Blepharitis and Eye Twitch : How I got free

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Personal  Drama

I was struggling with an eye twitch ( also known as myokymia or blepharospasm)  for more than a year. For a long time, I was not able to determine the root cause of my problem despite I have visited a lot of optometrists. During my fight with the eye spasm, I learned that I had blepharitis. But l should start from the beginning where I  will describe everything in detail how I got free from blepharitis and my bothering eye twitch. I visited many doctors, I spend a  lot of money but only a few things made the difference.

I do not use glasses and I never did. However, my way of life is full of watching screens and computer monitors. I work in front of a computer for more than 8 hours per day. Even in my free time, I play games on PC or on my mobile phone. As a result, I spend more than 10 hours per day in front of a monitor. This includes the weekends as well. I had visited a few ophthalmologists in the past years and they confirmed I do not need any glasses.

Three years from now, my eye twitch started. In the beginning, I did not pay any attention as this has happened in the past, after one hour or one day max it always stopped. The spasm was very light and it was not bothering me at all. The location of the spasm was over my left eye. However, it did not stop. The days passed and the eye twitch was becoming a real bother to me. Moreover, my vision was starting to becoming worse. After a month of eye twitching, I was struggling to view far away at letters and it was hard to drive. I was able to see far away but I had to focus really hard. I thought it was time for my first glasses and I should visit my ophthalmologist.

So, I scheduled an appointment and visited my ophthalmologist. I performed the automatic test via a machine then scans your eye and calculates the values for the correct glasses. When my doctor saw the results he said something like “This is definitely wrong”. Probably the values were so bad that it was impossible my vision to be worse like that in a few years.

So, I tried the manual test with the letters. The result was completely strange to me. I did not need any glasses at all. When I focused my eyes I was able to recognize even the smallest letters. He said to me my eyes were tired and  I should not use the computers so much and use eye drops often during my work. He suggests to me try blinking eye more often as the eye will be kept wet from tears, relaxing the eye. In the end, I asked the doctor for my eye twitching. He replied that it is not related to eyes and probably caused due to my anxiety.

The days were passing, I started using eye drops and tried to decrease the time spent in front of the computer. But I as I said before decreasing it less than 8 hours was not possible due to my work. After a month, there was not any real progress. My eye twitch was worse, I had spasms on my right eye as well. My vision was tired, the drops helped a bit only. In general, during the weekend with 0 hours in front of screens I was better but after a few hours at work every Monday my eyes were tired like hell. Especially every morning my eyes were very sensitive to light, I could not stand day at all without sunglasses and my eyes started a burning feeling. I was disappointed and frustrated so thought I should visit a different doctor.

Firstly, I visited a neurologist for my eye twitches. After one visit, and a head MRI  ( Magnetic Resonance Imaging )   not issue was found. I was completely fine. He said to me my spasms probably were related to anxiety. In general, I am not an anxious person and whenever a doctor blames my anxiety I understand that the doctors do not know what to blame for my issue.

Secondly, I visited a second ophthalmologist and finally was able to determine that I had blepharitis. Blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelids that involves the edges of the eyelids and eyelash hair follicles. Blepharitis is a common and sometimes long-lasting condition than usual affects adults but also can occur in children. People with skin conditions such as rosacea, seborrhea, oily skin, dandruff or dry eyes are more likely to get this condition. Blepharitis can be triggered by bacterial infections or by the eyelid glands making too much oil. In my case, I have oily skin which increases blepharitis chance to appear.

He suggested treatment was to take antibiotics for 15 days and use eye drops as well.

Boring Ritual

Αποτέλεσμα εικόνας για blepharitis compress

  1. Soak a clean washcloth in hot water. Remove the water and let it cool for a while. Then apply the warm (not hot!) cloth to the affected eyelid. Re-soak the washcloth into the hot water once it is cooled. Then reapply again.
  2. Repeat this for 5 to 10 minutes, up to 5 times per day.

The purpose of a warm compress is to soften the skin, oil and any margin debris (such as crusts) attached to the eyelids.

Also, heat helps to improve circulation, thus allowing the oily secretions made by the meibomian glands to flow more freely.

Therefore, the warmth helps to unplug any blocked glands and allow the oily secretions to flow more readily.

If you find the act of reheating the cloth too troublesome, a hard-boiled egg can be used instead. Do not peel the eggshell through.

The shelled egg is able to retain heat much longer than cloth, thus reduces the number of times you needed to warm it up.

This treatment was one of the most boring things in my life. It helped me a bit especially in the morning but when I read on the internet blepharitis is chronic and I might have to do this treatment all my life, I was so depressed and disappointed.

After 15 days of serious treatment with antibiotics, hot compresses and eye drops the progress was zero for my eye twitches. My eyes were a little better thought my hot burning was away and my red eyes were less red in the morning. After a few hours at work, everything was like before.

For one more time, I was so disappointed. I went to a third ophthalmologist.  For one more time, I did not need any glasses and he said that my blepharitis was almost gone. The doctor suggested  I should continue the rest of the treatments ( eye drops and hot compresses) without antibiotics.

That time, I realized I have to fight on my own this supposed “cured” blepharitis and somehow treat the eye twitches. After three months of reading and experimenting on myself, these are the results.

Failed Treatments

Magnesium Supplements: It is well known that magnesium reduces muscle tension, lessen pain associated with migraine headaches, improve sleep, etc. I used supplements for a month without any improvement to my eye twitch.

Quinine Products: Several sources online refer to quinine as a myokymia treatment. So I started to drink huge amount of quinine water without any success. There was an option of Quinine sulfate tablets but  I did not test them.

Antihistamine tablets: From time to time, I suffer from allergic rhinitis especially during the winter. So I am a bit familiar with Antihistamine tablets. I also used them against my spasms but they did not help me.

Finally, I found my cure 

Omega-3 refers to a family of polyunsaturated fatty acids and is sometimes written as n-3 or w-3. This family includes alpha-linolenic acid, EPA, and DHA. Alpha-linolenic acid is a precursor of EPA and DHA. Omega-3 fatty acids are an essential part of our diet and can be found in foods like oil-rich fish, fish oil, nuts, plus fortified foods like eggs, bread and fruit juices. The omega 3 can easily be bought as a food supplement. There are a lot of options to buy them. I strongly suggest the following which I used. It considered one of the best in the world Dr. Tobias Omega 3 Fish Oil Triple Strength .

Dr Tobias Omega 3 Fish Oil
34,620 Reviews
Dr Tobias Omega 3 Fish Oil
  • Premium quality & Triple strength
  • Designed for better absorption
  • No fishy aftertaste
  • 100% fresh, wild-caught fish

I used to take one cap every morning when my eyes were inflamed.

 

Natural Omega 3 Sources

  • Mackerel
  • Salmon
  • Flax-seeds ( An common alternative for vegans )
  • Tuna
  • Walnuts

For eye hygiene, I recommend a specialized eyelid cleanser which leaves my skin very hydrated and smooth. The price is not as cheap as common face cleansers, but it is high efficient treating blepharitis. More information on the following link: Ocusoft Lid Scrub Foaming Eyelid Cleanser. I just close my eyes and clean and massage the eyelid area every morning for 30 seconds. I tested the cleaner and it was great also for my sensitive skin. I suggest removing the soap with water before opening your eyes even though it does not burn the eyes.

Ocusoft Lid Scrub Foaming Eyelid Cleanser
8,959 Reviews
Ocusoft Lid Scrub Foaming Eyelid Cleanser
  • Safe & Effective Cleanser with Non-Irritating Formula - Gently and effectively remove eyelid oil, pollen, and eye makeup with this eyelid & eyelash wash. The non-irritating formulation is safe for daily use.
  • For Mild to Moderate Eyelid Irritations - Improve contact lens comfort and remove makeup with this eyelid & eyelash cleanser in a non-irritating formulation for sensitive eyes and skin.
  • Instant Foaming Cleanser - When you compress the control tip pump, it produces a pre-lathered foam to instantly build a lather, making your eyelid hygiene regimen even easier!

The combination of face soap over my eyes and omega 3 oil supplement make feel better in 7 days. After one month I was free from my hidden blepharitis and my blepharospasm. After that, I  was using regularly the soap for three more months and the omega 3 supplements partially for a few days when my blepharospasm slightly appeared.

When all these were finished, my vision was as before. I was able to play games on my computer even after 8 hours of working in front of a monitor. I share my experience to help others facing similar problems.

New Blepharitis Tips 

  1. Clean your face and eyelid area every day
  2. Do not touch your face with anything dirty
  3. Change your pillows and bed sheet more often
  4. Avoid dry environment ( air condition, etc. )
  5. Treat head dandruff
  6. Clean-Shave your beard more often
  7. Avoid the use of contact lens if possible

Unfortunately,  blepharitis never vanishes, symptoms reappears but now I know how to tackle them efficiently and quickly in a few days. Whenever my eyes becoming tired or sensitivity to light is increased, I  start taking omega 3 capsules for a few days. Moreover, I have replaced the specialized cleanser with a common facial cleanser (CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser) as it is much cheaper cleaning both my face and the eyelid area every day. The most important thing is that I do not use hot compress anymore, I do not need them.

CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
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CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
  • Unique formula with three essential ceramides (1, 3, 6 II) that cleanses and removes oil without disrupting the skincare barrier
  • Formulated with hyaluronic acid to help retain skin’s natural moisture and niacinamide to help calm skin
  • Foaming action gently refreshes

Regarding the blepharospasm, I am free for the last 8 years.

6 COMMENTS

  1. Thank god for your post, been suffering from blepharitis now for 3 months and the dreaded eye twitch! Doctors I’ve found no help sadly, I’ve been using the hot compress and cleaning with water with a drop or two of tea tree oil it’s my only relief but has not stopped the twitching. I’ve just ordered the foam and will start on some strong omega 3 tomorrow and fingers crossed! If nothing else you have given me some hope that I may be able to get past the eye twitching at least. So thanks in advance I’d all but settled that it’s not going to go.
    May I ask did you still do the hot compress as well? And did you just use the soap and massage eye lids once a day?
    Thanks matt

    • Hello Matt
      Thanks for your kind words and never lose hope. I totally understand your feelings as I had a similar experience. Now, I am not using hot compress at all. Your eye twitching is probably caused due to severe eye strain. I updated the conclusion of the article with extra tips that might help you. Regarding your treatment , tea tree oil is commonly used against demodex blepharitis. If your doctor concluded that mites are responsible for your blepharitis , you can check this article : Demodex Treatments. I’m sending you warm regards, and I hope that you will get well soon.

  2. Thanks for informative article. Very helpful to identify desiese with the help of eye symptoms. Blepharitis is a condition that leads to inflammation of the tissue around the eyes. As the tissue becomes inflamed it leads to dryness and irritation. Dry skin around the eyes is a common concern for adults. It occurs when your tears aren’t able to provide adequate lubrication for your eyes.

  3. Thank you for sharing your story. I seem to be in the same boat. I have had a nasty eye twitch for over 6 months now and have tried every possible treatment (magnesium, anti-glare glasses, antihistamine drops, systane drops, hot compress), even went for an MRI (it was clear) and had my eyes checked (super mild dry eye – left), all reports have been clear! I have been told over and over again that it’s related to stress (the whole reason I’m stressed is because of this twitch). I even changed my make up and tried acupuncture treatments, Omega 3s- everything! Came across your post about the eyelid wipes/cleanser. I ordered Cliradex wipes before I read your post so I’ll try those to see if they work. At this point, I feel like I have to take this in my own hands just like you did. Wish me luck!

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