What is Blepharitis?

Blepharitis is a very common condition that affects people of all ages. It creates inflammation and irritation in the eyelids caused by bacteria buildup. This buildup can come from a number of places. For example, eye makeup is a known stimulant of blepharitis, and it’s notorious for following other skin conditions like rosacea or dermatitis. Unfortunately, blepharitis does not have a cure, but it’s easy to manage, and the symptoms aren’t severe.

What are the Symptoms of Blepharitis

Blepharitis can affect either your outer eyelid, or inner eyelid, and is generally considered to be chronic. It is not a sight threatening issue, and even tends to come and go in severity. However, the mornings usually have more noticeable signs. Blepharitis symptoms could include:

• Redness
• Sticky eyelids
• Scaly appearance
• Irritation and tearing
• Sensitivity to light
• Flaking
• Buildup

While blepharitis isn’t one of the most dangerous ocular conditions, it can be very disruptive, and it still affects your overall vision.

How Do You Treat Blepharitis?

Blepharitis is usually treated at home, and in the optometrist’s office. At Accent Eye Care, we use the state of the art BlephEx blepharitis treatment to remove mites, bacteria, and biofilm that may be covering the eyelids or Meibomian glands.

Eyelid hygiene plays a very important part in managing blepharitis, and it should always be a part of your routine even if symptoms have improved. Here is our four step cleaning process, so you can take care of your eyes from home.

1. 1. Start with a warm wet wash cloth. Squeeze out the water and gently apply the warm cloth on your closed eyelids. You may need to warm the wet washcloth after 5 minutes to repeat one more time. This will loosen any buildup in your eyes.
   2. Next, you are going to clean your eyelids. Use a recommended cleaner such as Ocusoft lid wipes, Ocusoft foam, Oasis, etc… We no longer recommend using baby shampoo with (just a few drops in some warm water.
   3. You may stimulate the Meibomian glands by gently rubbing the area where the lashes come out of the lids.

• Finally, apply your artificial tears if prescribed.

Blepharitis is often chronic, ;therefore, it requires consistent treatment. Thus, this routine should be part of your everyday hygiene, even after you do BlephEx. Luckily, treatment is very simple, If you have more concerns about ocular hygiene, call Accent Eye Care today at 602-547-3255.