get any larger and isn't scratching on the eyeball I suppose its livable with - these days I'm less bothered by my appearance than when I was younger. So far GP has only given me basic hypromellose, so perhaps its appropriate to get something stronger? The lachrylube I'm afraid to use at night because they had given me that prior to the chelation appearing for the dry eyes, and I suspect that it blocked the duct in the first place...?

[ollymummy in reply to Naturegirl8]

continue with the massage using the cotton bud etc and fingers crossed it will sort you out - avoid anything funky overnight which could block the hole that you’re starting to massage open

[Naturegirl8 in reply to ollymummy]

wow so you agree that the lachrilube might at least exacerbate rather than relieve the issue? When I said this to the optician she said no it wouldn't block the gland, but it seems too coincidental to me, that I never had chelation prior to being given lachrilube for blepharitis...

[humanbean]

You might find some of the replies on this thread helpful with your dry eyes :

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

I have a problem with dry eyes but I have managed to reduce the severity to some extent with self-help measures.

Chalazions are often blamed on wearing eye make up that blocks the oil producing glands in the eyelids. However the only two people I've known to have a chalazion were my father and my husband, and neither of them wore make up. Both of them had minor ops to remove their eyelid lumps. I don't recall at the time that anyone suggested even trying self-help measures. In both cases though the lump had been ignored for a very long time and was almost as hard as stone when finally removed, so I doubt any self-help measures would have worked.

[Naomi8 in reply to humanbean]

I have discovered Lubristil GEL for dry eyes-mainly for my husband,who wears contact lenses.You apply at night,as eyes get VERY blurry!Lubristil eye DROPS are good for during the day,but I usually use Tesco comfort drops,or other drops-anything with Hyalaunic acid.

The most likely cause of chelazion are demodex mites-only recently identified(living in the hair follicles)

[Naturegirl8 in reply to Naomi8]

Just read up on dermodex mites, and yes I have acne rosacea as well, at the moment only mildly on my nose but it has been across my cheeks in the past too. It seems to be responding well to some herbal and salicylic acid product I found online called Rosacea Relief. Thinking about it the rosacea only appeared after I'd got chronic fatigue 9 years ago, which came on following a brain injury (fell off my bike, triple skull fracture) so it confirms the diminished immune system idea. Also a full blood test a couple of years ago showed lower than normal white blood cells (below the normal range) but haematologist said it didn't matter. Makes you wonder how bad do all of these signs and symptoms have to get before we get a diagnosis? Am thinking for purposes of being eligible for ESA.

[Naturegirl8 in reply to humanbean]

I wear eye makeup maybe once a month if that, and haven't used any since the chelation appeared, so sure its not that. The lachrylube I'm afraid to use at night because they had given me that prior to the chelation appearing for the dry eyes, and I suspect that it blocked the duct in the first place...?

[Naturegirl8 in reply to humanbean]

Thanks humanbean, just spent an hour learning about Sicca and Sjorgrens.