This is a follow-up to my Blepharitis post on 7/10/06. A...

1. Guest 12 August 2006 at 06:57AM
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   This is a follow-up to my Blepharitis post on 7/10/06. A week after I wrote that post I had to fly to AZ on business for two days and of course I wore eye make-up. eye shadow, shadow mixed w/water for liner and mascara. Two days later had raging inflammation on my right eyelid, mild in left eye. Bad enough to cancel a flight back East for a friends wedding. Instead took the week off from work and followed a strict hot compress/eye scrub pads/no make-up routine. I also went to an accupuncturist who put me through an herbal (foul tea I had to drink) detox, no alcohol and no caffine. Missed my occasional glass of wine, but missed my morning coffee more. Major withdrawals from my usual 1 and 1/2 mugs a morning. He explained I needed to get the heat out of my body. After a week of grumpiness I started feeling much better and my eyes are clearer than they have been in a long time. My cheeks are also rosecea free. I then threw out my eye makeup, sterilized my brushes, went and bought new hypoallergenic eye makeup including a pencil liner and disposable one-use mascara wands. The key to controlling this desease which is caused by BACTERIA is to KEEP the EYELID MARGINS VERY CLEAN and bacteria free!! I went to a different opthomologist today and he confirmed there is no cure, only way to control it is to control the bacteria. He said everyone has bacteria on their eyelids, but ours is amplified. So use prepackaged eyelid scrubs or diluted baby shampoo w/qtips. I am facing the fact I can only wear eye make-up occasionally now, and must completely clean my eyelash margins two or three times a day. I have now worn makeup several times in the past two weeks and remained symptom free. I have also noticed that if I go several days without applying the hot compresses and trying to express the Meibomian glands, I can visibly see the little white plugs built up in the glands and my eyes get even more dry, which harbors bacteria. Hope this helps....it's an ongoing battle!

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2. Guest 6 December 2006 at 07:42AM

   I feel your pain. My last post was on August 12th and I have been pretty symptom free for several months. Tonight, here I sit with a full blown case of Bleph in my right eye. Itchy red lid w/small blisters at the lash line. (Yesterday I did a lot of crying while hanging with a good friend at the vet while she put her dog down and I think the crying brought on the flare-up.) Usually two to three days of faithful eye scrubs/hot compresses and antibiotic ointment will get rid of a flare up, but how inconvenient is this??!! Luckily I work at home, but still, when I have a major flare-up I even hate going to the grocery. I don't wear my contacts when I have a flare-up like today, but have been able to still wear them on most days. I only wear eye make-up once or twice a week now.....really miss it (and need it at 50)I don't know what I would do if I had to face the public on a regular basis with this, cause I look pretty bad with my fair skin and red lids. My eye lashes usually get very sparse in the area that flares up, but seem to grow back ok. I'm very grateful I don't have something like cancer, but getting older is difficult enough for a woman trying to handle a career and you can't hide this disease when it flares-up. Can't use concealer and stay bacteria free. None of my friends and no one I know suffers from this. Wonder if any actresses or models suffer from it that could be a spokesperson and raise awareness. Anyway, to answer your makeup question, I still wear minimal neutral shadow, eye liner and mascara on occassion. Bought hypoallergenic stuff and keep brushes and wands steril. All the Doctor's I have seen said the most important thing is to keep the eyelid margins as clean as possible. Anytime we touch our eyelids it adds to the natural bacteria load and people who suffer from this disease can't handle the bacteria. I also quit drinking caffeine completely and drink alcohol only very occassionaly....stopping the caffeine, keeping my lids very clean and taking flaxseed oil seems to have helped minimize my flare-ups. This is the first one I have had in months. I know this is hard for everyone, both men and woman, however a woman's eyes are usually one of her best features and this disease really sucks!

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