Blepharitis or Conjunctivitis

Blepharitis is a chronic inflammation of the eyelids and is the most common cause of redness of the eyelids and referral to the clinic or ophthalmology office.
The eyelid is about 2 mm thick.
The outer part of the eyelids is the skin and the inner part is the mucous membrane called the conjunctiva.
between these two parts; Cartilaginous plate, eyelid muscles, sebaceous glands (meibumin) and eyelash follicle are located.
There are 40 meibomian glands in the upper eyelid and 20 in the lower eyelid, which stabilize tears by secreting fat and prevent tear evaporation and dry eyes.
Excess fat on the edge of the eyelid increases susceptibility to contamination and leads to eyelid infection; Therefore, two factors, fat and germs, play a role in causing blepharitis.

The symptoms of blepharitis are burning and irritation of the eyes, which are more severe in the morning and get better during the day.

Each type of blepharitis has its own symptoms.

Blepharitis can start in early childhood and continue as a chronic condition throughout life or it can develop in the later stages of life and over time.

Various factors can cause conjunctivitis, the most common of which are infections, allergies, and environmental irritations. Since the conjunctiva is a simple tissue, it responds to all stimuli in the same way and turns red

The most important symptom of this type of blepharitis, which is usually caused by staphylococcus, is burning and irritation of the eyes in the morning. Its cause is the accumulation of microbial toxins on the surface of the cornea during sleep, which is removed during the day by blinking and tears.
In this type of blepharitis, crusts are seen around the eyelashes. The edges of the thick dry eyelid are irregular and full of blood, and the eyelashes are stuck together.

Chronic inflammation leads to shedding, whitening and changing direction of eyelashes. In this blepharitis, the conjunctiva or cornea may also be inflamed.
If blepharitis is not treated, it may lead to the formation of cilia (infection in the eyelash follicle) or chalazion (inflammation of the sebaceous gland of the eyelid).

The symptoms of this blepharitis are similar to microbial blepharitis and are often accompanied by dandruff.

Blepharitis is not a disease but an inherent phenomenon that many people suffer from and it gets worse with age. It should be known that blepharitis has a long course and if not properly treated, it leads to complications such as redness and thickening of the edge of the eyelids; Irregular, whitening and shedding of eyelashes and creating turbidity in the cornea.
Chronic blepharitis does not have a definitive treatment and the treatment must continue for years and sometimes until the end of life.
The most important and effective factor in the treatment of blepharitis is maintaining the hygiene of the eyelids.
At the beginning of the treatment, washing the eyelids should be done before going to bed and after waking up, which gradually decreases to once a day, 3-2 times a week, and once a week as the disease improves.
Washing the eyelids can be done with baby shampoo or other cleaning materials. We pour the baby shampoo on the index fingers of both hands and wash the roots of the eyelashes while the eyelids are closed. It is easier to do this in the bathroom.
It is important that the shampoo does not get into the eyes during washing and does not irritate the eyes.
Massaging and washing the eyelids should be done with sufficient force and for at least one to two minutes, and only gentle rubbing of the eyelids is not beneficial.
In the treatment of blepharitis, antibiotics in the form of drops or ointments are especially effective in microbial blepharitis. Sometimes steroid drops or ointment can be used to reduce inflammation. In severe cases, oral antibiotics such as tetracycline or erythromycin may be used.
Another point about the use of cosmetics by women is that after starting the treatment of blepharitis, they should not use the cosmetics they used before, because it causes re-contamination of the eyelids.
You should also avoid using creams and lubricating substances on the edge of the eyelids, which can cause more blockage of the pores of the meibomian glands.
Therefore, in the case of blepharitis, the patient himself will be his own doctor and must observe the hygiene and cleanliness of the eyelids. Also, since it is a chronic disease, it should be noted that steroid drops (Corton) should not be used except in acute cases and for a short period of time, because long-term use of these drops can cause cataracts or glaucoma.