Blepharitis n blocked glands: Hi i havent been... - Thyroid UK

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Blepharitis n blocked glands

18 Replies

Hi i havent been on here for a while it seems i manage to get one problem under control up pops another after having my eye straightened double vision last year my vision long distance is great and no glasses needed now thats after 2 years double vision . I do have cateracts but only small ones.. but my big problem now is severe Blepharitis swollen red sore eyelids for months cant get it under control my eyelid glands are very blocked optician has just done a Blephex in house treatment on them had to pay! But my glands are so blocked even she couldnt open them its a waiting game now Ive been told to use Hylo Forte intensive eye drops or Thealoz Duo drops with heated eye mask n massage which i have been using for a month anyway. Nightime use an ointment gel Hycosan night or Vitapos im wondering is this another auto immune problem i have ?im not really getting any answers from anyone id rather ask on here if anyone has this or has suffered with it no point looking on internet that in itself is a no no atm my days are warm eyebag masks few times a day eyedrops n massage n still have swollen red sore eyelids my vision is Ok...

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18 Replies
Hennerton profile image
Hennerton

I was not as bad as you, by what you describe but I was seen as an emergency at the eye department of my local hospital. The consultant prescribed a very simple treatment and interestingly he was Eastern European, where I think they rely more on natural remedies. No unnatural chemicals for him. It was a teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate in a pint of boiled cooled water. Then use with a cotton buds over each eyelid (change the cotton bud for each eye) and into the lashes as much as possible, twice a day for a week or ten days until it improves and then continue for ever in a maintenance kind of way. I was sceptical but it worked. I now do it very quickly twice a day . Apparently there is no absolute cure but like you, I had tried everything. Heat masks are particularly useless. Absolute squeaky clean cleanliness is what counts.

You might also check your thyroid levels and post latest results here. I had absolutely no problem with this until my Thyroidectomy and a few years later, I discovered I had very low T3 levels. I now take Levothyroxine and liothyronine combination, which I think has helped me.

in reply to Hennerton

Hi There Thank You for replying im due for my Thyroid bloods again soon i too take Levo with small amout of T3 i just never know whether im tired n weary because of Thyroid levels or now this complaints its so draining n debilitating my face skin has gone extra dry too dry thin hair starting to grow again slowly Ive seen Moorfields the other week too for something else even they say the same things as my opticians eyemasks eyelid wipes etc etc but seems to make it worse the drops help a bit but the eyelids themselves are swollen red sore the in house treatment Blephex at the opticians which involves an in depth lid clean better than a home lid clean but she couldnt even get any glands to unblock just dont know where this has all come from all flared up this year unsightly.....

in reply to Hennerton

I will try give that a go what you were advised as this heat mask treatment im doing is just not working the Blephaclean eyelid wipes just make my eyes redder n sore it seems its the eyelid glands that are so blocked

Hennerton profile image
Hennerton in reply to

I found the heat mask made it worse. Basically you are "cooking " bacteria on your eyelids. Must get them scrupulously clean without then making them sore - a fine line unfortunately but the natural remedy is better than ridiculous chemicals on delicate eye tissue.

in reply to Hennerton

It makes sense it seems ti more im told to do the worse its got

pennyannie profile image
pennyannie

Hello Momo

I too was diagnosed with this by the eye consultant at he county hospital, and he promptly went on to prescribe an ointment with preservatives in it ????

My condition was not as serious as yours. All I know is that everything needs to be preservative free, and I managed to reduce my pain and discomfort by using natural resources as much as possible, much like the previous post.

My now source just one product through Butterflies, or Moorfields :- Hydromoor 0.3% hypromellose : single unit dose eye drops, to be used as often as required. It is totally clear and runs as simply as water though you know it's not as it's a little " stingey "

When I settled on this medication, my doctor prescribed it for me, then last year it was removed, though sometimes I seem to get it , no idea what's going there, just know I can source myself if need to.

I'm with Graves Disease post RAI 2005 and now with Graves, thyroid eye disease and hypothyroidism. Now self medicating on NDT.

in reply to pennyannie

Hi Pennyannie,ive always thought all these things are all linked somehow might not be right ?? but with autoimmune problems its never just one thing my double vision only started all around same time as thyroid n Pernicious anemia the eye that was operated on to correct double vision is the worst inflamed eye atm looks a bit like slighty droopy lid with it as well as sore n red n swollen i really thought i was cracking on a bit better with all the advise off here.. now this what Hennerton has said really makes sense with those eye masks all i know is these lid wipes im using are making my eyes look worse Moorfields suggested those i know lid hygiene is the key i do have all preservative free eye drops but while these glands are so blocked i will have this problem thats why i wondered is this another auto immune thing Thank You for replying!

pennyannie profile image
pennyannie in reply to

I think we are like " houses of cards " similar to what we used to build out of playing cards years ago. It's a fragile structure, and only needs one card slightly out of place to bring it down.

My eye issues actually started when at 36 I was in Moorfields in London, and diagnosed with tears and holes in both my retinas. I had to have laser treatment in both eyes. They didn't have any explanation, but one doctor, at some point in time, on my regular outpatient appointments asked if I had a sore back. Well, yes, I replied, don't we all, and he suggested inflammation on the spine could be linked to eye problems.

There doesn't appear to be any joined up thinking, and am so grateful to this website as it has helped turn me around and get myself back on the right track for myself.

in reply to pennyannie

Ive noticed a few things since i was diagnosed in 2015 with auto immune thyroid some i just get on with but some really affect quality of life i know many people really are worse off than me i try to think positive as much as i can im hoping i can get this under control but think the more im told to do to my lids the worse its looking funny how my hair n facial skin went excessively dry at the same time as this flared up my mouth at night was dry too my husband view of it all is Look you are getting older you have to realise you get all sorts of things. Yeah very Helpful im clinging on to my sense of Humour!!

pennyannie profile image
pennyannie in reply to

How is our mouth now ?

There is an A/U called Sjogrens Sydrome, my dentist mentioned it to me when my saliva totally dried up - I had a blood test and lip biopsy but all came back negative.

My issues, I believe, all work back to my having had RAI treatment in 2005 for Graves Disease.

It's only my thoughts, as no one within the Nhs has acknowledge or helped with my symptoms and my doctor actually referred to me as a conundrum, so now I'm inclined to stay away.

Thankfully, apart from " all this " I'm well and don't need to visit the doctor for other stuff. I do agree in that even our nearest and dearest do not fully understand how debilitating some of symptoms we experience can be. They don't mean to "make light" of our situation but probably feel a bit lost in trying to help us.

in reply to pennyannie

Yes i agree id be the same no doubt it seems one thing after another ive gone from a fitness person always up for a challenge to a weary wreck in just 5 years just when i seem to bounce back along comes something else

Jillymo profile image
Jillymo

Do you just suffer dry eyes or is your mouth also affected and have you been tested for sjogrens ? Like your self I have dry eyes and at one stage had to have the tear ducts plugged.

The heated eye mask is great but also try cotton pads in hot water - but careful not to scold your eye. I was told by the opthalmologist at the hospital to put a little pure bi-carbonate of soda in as hot water as you can stand and swap all around the eye lashes with a cotton bud - it worked wonders. You need to soften the debris around the eyelashes and unblock the tear duct's mine were flushed out by the hospital.

Keep bathing and keep putting the drops in as regular as you can. I used to even put them in if I got out of bed in the night to use the loo - in fact still do. I hope you manage to get on top of it soon.

in reply to Jillymo

Hi Jillymo, i only have dry mouth usually in bed nightimes i wake up with it put it down to open mouth sleeping... i had an in depth clean at opticians on Monday Blephex its called i cant seem to get on top of this at all and im doing all the right things im advised to do untill these inflamed lid glands are unblocked i might get some relief not wore any eye makeup all this year

I've had this a few times but not as badly, and for me well-diluted baby shampoo works pretty quickly. You might want to Google it first, though, some say it aggravates the problem. :(

Jillymo profile image
Jillymo

No eye make up is a must I have had to stop using it all together now. I did all sorts to try and unblock mine I even steamed with a towel over my head three of four times a day. My eyes irritated like, I would try my best not to rub them and make them worse. I saw an eye mask on ebay that you warm in the microwave that sort of steam's your eye's which might be a good investment. Optase Moist Heat Eye Mask For Blepharitis is a good one I have seen one on ebay for £8.

in reply to Jillymo

Yes i have one from mt opticians Optase hydrobead but to be honest i dint find it any help at all and ive had it couple of months 3 times a day along with eyelid wipes n drops . The drops help with the eye itself but the eyelids nothing unblocking these eyelid glands so till that happens nothing will change with the swollen red sore lids. Thats why i thought id try in house opticians Blephex treatment its an in depth treatment of the lids they feel very sore atm also lost few of my bottom eyelashes had the treatment yesterday not sure it will work??

Jillymo profile image
Jillymo

It's early days if you only had the treatment yesterday - have you any follow ups ? Once the eye ducts are clear the mask will be good for keeping them that way. As you so rightly say the drops a great for the eyes but the surrounding area is more complicated and not so easy to deal with. That's a lovely looking dog you have in the photo.

Yes he is my pride n joy Leo he is 8 now ive always had rescue greyhounds my last 2 passed away 3 years ago they lived quite long good lives ive rehomed another one now he is only 4 bit of company for Leo ill have a follow up next week with the Optician ill carry on with lid cleaning n massage with drops but i dont find mask any good really ill persevere... ive just seen plenty of info on here to do with eyelid gland problems just searched.. MGD. Thank You for your replies..

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