Health & Fitness

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Q.  What is ocular rosacea and what can be done about it?

A.  Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that can cause the forehead, cheeks and nose to appear mottled and red. 

About 60 per cent of the patients who have rosacea may also have ocular rosacea. Symptoms may be minor such as blepharitis (red, itchy, crusty eyelids), sties (infection of eye follicles), plugged glands that lubricate the eye, inflamed blood vessels in the eye, infections of the cornea or iris, a sensation of a foreign object in the eye or photophobia (eye sensitivity to light).  

Symptoms may also be severe such as keratitis (inflamed cornea) which may permanently alter vision and possibly lead to blindness.  

Ocular rosacea is widely under-diagnosed since many of the symptoms listed above are similar to other common ailments such as conjunctivitis. Those who have been diagnosed can take a number of steps to help control the symptoms of this disorder.  

You should wear a hat and sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV light. Avoiding common triggers that can worsen rosacea, such as hot beverages, spicy foods, alcohol, tobacco, vasodilating medications and emotional stress, can also be helpful. 

Hot compresses on the eyes to liquefy eye secretions while promoting draining and reducing the potential for sties is another excellent idea. Lid hygiene, using a baby shampoo or a commercial product such as Lid Care, helps reduce inflammation and infection and helps remove crusts and scales.  

Dry eyes are also a common complaint with this condition and artificial tears could be used to relieve discomfort. A preservative-free tear supplement should be used if it is being used several times daily. A lubricating eye ointment at night is another option that may prove more effective than the drops.

If these steps fail to help, a doctor may prescribe steroid eye drops to reduce inflammation but long-term use is not suggested due to the potential for side effects (such as an increase in intraocular pressure).  

Oral antibiotics are also commonly prescribed to help reduce infections. The tetracyclines (tetracycline, doxycycline, minocycline) are the first choice as they also have anti-inflammatory properties.   

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Sunday, June 06, 2010