Question: Please help me. I have blepharitis. That is what my doctor calls it. And what's worse, the cure seems to be to "learn to live with it." Surely, you can come up with a better plan. What do you advise?
- Mr. V.C.
Answer: Blepharitis can be a chronic eye condition, but if you must learn to live with it, you can make the living easier.
I should explain for others that blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelids. The cause is usually the staph germ. Or it may be a lid version of dandruff. Sometimes both are involved.
Whatever the cause, blepharitis is, as you note, a most unpleasant problem. I've had patients report eye irritation, dryness and burning of lids, which may be glued shut upon arising.
First things first, you should get some moist, warm compresses and apply them to your eyes. A sterile washcloth would do. When the cloth cools, remove it. Then gently swab the lids with a clean cotton-tipped applicator moistened with baby shampoo diluted with water. This will remove the scales from the lids. Please do this carefully. You may need antibiotic ointment.
I am sure this kind of control program was what your doctor had in mind. But indeed, blepharitis can, as I noted, become a chronic thing. If your doctor has no plans for you, it's time to start looking around.
Question: I am beginning to feel and see bunions. I would rather stop them than have an operation or let them get to that stage. Isn't there something I can do? I've considered wearing men's running shoes.
- Mrs. Preventive
Answer: I let your pseudonym stand, for the battle does go on over bunions, their cause and their prevention.
One view rests on the observation that bunions are virtually unheard of in cultures that scorn footwear entirely or where vanity does not demand tight, illogically constructed styles.
That's one view. The flip side is the fact that you can find bunions in young children with a genetic predisposition to them.
You can't do much about heredity, but you can about style, etc. You can wear flat or low-heeled "sensible" shoes, ones with plenty of free toe space. Some women have a shoemaker stretch their shoe fronts to make such room. Many stores now offer extra width models. A podiatrist can construct an orthosis to remove stress from the bunion area.
The running shoes will not impress folks at the next cotillion, but you might consider them for less-dressy occasions.
For now, I suggest you pad the bunion with moleskin. Cut out a hole to fit over the bunion. Don't rule out surgery. For more, see the feet report. Order by writing: Dr. Donohue - No. 11, P.O. Box 5539, Riverton, NJ 08077, enclosing $3 and a No.10 self-addressed, stamped (55 cents) envelope.