Blepharitis: Causes, Prevention, and Treatment

What is Blepharitis?

Blepharitis refers to the inflammation of the eyelids, which is also commonly known as lid margin disease as it affects only the edges of the eyelids. In addition, it can happen when certain skin conditions cause irritation or when bacteria results in infection, or a combination of both.

What are the different types of Blepharitis?

Two common types of blepharitis are mentioned below: –

1. Anterior Blepharitis

Anterior Blepharitis refers to blepharitis that affects the outside of the eyelid at the point where eyelashes attack. In addition to this, it can occur as seborrheic and ulcerative blepharitis. Let’s understand the two kinds of anterior blepharitis: –

• Seborrheic Blepharitis

Seborrheic blepharitis is associated with dandruff. Usually, it causes redness in the eyelids and produces waxy scales to build upon the eyelashes. In addition to this, it also causes itching in the eyes. Moreover, the scales can initially develop due to an abnormal amount and type of tear film produced by the glands present in the eyelids.

• Ulcerative blepharitis

It is less common than seborrheic blepharitis. Bacteria cause ulcerative blepharitis. It usually begins in childhood. It is more severe and creates hard crusts around eyelashes. These hard crusts can often become matted during sleep.

2. Posterior Blepharitis

Posterior Blepharitis occurs when oil glands in the inner eyelid allow the bacteria to grow. It can occur because of skin conditions like scalp dandruff and acne rosacea. Posterior Blepharitis is also known as meibomian gland dysfunction, a more common type of Blepharitis.

Meibomian glands function to secrete a type of oil that is secreted into the tears. This oil helps prevent tear film evaporation.

Therefore, when these glands suffer from inflammation, either too much or too little oil is secreted. Moreover, patients with Meibomian gland dysfunction often complain about red and burning or dry eyes. In addition, the vision tends to fluctuate because the tear film is unstable.

What are the causes of blepharitis?

Although blepharitis causes are not very well known, many causes can be. Here are a few of the most common causes of both types of blepharitis: –

1. Anterior Blepharitis

• Acne Rosacea – it causes facial skin inflammation that also causes inflammation in the eyes.
• Dandruff or Seborrheic dermatitis – dandruff flaking can irritate the eyelids and lead to inflammation.
• Mites or Lice in eyelashes- The eyelash follicles and glands can become blocked with Demodex mites or lice.
• Dry eyes- Dry tear ducts can alter bacterial resistance, resulting in infection.

2. Posterior Blepharitis

• Meibomian Gland Dysfunction or MGD – Opening of oil-producing glands in your eyelids becomes plugged. It causes dry eyes, which can result in inflammation or infection and can lead to infection. As mentioned earlier, it can also be triggered by skin conditions, such as rosacea or dandruff.

What are the common symptoms of blepharitis?

It is an eye condition that makes the eyelids red, itchy, and swollen. Several factors cause blepharitis, including excess bacteria, blocked oil glands on eyelids, hormonal problems, allergies, infections, etc. It is one of the most irritating experiences one could ever experience. Here are some of the symptoms of blepharitis that help in blepharitis treatment and diagnosis.

Blepharitis Symptoms

• Eye irritability (Feeling that there’s something in the eye)
• Burning sensation in the eye
• Light sensitivity (Photophobia)
• Blurriness of vision
• Dryness in the eyes 
• Redness in the eyes
• Watery eyes
• Crusty eyelashes
• Flakes of skin around eyes and eyelids
• Excessive blinking

• Sticking  eyelids together

 It is a sure sign of blepharitis whenever one feels these symptoms, and one should seek medical attention immediately and avoid further damage to the eyes.

Moreover, some temporary symptoms appear because of the stressful environment and environmental pollutants.

Blepharitis Diagnosis and Treatment

1. Diagnosis

Tests are one of the most common diagnosis methods. Tests and procedures used to diagnose blepharitis are as follows: –

• Examination of Eyes–

In this method, the ophthalmologist (eye doctor) uses a special magnifying device to examine the eyes and the eyelids. It helps the doctor to take a closer look at the infected area.

• Skin Swabbing-

In this method, the ophthalmologist uses a skin swab and collects the sample of the oil or the crust that forms on the eyelids and analyzes it for evidence of bacterial, viral, or fungi allergy. This method helps the doctor lay out a proper treatment plan for someone with blepharitis.

1. Blepharitis Treatment

Self-care methods that include but are not limited to washing eyes and warm compresses are a few of the best methods used to treat blepharitis. In most cases, it is all that is required. However, suppose these methods are not helping. In that case, one can go for other medically fit blepharitis treatments, including the following: –

• Medications for fighting infections-

 To fight the infections, the doctor might prescribe antibiotics. The person with blepharitis may ingest it orally. The doctor may also prescribe ointments, creams, or eye drops that the person can apply directly to the infected eyelid. Years of research have shown that it gives immense relief and fights bacterial infection.

• Medications for controlling inflammation-

If other treatment methods do not work, steroid eye drops are prescribed to fight the inflammation. How a patient responds to the treatment is the only way the doctor plans the treatment. Sometimes the doctor prescribes a combination of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs.

• Medications for Immune System-

Anti-inflammatory drugs such as topical cyclosporine are used as years of research have shown that it offers relief. 

• Treatments for Underlying Disease–

By treating the underlying problem, one can control the symptoms of blepharitis caused by seborrheic dermatitis, rosacea, or other diseases. 

How to prevent blepharitis

It is not possible to prevent most cases of blepharitis. Certain risk factors, such as some skin conditions, cannot be controlled. However, blepharitis can be minimized by taking the following steps daily: –

• Keep hands and face clean.
• Avoid touching or resisting the urge to touch itchy eyes. Using clean tissue would be preferable.
• Removing eye makeup before bedtime can be helpful in the prevention of blepharitis.
• Use a clean tissue to wipe excess tears or eye drops.
• Avoid using contact lenses. The use of glasses would be beneficial.
• Avoid wearing eye makeup (mascara, eyeliner, eye shadow, etc.) because the container might possess bacteria, increasing the risk of infection.

Blepharitis Complications

In most cases, blepharitis is not well understood. Inflammation caused by bacteria and conditions such as infections is believed to be some causes of blepharitis. Since it is not understood well enough, it is hard to pinpoint a single cause. Blepharitis cannot be cured but can be controlled and treated through proper eyelid hygiene. In severe cases, blepharitis can lead to corneal inflammation and serious eye problems. Here are some of the complications of blepharitis:

• Chalazion is small and painless eyelid swelling.

• Corneal Ulcer (Keratitis)– It is a sore on the cornea. It happens because of a chronic eyelid infection.

• Eyelash Issues are one of the worst eye complications one could ever experience. In this condition, eyelashes start shedding and grow in odd directions (inside direction towards the cornea).

• Pink Eye– If left untreated, it would result in chronic pink eye.

• Stye– It is a red, painful bump on the eyelid around the eyelashes.

Conclusion

Hence, we hope that you can understand what blepharitis is after going through all the information above. Moreover, apart from blepharitis meaning, you can also understand the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of blepharitis. Therefore, if you notice any of the symptoms mentioned above, you must get proper treatment.

FAQs

How to cure Blepharitis fast?

You can cure blepharitis fast by self-care at home. For instance, you must avoid eye makeup, use warm compresses, and keep your eyelids clean. Moreover, you must seek medical help to treat blepharitis faster with antibiotics, immunomodulators, anti-inflammatories, etc.

 What causes Blepharitis?

There are no known causes of blepharitis, but it can be caused due to different conditions, such as eye inflammation, dandruff, mites or lice in eyelashes, dry eyes, and meibomian gland dysfunction.

 What happens if blepharitis is not treated?

Blepharitis is not curable, but it can be treated and controlled with the help of proper eyelid hygiene. However, if left untreated, it can lead to other serious eye conditions, such as corneal problems and chalazion.

How long can blepharitis last?

Blepharitis can be caused due to different conditions; therefore, some cases can take longer to resolve than others. Most of the treatments for acute blepharitis last for about four top-six weeks.