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Belpharitis
Blepharitis is a chronic inflammation of the eyelids. This is a common condition in both children and adults. There are three basic types of blepharitis: anterior, posterior, and mixed.
Anterior blepharitis is inflammation caused by Staph bacteria or excessive and abnormal oils in the tear film. Symptoms may include itching, burning, scratchiness, foreign body sensation, swollen eyelids, dry or watery eyes, and eyelash crusting. Chronic blepharitis may lead to lid redness, scaling, and eyelash loss or misdirection.
Posterior blepharitis or meibobian gland disease (MGD) is caused by clogging, inflammation, and infection of the oil secreting glands along the lid margin. These glands normally produce a healthy oil layer of the tear film which keeps the eye moist and lubricated by preventing evaporation. Posterior blepharitis results in poor function and abnormal oil layers. This leads to tired, burning, dry or watery eyes, as well as foreign body sensation, contact lens intolerance or development of chalazia (styes).
Often patients have a mixture of both anterior and posterior blepharitis. Patients with rosacea are particularly susceptible to blepharitis, and it often accompanies other ocular conditions such as dry eye syndrome, chalazia, or styes, and even corneal ulcers.
Treatment of Blepharitis
It is important to treat blepharitis to prevent long term complications such as eyelid and corneal scarring as well as to immediately relieve the irritating and sometimes painful acute symptoms. As blepharitis is a chronic condition, it requires a chronic and ongoing treatment. In addition to regular eye exams, keeping the eyelids clean is critical to controlling all types of blepharitis. Eyelids should washed either with special eyelid cleansers recommended by your doctor, or with a clean washcloth with no tear baby shampoo diluted with warm water (approximately 1 drop of shampoo to 20 drops water). Acute exacerbations of blepharitis may require antibiotic or corticosteroid therapy prescribed by your doctor. Certain oral antibiotics can also be helpful.
If you are experiencing the symptoms of blepharitis, call us and come in for a consultation. Many people suffer for years unnecessarily, when a simple treatment regimen can have your eyes more comfortable and seeing better now and in the future.
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