14 Years of Blepharitis / Dry Eyes

I have had Blepharitis since i was 13 and i am now 27.  For a few years i was never away from the doctors and was put on antihistimines, nasal spray and Allergy eye drops for the first two years which only made my eyes sting.  I finally got to see a consultant who said it was Blepharitis and dry eyes and that i has to do hot compressions 6 times a day.  I could only manage a couple of times as this made my eyes very red and sore and looking worse.
At school i got comments from teachers and pupils ranging from them thinking i'd been crying, been in a fight or been staying up late or even drinking.

The last 10 years i have been treated for depression and also am very obsessed with the appearance of my eyes, if they look red i don't feel like going out, to work or seeing anybody.  When i shave i still use a hand held mirror so that i dont see my eyes as it can result in me feeling sorry for myself and sets me off again.

Recently i have been doing a regular hot compression with the eye bag followed by an eye massage and then a lid clean with bicarbonate soda.  However this still makes my eyes sting and as i have some eyelid scarring and lashes growing irregularily it makes the eyelids sorer and appear redder.  I have also recently tried Aloe Vera oil 99.9% Pure from Holland and Barrett which i have read about been good wiped on a cotton wool pad around the closed eyelids.  Even though im doing all this as it has taken me a long time to be able to look at my eyes for any length of time, my eyes still have a reddish appearance around the eyes especially the upper eyelid which seems to have dilated blood vessels and the corner of my lower eyelids have a reddy/purplish colour.

I have tried every eye drop on the go and currently use the preservative free single dose which don't irritate the eyes but dont last as long as they Viscotears eye-gel.
I have never got round to writing anything about my eyes before but the length of time my life has evolved around my eye condition has been too long.  Hope someone has some good answer on how to avoid making my eyes sorer whilst still doing a lid cleaning routine and in particular anyway of improving the appearance of reddish eyelids that feel dry tired sore and stingy every day for 14 years.

The last time i went to see the opthalamist clinic the doctor told me my condition shouldn't cause me this level of discomfort and partly blamed dry skin condition which i have i the form of a reddish nose and around the eyes and forehead.

Any help would be appreciated

Regards

Rob

Update:  I have just done another compression and lide clean followed by aloe vera gel around the eyelids and this has made my eyes sting and lids go redder than brake lights.  As with any cream or lotion i've ever put around my eyes before such as e45 (reccomended by a doctor to sothe this skin in the corner of my eyes) it has made my vision blurry although the skinn around the eys feels softer and less flared its not worth the stinging.  Maybe i'll try salt instead of bicarbonate soda as that also stings my eyes.The eyelid massage makes them aggravated too and they now have flaky bits where they are healing from this.  Beginning to think of going back to just the occasional eyelid clean at the weekends as its not worth the aggravation and time.  Sorry if this seems like a rant but hope someone can learn or help from this.

Hi Rob

Hi Posie,  Thank you for your response.  I think your right about the hot compressions making the eye lids sore i will give them a rest for a while.  I have seen quite  a lot of opthalamists at the hospital and also one private so not sure whether they would say anything different in London.  Got a doctors appointment tomorrow so will mention my eyes and see if they give any useful advice or any cream or prescriptions.

Hi Rob

Hi Rob ... hows it going ? rob , this is just my opinion ok ... and excuse me if it is very direct.

Hi rob, my condition is a bit similar to yours I have very red lid margins and my eyelids look like they have lost a lot of their natural color and are very sore. I have had this for 5 years and it is getting worse, I am presently trying different treatments, eye drops and even pain killers due to the sensitivity my eyes have to air flow. I will keep you posted if I find a break through. If anyone knows a good cream to put on my eyelids in the evening to reduce the redness it would be appreciated

Hi Rob,

hOW ARE YOU NOW rOB?

Hi all