Blepharitis is an inflammatory disease commonly affecting your eyelids. Most of the time, it happens alongside dry eyes and contact lens-wear complications. Your expert eye doctor from Opti-Care talk about this condition in detail.
Cause and Risk Factors
Blepharitis may happen when the normal bacteria in your eyes thrive uncontrollably, particularly along your eyelid rims and at the eyelash bases. They may accumulate and create a biofilm, which may trap foreign substances, surface debris, and other impurities. This causes exotoxin production, which may irritate the skin on your eyelids and lead to their inflammation.
Those with dry eyes are more likely to have blepharitis later on. The lack of lubrication in your eyes promotes eyelid irritation, which is why we may provide dry eye treatments first. Individuals with oily skin and scalp are also at a higher risk of having this condition. Hormonal changes and sebum imbalances may happen over time, making increasing age a major risk factor as well.
Typical Symptoms
Swollen and irritated eyelids may affect your tear glands and potentially reduce your tear production rate. Since tears contain natural, antibacterial enzymes, this may promote microorganism growth and proliferation. Your eyes may turn red, itchy, and watery. You may also notice that your eyelids are puffy and crusting.
Suggested Management
Keeping your eyelids clean is the priority management for blepharitis. We may advise applying warm compresses on your eyes to loosen the formed crusts. Afterward, scrub them gently with a wet cotton swab to remove them. We may also suggest using eyeglasses instead of contact lenses in the meantime to maintain your visual comfort. For more severe cases, we can prescribe antibiotics and anti-inflammatory eye drops as well.
For more information about blepharitis, call us at (410) 600-3173. We serve Westminster and the surrounding MD areas.