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Csuri Madár

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A Baby Bird With Crusty Eyes

Fort much of my life I have been plagued with crusty eyes. When I was a little boy, my mother referred to me as a csuri madár, which meant a cute little fledgling bird with crusty eyes whose mouth was always open for food. Later on, my ophthalmologist identified my ailment as blepharitis.

Even as I am writing this post, my eyes are watering and there are small solid particles dotting the line of my eyelashes. There are four things I can do to make me feel good for a little while:

  • Cleanse my eyelashes with a medicated wipe
  • Put a warm compress on my eyes for about fifteen minutes or more
  • Use extra-strength Pataday eye drops once in a 24 hour period
  • Use artificial tears eye drops as needed

The only thing that really works is for summer to return. The blepharitis plagues me only during the fall, winter, and spring—roughly nine months out of the year.

It doesn’t keep me from reading: It just makes me feel extremely yucky most of the time. If that isn’t existential, I don’t know what is.

Puffy Eyelids

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The Worst Allergy Season in Memory Continues ….

For a couple months now, I have had a savage attack of blepharitis. My eyelids continue to itch like crazy, inviting me to rub them, while discharging what looks like endless tears. Last night, all night long, I had to wipe the tears from my eyes, which woke me as they ran down my face.

Finally, today I contacted my ophthalmologist, who prescribed eyedrops and a salve that worked well a few weeks ago until they ran out. They should be ready for pickup on Friday or Saturday.

The worst thing about this condition is that I am tempted to drive with only one eye open, which is not great for depth perception. Also, reading becomes a much more tiresome activity. (For me, that’s serious.)

I have no doubt that this condition is somehow connected with climate change. The summers have been growing progressively hotter, and large-scale wildfires have packed the air with various toxins.

In the absence of prescribed medications, the only thing that helps for an hour or two are hot or warm compresses. Over-the-counter preparations like Pataday are not even that good.