Causes, symptoms and treatment of blepharitis

Blepharitis is an inflammatory impression of the edge of the eyelids, which is observed mainly on both sides. The disease does not pose a threat to health. But the symptoms of blepharitis cause severe discomfort for a person, significantly worsening the quality of life.

Why does blepharitis occur

Blepharitis is divided into infectious and non-infectious. An infectious impression of the eyelids can be caused by:

mites (for example, the acne gland, which is an opportunistic mite, can cause demodectic blepharitis);
bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus);
pathogenic fungi.

In most clinical cases, blepharitis is provoked by a staphylococcal infection. This happens if there are chronic sources of infection in the body - they are most often located:

in the tonsils;
in the maxillary and frontal sinuses;
in the oral cavity (in particular, in the enamel of the teeth);
on the skin.

Non-infectious blepharitis can occur with:

other ophthalmological pathologies;
allergies (allergic blepharitis in a child is common).

Ophthalmological pathologies that are often accompanied by blepharitis:

farsightedness;
myopia;
astigmatism.

Inflammation of the eyelids can be triggered by a change in the secretion of the meibomian glands - altered sebaceous glands that open at the edges of the eyelids. This happens in some diseases, such as:

worm infestation;
acute and chronic gastritis;
tuberculous lesion;
diabetes.

Under such conditions, successful treatment of blepharitis is impossible without treatment of the indicated pathologies.

Factors that do not directly cause blepharitis, but can contribute to its development, are also highlighted:

weakening of immunity;
lack of vitamins;
smoke and increased amount of dust in the environment;
prolonged exposure to sunlight and wind.

Types of blepharitis

Depending on which part of the eyelid is involved in the pathological process, blepharitis occurs:

front marginal - only the edge of the eyelid with eyelashes is inflamed;
posterior marginal – meibomian glands are affected, which are located in the depth of the eyelids (meibomian blepharitis);
angular (or angular) – inflammation affects the corners of the eyes.

Blepharitis is also classified according to the clinical course. According to this gradation, the following forms are distinguished:

simple;
seborrheic (another name is scaly);
ulcerative or staphylococcal;
demodecosis;
allergic;
acne, or rosacea-blepharitis (the phenomena of blepharitis are observed together with pink acne);
mixed.

The name of each of the forms reflects its etiological factor, which is important for the therapy of the disease. Thus, the treatment of seborrheic blepharitis in adults differs from the treatment of the allergic form, because the underlying causes and mechanisms of development are different.

Symptoms of blepharitis depending on its form

Let us briefly describe the most common forms of the disease.

With simple blepharitis, the edges of the eyelids are red and thickened, white-gray discharge accumulates in the corners of the eyes, the conjunctiva is moderately red.

Scaly blepharitis is characterized by the formation and accumulation of scales - these are exfoliated epithelial cells of the skin and sebaceous glands. They form dense conglomerates, which, however, tend to soften under the influence of moisture (for example, if you use drops for scaly blepharitis). This form of the disease is characterized by rapid graying and loss of eyelashes.

In peptic ulcer disease, yellow crusts are formed, when removed, ulcers open. They heal, but scars form in their place, which interfere with the normal growth of eyelashes. With a severe course of this form, eyelashes fall out, and the edge of the eyelid grows and shrinks.

With demodectic blepharitis, the eyes are itchy, sticky secretions are formed, which, when dried, seal the space between the eyelashes and create the impression that it is accumulated dirt. The mite, the cause of demodectic blepharitis, provokes constant itching of the eyelids, redness and thickening - the edges of the eyelids look like red ridges.

Symptoms of atrophic blepharitis appear suddenly and are associated with an external stimulus. The most characteristic are swelling and incessant itching, a painful reaction to light, a burning sensation in the eyes. Lacrimation and whitish mucous discharge from the eyes are observed. The skin of the eyelids darkens (the phenomenon is called "allergic bruise").

Rosacea-blepharitis is characterized by red nodules with pustules on the top, "scattered" on the skin of the eyelids.

The most common common symptoms of blepharitis in various clinical forms:

swelling of the eyelids;
their redness;
itching;
eye fatigue, which quickly worsens even with minor visual loads;
increased sensitivity to such common stimuli as light and wind;
blurred vision that occurs due to the tear film;
impossibility to wear contact lenses as long as the patient wore them before the onset of blepharitis.

Any means for the treatment of blepharitis are prescribed only after confirmation of the diagnosis. It is carried out using additional diagnostic methods, such as:

biomicroscopic examination of eyes;
microscopic examination of eyelashes for the presence of demodex mites;
bacteriological culture of a smear of the conjunctiva;
allergy tests;
histological examination of tissues.

How to treat blepharitis in children and adults depends on the clinical form and additional diagnostic data.

Treatment of blepharitis

The main problem of blepharitis is its transition into a chronic form. Therefore, it is important to know how to cure chronic blepharitis - that is, to prevent periodic relapses. Persistent recurrent course of blepharitis contributes to the development of conjunctivitis, keratitis and weakening of vision.

Blepharitis treatment is long-term. At its core:

fighting the causative agent of the disease (prescribing antibiotics in the form of tablets and ointments);
eyelid hygiene;
increasing the level of immunity.

Local measures for blepharitis:

cleaning the eyelids from crusts with a moistened tampon;
instillation of bacteriostatic and antiparasitic solutions into the conjunctival sac;
treatment of the edges of the eyelids with diamond green;
with the ulcerative form of blepharitis - the use of hormonal ointments.

They also practice eyelid massage for blepharitis and physiotherapeutic methods of action (UHF, UFO, etc.).

In case of complications, surgical treatment is used: