Ocular rosecea & rhino-whatever that is!

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone,

I got many helpful e-mails in response to my last question so I

thought I'd try again.

Does anyone know if there is new information on the symptoms and

treatment of occular rosecea?

My optometrist clearly wants me to treat my (mild) rosecea, and I'm

assuming it's because I have this other condition which affects my

corneas, and he wants to avoid future complications. Apparently if I

don't treat the rosecea it might progress to my eyes?

These are just some of the things I don't understand!:

1) If, as I've read, ocular rosecea is essentially a problem of the

EYELIDS (which left untreated may lead to corneal irritations,

abrasions, whatever), then what's the big deal, why not treat it with

the same Metrocream that's put on the nose & cheeks?

2) How am I going to PREVENT getting ocular rosecea when one of the

things I'm supposed to do for this other condition is HOT COMPRESSES

on my eyes? (which, BTW, caused considerable itching and irritation

the day after I tried it...but I don't know if that might have come

from the Muro 128 ointment I put in my eyes at bedtime).

I was warned against touching my nose or cheeks with the hot compress

but geez, hot is hot: won't this just speed-up the progression of the

rosecea?

3)My rosecea is so mild, I was shocked to learn I have it. All of the

symptoms, which I repeat are very mild, I had attributed to other

causes (allergic to the pillowcase; drank alcohol when I was younger;

everyone gets red when they take a shower or work-out!; I must have a

guilty conscience; and so on). I am sorely tempted not to use the

metrocream, because I almost feel like I was doing better without it

(probably just because I didn't know any better!). Anyway, how can I

already have changes in my nose, which I've read is a LATE stage

development, and supposedly happens almost exclusively to MEN?! (I'm

a woman.)

4) This is somewhat off-topic, but I noticed everyone here is pretty

familiar with skin allergies (seems you have to be!), so maybe you

can point me in the right direction on this:

I've been taught that people with senstive skin should avoid products

containing LANOLIN. The Muro 128 I put in my eyes contains 5% sodium

chloride, LANOLIN, mineral oil, white petrolatum, and purified water.

What might an allergic reaction to this look like, and is it likely

only to affect me if I get it on my skin, or my eyes too?

Sorry to be so clueless. I've searched the web as best I can (my

vision's not so hot right now!) but the info is usually so over my

head...or contradictory...that I can't make heads or tails of it.

Any help (in simple terms, please!) will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jan