A Pharmacist Viewpoint - Blepharitis and the associated lid margin symptoms

What’s the problem?
I have some crustiness around my eyelashes. I wake up with my eyelids sticking together and feeling sore, and my eyes are itchy and
gritty. What might it be, and can I do anything about it?


What’s the solution?
The pharmacy assistant said the symptoms were typical of a condition called blepharitis, or inflammation of the rims of the eyelids. Apparently, it’s a common condition which you can’t catch. They’re not always sure what causes it, although it could be a reaction to the
bacteria that live on the skin naturally or it might be a type of eczema.1,2

It can also happen if the eyes dry out too quickly or do not produce enough tears. This could be due to something called MGD – I had to write this down – which stands for meibomian gland dysfunction. These are glands inside and on the edges of eyelids which produce an oily fluid to help stop the tears drying out too quickly. If the glands get blocked, they can’t release the oily substance so dry eye develops.1,3

While there’s no cure, it’s quite easy to control the problem with a daily routine. The assistant suggested a three-step process – heat, massage
and clean, and lubricate. Research has shown that patients who applied a warm compress to their eyelids for five minutes each day had fewer dry eye symptoms and tears did not break down so rapidly.4

And it is similar with MGD. Applying gentle heat for a few minutes helps liquefy the oily secretion and improve the tear quality. You need to gently massage the eyelids and then clean away the liquefied secretions.