Hi there. I posted this on the Lasik Flap as well but I'm looking for an medical answer to my question more or less. I went to my normal eye doctor (not related to lasik) the other day and he told me my dry eye is severe. I knew my eyes were dry, but he said they are really bad. He would like me to get temp plugs, etc. The day I went to see him my eyelids were fine and I didnt mention it, but my eyelids have been swollen lately.

Is this a side effect of having dry eye? Or is this something else I should be concerned about? he told me besides the dry eye, (lasik aside) my eyes are very healthy. But now it looks like I've been crying for days and it looks like I'm wearing red eyeshadow. Help...what is this a sign of and what can I try to make it go away? I'm off to get a heat compress because I was told by the eye doctor and others that this may help??

Any advice would be greatly appreciated and if my rambling doesnt make sense, let me know, and I'll clarify!

Dry eye can be due to marginal blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid margins). This is accompanied by meibomian gland disease (congestion of the meibomian gland ducts). Hot compresses can help relieve the congestion and get the meibomian gland secretion (oil) flowing better. The oil is essential to keep the watery portion of your tears from evaporating. Doxycycline (100 mg daily) can also be of benefit.

The marginal blepharitis is best handled by daily or twice daily lid scrubs. Lid scrubs in combination with the hot compresses and doxy is a more comprehensive treatment. Some patients have found relief with flax seed oil capsules and other omega-3 nutritional supplements.

MGD and marginal blepharitis will cause the lids to be red and swollen. It may be necessary to continue the treatment regimen for a period of weeks and months until you have it under control. After that, continuing a daily lid scrub is a good idea to keep the marginal blepharitis symptoms from recurring.

What works best for the lid scrub? Is there a certain type of substance I should use that works best?

Thank you for the advice. I will use the hot compress along with the lid scrub and see if that helps!

There are commercial brands available over the counter. Any should work well. They are available in pre-moistened pads or in liquid (shampoo consistency) form. The liquid is applied to a wet washcloth. Many patients keep it in the shower and use it daily.

There is also a foam variety that just came out by Advanced Vision Research called Sterilid.

Remember this is for the lid margins. The eye is closed but the actual scrubbing is like rubbing off your eyelashes. I personally think the liquid form and the textured side of a washcloth is most effective. (BTW, any lashes that fall out were destined to be shed anyway.) Remember to rinse well with warm water.

Before commercially available scrubs, doctors suggested baby shampoo and some patients still use it. However, baby shampoo has fragrances, coloring and other unnecessary ingredients that could cause mild irritation. The lids are sensitive enough without introducing additional irritants.

Thank you so much Dr. Hartzok. I appreciate the information and I will get right on it! Thank you!

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