Blepharitis

Do I have Blepharitis?

What are the symptoms?

·         Red eyes

·         Uncomfortable/Gritty Eyes

·         Watery Eyes

·         Eyes crusting or swelling around the eyelashes

We all have oil glands in our eyes, at the base of our eyelashes, which secrete tear film to lubricate the eyes. On our lashes, there is a low level of bacteria, which is normal. When someone has blepharitis, inflammation of the eyelids and crusting around the lashes increases the amount of bacteria around the eyes, causing symptoms like red, gritty, watery eyes. If the oil glands become locked, this can then cause a painful lump called a chalazion.

In adults, this rarely causes any complications, but in children, it can cause problems with the cornea (front of the eye) and lead to vision problems, so it is important that children are seen quickly for this.

IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE BLEPHARITIS, PLEASE SEE YOU LOCAL OPTICIAN

Ways to treat:

1.      Boil a kettle and leave the water to cool slightly

2.      Soak a clean cotton pad or wash cloth in the water and squeeze it out

3.      After testing on the back of your hand, hold this over the eyelids until it cool

4.      Repeat this process 3-4 times, twice a day

You can also purchase heated eye packs instead of using cotton pads, but remember to keep these clean. Eyelid massage in a vertical movement can help to express the oil glands after warm compress has been applied. Tea tree oil wipes can also be helpful to add to this to remove bacteria from the eyelashes.