Eyelid 'blisters'

[Mistica]

I would like to know if anyone has the following and if so, what is it?

I wouldn't say I have ocular rosacea. I go through periods when my eyes feel gritty and sore etc, but to look at them, you wouldn't know I had a problem, so I pass it off as minor.

From time to time my left eye is somewhat blood shot. This usually coincides with major and prolonged flushes and is usually worse when I wake up in the morning.

* Ok, my problem symptom is this.

I get tiny blister type things along the rim of the eyelids. That little ledge under the eyelashes, which sits at an angle from the eye.
They come and go. When I do get them, even one, I know as I get a prickling irritation.
The last time I was at my optometrists, I had a couple and was told they are probably, (??? cysts). I have since forgotten the complete name. She did add she didn't have any other rosacea patients, so she wasn't 100% sure. Nor could she offer any advice on them.
Recently, they started getting worse and my eye lids feel odd.
The minor discomfort caused by them, is NOTHING compared to the facial rosacea, which drives me insane.

Years go, I had flaking eyelids. Long before I developed rosacea. I don't have flakey skin now, but my eyelids have developed an odd, mildly itchy feeling. I wondered, can you get seb derm just in the eye area, and, can it be on the face too, but not produce the classic, itchy, flakiness?

I have looked at so many photos, on the web, as well as on here, but I don't seem to fit the standard description.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[kristina b]

Meibomian cysts? Does that ring a bell? I get these - I think they can be part of ocular rosacea and/or blepharitis. My husband gets them, too, when he's suffering with hayfever and his eyes are sore (and he wears lenses). Mine go away with hot compresses, or eyelid scrubs. If you're getting a lot of them it might be an idea to see the doctor, but eyelid hygiene is definitely the first step for preventing/treating these. They're really annoying, aren't they - I sometimes get them on the inside of my eyelid, and they drive me mad.

Kristina

[Melissa W]

I agree with Kristina and even though you don't have crusting/flaking of the lid margins you should begin a daily (or twice a day) regimen of cleansing your lids with lis scrubs and applying warm compresses to see if that helps at all.

Good luck!
Melissa

PS For comfort applying cool compresses when your lids feel uncomfortable or itchy is good for relief of those symptoms.

[Mistica]

Thanks to you both for your suggests.
Regarding the 'Meibomian cysts' and if that name rings a bell, I honestly can't remember.

The problem aren't the actual lids, but rather just under where the lashes are. And, under the lid at times.
I can't scrub there, but I do need to gentlely cleanse them with something other than my usual face cleanser, as I don't feel it is sufficient for the eye area.
Not sure what to use though.

[Melissa W]

Do the cysts meet at the lash margin at all?
Is it possible for a picture so we can see what you are talking about?

[Mistica]

While my optometrist refered to them as cysts, I think of them as blisters, as they are tiny, fluid filled bumps. They burst upon touch. They sit on top of the skin.
I really don't think I could capture them with a photo as they are so small and the flash would completely blind them out.
If you examine the eyelids closely, you have the eyelid, then the lashes. The lashes sit a ml or so out from the eyeball. The blisters occur where the skin meets the eyeball. And at times, under the lid.
They are so tiny, but of course, anything in the eye feels like grit.
I seem to be getting quite a lot of them.

Incidentally, I have been testing yet another supposedly safe moisturiser over the last week and while I thought it was going to be ok, it has turned out to be a disaster. Three days ago, my face suddenly flared up terribly and the skin has since begun to flake off. Even my eyelids, so I have no doubt that this recent irritant has played a part in the blister increase.

I really should get them checked I suppose. It has been a couple of years since I had an eye exam, so I am due for one. Having said that, my Op didn't couldn't advise on the problem the first time, so she will have to research it.

[LavenderVA]

Mistica,

I got something called "chalazia" which is a cyst under the eyelid. It is caused by a clogged gland which is caused by MDG and blepharitis which are both symptoms of ocular rosacea. When the eye dr pressed it, she could see a tooth-paste like discharge coming out from the cyst.

It is better to check out with a MD/ophthalmologist immediately to make it under control - usually you can make an emergency appt with the ophthalmologist in this condition. My ophthalmologist prescribed 5-days course of oral Azithromycin and eye drops. And like Melissa and Kristina suggested, follow a routine of eyelid hygiene to see if it is helpful.

Crystal

[Brighteyes]

I don't think what you're referring to is a cyst or a chalazion. I think you are referring to plugged meiobian glands. What you see is the thickened oils getting plugged up in the glands located on your lid margin - kind of looks like little bumps all along the lid margin. Hot compresses, lid massages, and lid hygiene will take care of this (oral antibiotics too if you want to go that far).

[Alba]

Mistica,

I do think its similar to blepharitis, please see this article (http://cme.ufl.edu/selfstudy/ethis/blepharitis.pdf)
Thanks to Melissa Wohl posting this article i took it to my opthomologist and he gave a prescription for the azythromicin eye drops.

The doctors now recommend that you use the foam cleanser or eyelid scrubs not the baby shampoo as they have found out this could make the problem worse.

I did the eye drops for a month, during the 1st week the eye drops burned but thankfully i continued with the process. Thanks to God and Melissa my eyes are so much better. I have not had to go back to using the eye drops. i still use in the evening every night the 5 minutes warm compresses on my eyelids i do it with cotton squares put them under the warm water squeeze out the excess water and put them on my eyes. then repeat for 5 minutes. then i take a q-tip dip it in the foam just a bit, then pour in my hand saline solution dip the q-tip w/the foam in the saline solution a bit then rub gently my eye lid rim on the lid right by the lashes and a little on under the eye lash all along. then rinse my eye with cool water then repeat on the other eye. Finally apply to each eye twice systane eye drops. then i apply just a bit just enought o cool the eye area ice pak gel that i put inside a pillow case. then i take a shower. this is what i do know since im not applying the medicated eye drops. Right before i go to sleep i apply to each eye eye gel drops. oh i also put vaseline on top of the eye lid close to the lashes to keep that area from drying up to much from the process. In the morning i wash my face, then apply the foam to the eye lids wait the 40-60 seconds then rinse. then i apply the systane eye drops to each eye. No during the day i will apply dry eye drops maybe twice or so not like before the treatment every 10 minutes all day it was horrible.

But you have to continue to do the compresses i would say 4-ever but it keeps me free from those awful dry eyes. I started like you with the tiny bump under the eye lid then awful dry eyes. I really thought i would never feel better it was so horrible. Thanfully to this forum and all the helpful people sharing i was able to get relief, my eyes are definetly not back to totally normality but i can live with this now.

Good luck.

Alba

[alissad]

Mistica,
I have exactly the same problem. Teeny tiny blisters on the ridge between my eyelashes and my eye. They are nearly painless, except that they feel like grit in my eye when I blink. They do not match the description or pictures of styes or cysts. I have scoured the internet and NEVER found a photo or description that resembles these tiny bumps.

I use ophthalmic Neosporin to treat them, and that seems to make them go away faster. Without ointment, they last more than a week. With ointment, they seem to go away within a day or so.

I also found that some brands of mascara, especially colored mascara, makes me more likely to get them.

I don't have rosacea, but I joined the forum to reply to this post. However, when my dermatologist helped me find a facial sunscreen that doesn't irritate my adult acne, he recommended Purpose 30 SPF. They don't know why, but this particular formulation also reduces redness and rosacea in some people.

If you ever get a diagnosis for the tiny eyelid blisters, I would be very interested to hear about it.

Good luck.