Healthytalk8 What is Blepharitis?
Contents
Eye Inflammation or infection on the eyelids is called blepharitis, it usually occurs upper eyelids.
Our eyelids play a vital role in protecting our eyes, they clean dust and help spread moisture over the surface of the eyes.
Blepharitis (eye inflammation) is like dandruff on the eyes, and people who have dandruff are more prone to it.
Children are more chance of getting blepharitis.
Our eyelids also have lashes that have curved hair follicles on the edge of the lids, and follicles contain oil glands.
These oil glands are sometimes can trigger by infection, bacteria, and foreign particles, which can lead to eyelid disorders.
It is a pure inductive condition than a true health threat (1).
Check Out – Fungal Eye Infection: Reasons, Symptoms, And How To Treat It?
Signs And Symptoms
It usually presents with recurrent symptoms that may vary over time which involves both eyes.
Symptoms may affect both eyes and can do intermittent.
There are several signs that may trigger blepharitis situation or other eye disorders which include:
- Inflammation or swelling of eyelids
- itchy eyelids
- redness over the eyelids
- watery eyes
- crusty eyelids or eyelashes when you wake up
- sometime pain
- irritation
- redness inside the eye
- dry eyes
- being a sty
- sensitivity of light
NOTE: In normal, symptoms become worse in the morning due to crust eyelids or eyelashes occurring, which hurts when removes.
A more severe case of blepharitis includes:
- Blurry vision
- eyelashes that grow in the wrong direction
- swelling of the other parts of the eye
- falling eyelashes
If you experience any discomfort in your eyes, then you should do to consult your doctor.
Picture of Blepharitis
Who Is More Chance of Getting Blepharitis?
There is no specific group of people, it affects all ages of people, however more common in older than the age of 50 (2).
A study of 10 years period (2004 to 2013) in South Korea found that over 40 years of age female patients are a higher chance of blepharitis.
- In the winter season, it occurs more
- dandruff person
- people who have skin or allergy disorders are more prone to getting blepharitis
- children are more chance of getting it
- rosacea (a skin condition that causes redness and bumps on the face)
- oily skin
It is an uncomfortable situation, but it isn’t infectious, and it generally does not cause any lasting damage to your eyes (3)
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Causes of blepharitis
The causes of blepharitis depend on whether it is an acute (ulcerative) or chronic (nonulcerative) condition (4)
Acute blepharitis: A bacterial infection causes acute blepharitis and is most commonly caused by staphylococcal, and herpes or varicella zoster (5)
Chronic blepharitis: It usually happens due to allergic reactions such as seasonal (6)
Moreover, it happens due to an infection in the eyelids’ small glands.
There are other reasons that enhance the risk of eyelid inflammation include:
- bacterial infection
- medication side effect
- crusty dandruff
- excessive or frequent oil secretion on the glands
- contact with eyelash mites or lice
Blepharitis is were saw more during covid-19 lockdown where spending more time on mobile, and computer screen also the reason for it
More On – What Reasons Behind Itchy Eyelashes? And Treatment
How Doctor Diagnoses It?
Your eye healthcare conforms to blepharitis by doing a physical exam on the eye, eyelids, and eyelashes (7)
If there is the presence of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, then it may indicate an infection, and the treatment aim is to clear the infection.
About 50% of patients diagnosed with infectious blepharitis are caused by S. Blepharitis.
The doctor checks your eye by using a specific magnifying tool (8)
Treatment of Blepharitis
The blepharitis is tested first, before treatment to check how blepharitis is severe (9)
A doctor may give you antibiotics for eating or in form of an eye drop (which is essential for maintaining eye moisture)
If a person has chronic dry eye blepharitis, then the doctor diagnoses it with sonography, and dry eye screening, and gives medicine accordingly.
The doctor may recommend you these treatments include:
- eye drops or ointment
- lubrication for dry eyes
- antibiotics
If the case is serious, then the doctor may recommend other treatments include – IPL (intense pulsed light) and lipo (10)
Home-Remedy For Cleaning Your Eyelids When You Have Blepharitis:
There are home-remedy also available which is excellent for blepharitis are:
- Put a pinch of sweet soda in hot water and put some cloth or cotton ball in it and apply it on the affected eyes.
- Scrubbing has to be done after the application – which means – has to rub a little.
Make sure, the puffs that get stuck in the eyes should not pulled.
After applying hot water, when they become soft, they will fall off automatically.
- Dip the ear bud in baby shampoo and gently rub the side of the eyelids so that all bacteria present on the eyelids are removed.
- After that apply antibiotic cream on the eyelids at night before sleep, it is a 15 days treatment.
However, it can need after 6 months because it happens due to the season changes.
If home remedies are seen as not helpful, then medication or little surgery can be helpful.
Prevention
There are several tips that are an excellent way to prevention from blepharitis including:
- Do not rub your eyes
- Avoid seeing continuously digital screens like computers, laptops, and mobile phones.
- make sure to wash your face regularly, especially before sleep
- hygiene is very important, and also includes cleaning the bed sheet, and pillow covers weekly, towels, and clothes.
- do not touch your eyes with your dirty hands.
- if you have a dandruff issue, then control it, by using herbal shampoo, oil, etc, because it primarily occurs due to dandruff.
Patients with chronic blepharitis should maintain eyelid hygiene daily in life which can ease symptoms.
In addition, eye makeup needs to be limited which may also reduce the risk of other eye disorders (11) (12).
Down Line
Blepharitis (eye inflammation) is like dandruff on the eyes, it usually occurs upper eyelids.
It happens due to an infection in the eyelids’ small glands, medication, crusty dandruff, allergy reaction, bacteria infection, etc.
If you see that your eyelids become swollen or lead to pain, then consult your doctor, who will give antibiotics to ease the pain.
