About blepharitis
Blepharitis is a common and persistent inflammation of the eyelids.
- Symptoms include irritation, itching, and occasionally a red eye
- This condition frequently occurs in people who have a tendency towards oily skin, dandruff or dry eyes
- Blepharitis can occur in early childhood, producing granulated eyelids, and continue throughout life as a chronic condition, or develop later in life
Eye infection – blepharitis causes
- Bacteria reside on the surface of everyone’s skin, but in certain individuals they thrive in the skin in the base of the eyelashes
- The resulting irritation, sometimes associated with overactivity of the nearby oil glands, causes dandruff-like scales and particles to form along the lashes and eyelid margins
Blepharitis symptoms
- In blepharitis, both the upper and lower eyelids become coated with oily debris and bacteria near the base of the eyelashes
- The eye feels irritated and may become inflamed
- Sometimes the scaling or bacteria produce only minor irritation and itching, but in some they may cause redness, stinging or burning
- Some people may develop an allergy to the scales or to the bacteria which surround them
- This can lead to a more serious complication, inflammation of the eye tissues, particularly the cornea (the clear front window of the eye)
Blepharitis treatment
Blepharitis is a condition that may not be cured, but it can be controlled with a few simple daily measures:
- Regular cleansing of the lid margin helps control blepharitis
- At least twice a day, wet a washcloth with comfortably warm water, wring it out, and place over the closed eye for a minute. Rewet it as it cools, two or three times. This will soften and loosen scales and debris. More importantly, it helps liquefy the oily secretions from the eyelids’ oil glands which help prevent the development of chalazion – an inflamed lump in an eyelid oil gland
- With your finger covered with a thin washcloth, cotton swab or commercial lint-free pad, gently scrub the base of the lashes about 15 seconds per lid
- If an antibiotic ointment has been prescribed, apply a dab at the base of the lashes (usually at bedtime) using your fingertip or a cotton swab
- These simple, daily hygienic measures are essential to control blepharitis and its symptoms
Dry eye treatment
Additionally medications to treat blepharitis include:
- Artificial tears may be used to relieve symptoms of dry eye – these are eye drops that are available without a prescription
- Corticosteroid eye drops may be used short-term to decrease inflammation
- Antibiotic drops may be used to decrease the bacterial content of the eyelids