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Blepharitis 

Blepharitis, although rarely a serious condition, is the bane of my life, not to mention the poor patients who suffer from it. 

It is essentially inflammation of the eyelids, and up to 50% of people will have had it.  

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What are the symptoms of blepharitis? 

  • Stinging or burning sensation in the eyes

  • Crusting or “sleep” around the eyelids

  • Watery eyes

  • Red, inflamed eyelids

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Mild blepharitis

Mild blepharitis where you can see crusts a the base of the eyelashes. This is pretty common and most of us will have had this at some point  

Severe Blepharitis

More severe blepharitis - lids are inflamed, red and sore to touch

How do I treat blepharitis? 

First, I usually reassure my patients that blepharitis is generally NOT a vision-threatening disease. However, it can be quite debilitating due to the discomfort caused. 

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Treatment is primarily targeted at symptom relief, and unfortunately takes a week or 2 before improvements are noticed.

 

Also, blepharitis is annoying in that it may recur especially when there are changes in your environment (e.g. dusty areas, spring when hayfever flares). Recent eye surgery may also cause a flare of blepharitis.   

 

Now comes the boring part 

  1. Use a warm compress: Soak a clean face towel in warm water, wring it out, and apply it to your closed eyelids for 5-10 minutes. This helps dilate the pores and liquefies the oil within your tear glands.  Do this twice a day for 2 weeks. 

  2. Wash your eyelids with a gentle soap (e.g. baby shampoo) and water. Be sure to remove any crusting or flaking gently. This reduces the bacterial load and decreases inflammation. Do this twice a day for 2 weeks. Some people advocate tea-trea oil which can substitute gentle soap. 

  3. Use preservative-free lubricating eye drops to reduce irritation and lubricate your eyes. Use it at least 4 times a day, and feel free to use it even more as required. As long as they are preservative-free, they will not damage your eyes. I always carry a few around in my bag and use them myself. Some common ones sold in pharmacies include "Cellufresh" and "Systane Ultra UD". 

 

Extra information

  1. Most people tend to improve within a few days, and it usually goes away for months. If you however are one of the unlucky ones to get blepharitis frequently, some studies suggest that high-dose fish oil (bought as supplements over the counter from the chemist) may help reduce the incidence of this happening. 

  2. In severe cases, I may prescribe steroids and/or antibiotic creams and/or oral antibiotics. 

  3. Pharmacies may also sell special eyelid wipes that may be a more convenient option compared to using a face towel.  

  4. Consider avoiding or trying different eye-makeup as this may also be a contributing factor. Also remove makeup thoroughly at the end of the day before going to bed. 

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