Blepharitis

Blepharitis – A common cause of ocular discomfort and Irritation

Blepharitis  is an eye condition characterized by chronic inflammation of the eyelid, the severity and time course can vary. Onset can be acute, resolving without treatment within 2–4 weeks (this can be greatly reduced with lid hygiene), but more generally is a long standing inflammation varying in severity. Blepharitis causes  may be classified asseborrhoeic, staphylococcal, mixed, posterior or meibomitis, or parasitic.

Signs and Symptoms

Redness of the eyelids
Flaking of skin on the lids
Crusting at the lid margins, generally worse on waking
Cysts at the lid margin (hordeolum)
Red eye
Debris in the tear film, seen under magnification (improved contrast with use of fluorescein drops)
Gritty sensation of the eye or foreign-body sensation
Eye itching
sensitivity to light
abnormal eyelash growth or even loss of eyelashes

The symptoms and signs of blepharitis are often erroneously ascribed by the patient as being due to “recurrent conjunctivitis”.
The lids may become red and may have ulcerative, non-healing areas which may actually bleed. Blepharitis does not tend to cause problems with the patient’s vision, but one may experience blurred vision due to an un-stable tear-film.
Infectious Blepharitis is accompanied by a yellow- or green-coloured discharge which is more abundant in the morning and which leads to stuck lids. Blepharitis may also cause eyelid matting or “gluing” of the lashes.
As a general rule, blepharitis symptoms which do not improve, despite good hygiene consisting of proper cleaning and care of the eye area, should be referred to an Ophthalmologist or Optometrist
People who usually wear contact lenses may have more trouble in coping with their symptoms, because the lenses cause further irritation to the eye.

http://en.wikipedia.org

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