Blepharitis is a chronic condition with a variety of risk factors and etiologies. For many patients, stress can be a contributing factor.
Reduce Stress
Stress is a known trigger for blepharitis. Stress can aggravate skin conditions like rosacea, dandruff, eczema, and psoriasis.
Inflammation from blepharitis can cause ongoing pain and soreness by irritating very sensitive corneal nerves. This can be exacerbated by anxiety and stress and depression and when the eyes become a psychological focus of attention.
What causes blepharitis? Most of the time, blepharitis happens because you have too much bacteria on your eyelids at the base of your eyelashes. Having bacteria on your skin is normal, but too much bacteria can cause problems. You can also get blepharitis if the oil glands in your eyelids get clogged or irritated.
Blepharitis tends to be worse in cold windy weather, air-conditioned environments, prolonged computer usage, sleep deprivation, contact lens wear, and with general dehydration. It also tends to be worse in the presence of active skin disease e.g. acne rosacea, seborrhoeic dermatitis.
These include processed or fried foods, sugar, white flour and fizzy drinks tends to aggravate the condition. I have also found that a varied diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and high intake of natural Omega-3 containing foods helps reduce flare-ups.
Using a dandruff shampoo might relieve your blepharitis signs and symptoms. Using tea tree oil shampoo on your eyelids daily might help deal with mites. Or try gently scrubbing your lids once a week with 50% tea tree oil, which is available over-the-counter.
You can't cure blepharitis. However, it can be treated and controlled through proper eyelid hygiene. Left untreated, blepharitis may lead to other more serious eye conditions, including corneal problems, which may be significant.
If you're treating the symptoms of blepharitis, the outlook is normally good. By carefully cleaning your eyelids every day and using eye drops, a flare-up might only last a few days! If it lasts a little longer, don't worry this is normal too.
Other dermatological manifestations of vitamin A deficiency include blepharitis [16], noted in our first patient, and cheilitis.
As with many health conditions, blepharitis can be intensified by stress and anxiety, especially those patients with compromised immune systems. New research also indicates that patients with hormonal imbalance, as well as allergies, are also highly susceptible to this condition.
In conclusion, blepharitis is not an autoimmune disease.
It is associated with autoimmune diseases, and some autoimmune diseases do affect the eyes, mimicking the symptoms of blepharitis, but it is not itself autoimmune in nature.
If you are experiencing symptoms of blepharitis, or meibomian gland dysfunction, schedule an exam with an eye doctor as soon as possible to obtain a proper diagnosis and effective treatment plan.
If you have blepharitis signs and symptoms that don't seem to improve despite good hygiene — regular cleaning and care of the affected area — make an appointment with your doctor.
Blepharitis can be part of the symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis or a highly reactive form of acne known as rosacea. A combination of blepharitis and dry mouth may indicate an autoimmune condition known as Sjogren's (SHOW-grins) syndrome.
Some doctors also recommend Vaseline for specific dry eye conditions. It may help with blepharitis, which causes dry and irritated eyelids, as well as dysfunction in the meibomian glands that lubricate the eyes. Petroleum jelly from Vaseline can also help keep wounds moist. This may help prevent scarring.
It may take up to six weeks for the symptoms of blepharitis to improve once the eyelid cleaning regime has begun, so perseverance is essential. Eyelid cleaning should be performed twice a day, morning and evening, until the symptoms have settled.
The recommended regime is four times a day for two weeks, then twice a day for a month, and twice a week after that. If you are using a simple hot compress with a face flannel then warm saltwater soaks are preferred as this is more isotonic and thus more comfortable and less likely to wrinkle the eyelid skin.
LipiFlow is the “gold standard” for treating meibomian gland dysfunction, blepharitis, ocular rosacea and dry eye. This is because LipiFlow is the most effective way to unclog and evacuate your meibomian glands.
BlephEx® is a new, in-office procedure that allows your doctor to take an active role in treating dry eye and blepharitis. BlephEx® removes excess bacteria, biofilm and bacterial toxins, the main causes of inflammatory dry eye and lid disease.
Blepharitis is controlled by cleaning the eyelids twice a day and may also require drops and/or ointment.
Stage 1: Early biofilm formation with swelling of the lash follicles, lash misdirection. Stage 2: Inflammation of meibomian glands with plugging. Stage 3: Lacrimal involvement leads to aqueous insufficiency with little to no tear lake. Stage 4: Chronic inflammation leads to a breakdown in the structural .