Blepharitis is a condition in which chronic inflammation of the eyelid margins causes symptoms of eye irritation, feeling of dryness, red rimmed eyelids and watering. Sometimes there are no symptoms.
There are two types of blepharitis, which sometimes occur together:
- Anterior blepharitis – which affects the outside front edge of the eyelids (on and around the roots of the eyelashes)
- Posterior blepharitis – which is also called Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD), results when the condition affects the inside rims of the eyelids (just behind the eyelashes) which contain the meibomian glands. The meibomian glands produce a thin layer of oil which normally prevents the tears from evaporating too quickly; if they are inflamed, this mechanism does not work properly.
Hot compresses, either in the form of an EyeBag or a hot towel, can be used to help treat Blepharitis. Lie down and place the hot compress over your closed eyes. Leave it there for ten minutes to allow the heat to soak in to the eyelids.
Following this, use eyelid cleaning products (available at Osmond Drake Opticians) or cool boiled water to clean the eyelids and remove anything that may be irritating the eyes.
More information on these techniques can be found on our Dry Eye page by clicking here.
Antibiotics in the form of eye drops or ointments (and in some cases antibiotics taken by mouth) can potentially lessen symptoms and are effective in clearing bacteria from the eyelid margins in extreme cases.
These treatments help to keep the symptoms of Blepharitis under control. However, they do not cure the issue – you must keep doing the treatment regularly or the symptoms will come back.
If you suffer from blepharitis, we recommend that you join our Iris Membership Scheme so that we can monitor you regularly. You will also receive discounts on any products purchased to treat this condition.