Constant Styes

I am a 59 yr old male who is constantly getting styes.  I suffer from hay fever and other allergies and have been told I am prone to blepheritis.  I just had a retina detachment and am under the care of a doctor for that.  Over the past 2 years I have been getting styes on both eyes, for which I was told hot compresses.  I now have a stye on the eye with the retina problem and I have 2 styes on the other eye.  They just won't go away.  Do you think I could have some kind od infection in my system causing these styes?  Do you think I need to go on maybe Tetracycline for an extended period of time?  I don't know how much more I can take.  I'm a school teacher so my eyes are very important.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

If you have a rash on your cheeks you might have acne roseacea. See a dermatologist if so, unless the face rash is treated the lids will not improve.

Use TheraTears SteriLid eyelid cleaner to clean and sterilize the lids.

See a cornea/external disease specialist. You might need oral tetracycline.

JCH III MD