Blepharitis and Dry Eyes?

Blepharitis refers to the inflammation of the eyelid and is divided into 2 categories:

Front or anterior part of the lid.

What causes Blepharitis is often due to infection of the lid margin and leads to deposits on the eyelashes. Bacteria secrete irritating substances which get into the eye resulting in an uncomfortable eye. There is also a condition called Seborrheic Blepharitis that is a form of eczema.

The main course of treatment for this entity is lid hygiene. The lid should be cleaned with commercially available lid wipes, such as Occusoft Plus. Occasionally, there is a need for use of topical antibiotics to treat associated infection.

Back or posterior part of the lid.

Blepharitis is the old name for Meibomian Gland Dyfunction (MGD) which in turn can be divided into numerous categories:

Hypersecretary
Obstructive (non obvious)
MGDInspissated MGD
Atrophy

The treatment often includes the use of LipiFlow as well as other modalities to supplement LipiFlow treatment. Essentially they are all one and the same. When the Meibomian Gland gets obstructed there is a deficiency in the oil layer leading to evaporative dry eye. This is 79% of all dry eye.

Other modalities include:-

1. Doxycycline or Minocycline antibiotics.

2. Omega 3 supplements especially the high dose supplements which are particularly useful for reducing associated inflammation.

3. Steroid drops may be added, but need to be done under the supervision of a health care professional.