Blepharitis

Do you find your vision fluctuating throughout the day? Are your eyes red, sore, gritty, watery or burning? Have you noticed red rimmed eyes often associatted with flaking along the lid margin? These are common symptoms of blepharitis which can easily be diagnosed and treated by our optometrists.

Blepharitis is a condition of the eyelids where the lid line becomes inflamed, red and can even produce flaky ‘skin’ deposits. similar to dandruff. Commonly associated with rosacea, this condition can be managed with in-office therapies, as well as ongoing home treatments to clean and restore the eyelid appearance.

Commonly, the meibomian glands in the eyelids deteriorate with time. This can often be controlled with dietary changes such as increasing your intake of omega 3.  There are also in-office treatments available such as "Blephasteam" or Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy and ciclosporin eye drops to improve the production of tears.  Lid scrubs and hot packs applied to the eyelids followed by lid massage are the mainstay of treatment. Recalcitrant cases will require a course of oral antiobiotics such as doxycycline, or topical antibiotic or steroid ointment. Moisturising eye drops can provide relief of symptoms, but they are only part of the process. Many people continue to battle with blepharitis every day and are unaware of the help our optometrist can offer them.

If you feel that you may be suffering from blepharitis, please contact us at The Eyewear Shop to organise a consultation where we can tailor your dry eye management based on your symptoms and lifestyle.