Cold water is good for blepharitis and can help to reduce inflammation and also relieve discomfort and itching.
You can also use some cool compresses or even warm compresses as both are beneficial.
Cold compresses are most beneficial for reducing swelling and also soothing of irritation.
An episode of blepharitis lasts for a few weeks to a few months depending on the cause and severity.
Blepharitis takes a few weeks to a few months or so to heal up depending on the cause and severity.
In some cases it can take up to 6 weeks for the symptoms of blepharitis to improve after you begin cleaning your eyelids.
To calm down a blepharitis flare up you can apply a warm compress or cool compress to your eyelids with your eyes closed in several sessions of 10 to 15 minutes throughout the day.
Using eyelid scrubs and even some diluted baby shampoo to clean your eyelashes and eyelids can help calm down a blepharitis flare up as well.
A homemade solution for blepharitis is to dilute a few drops of baby shampoo in some warm water and use it as a cleanser for your eyelids and you can also apply warm compresses or use some regular eyelid cleansers.
Throughout the day and before going to bed, soak a clean washcloth in some warm, but not hot water and then wring out the excess water and apply the warm washcloth to your eyelids for 5 to 10 minutes and the warmth will soften the crusts and oils and make them easier to remove.
After you use the warm compress, then gently clean your eyelids with some diluted baby shampoo which is a mix of a few drops of baby shampoo with some warm water or use an eyelid cleanser.
You can use a clean cotton swab or washcloth to gently wipe along the eyelash line and remove any crusts or debris.
Using lubricating eye drops can also help keep your eyes and eyelids moisturized and prevent further irritation as well.
The reason why blepharitis is worse in the morning is during the night debris and secretions accumulate along your eyelid margins, while you're sleeping and when you're not blinking as much.
The buildup of secretions and debris gets worse at night when you're not blinking like you would during the day.
The buildup of the secretions and debris when combined with dry eye symptoms which is common in blepharitis can also cause the eyelids to feel itchy, gritty and stuck together when you wake up in the morning.
The 4 stages of blepharitis are stage 1, which is biofilm formation and lash follicile inflammation, stage 2, which is the inflammation of the meibomian gland, stage 3 which is tear lake reduction and further inflammation of the eyelid and stage 4 which is chronic inflammation which leads to eyelid damage.
People who are prone to blepharitis are older people and people with conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis or dandruff, oily skin and people with rosacea.
Also people who wear contact lenses or have allergies or those who are also exposed to certain irritants like chemicals or dust are also more prone to get blepharitis.
Blepharitis is a pretty common condition and affects between 15 percent to 25 percent of people and it also affects both men and women.
Over the counter Omega 3 supplements can help some with blepharitis as well as using warm compresses, eyelid cleansers, artificial tears and eyelid scrubs can help with blepharitis.
Some other things you can do for blepharitis are to clean your eyelids daily and apply a warm compress to the eyelids and blepharitis for 10 to 15 minutes a day, several times a day.
The warm compress over your closed eye for a few minutes or so can help loosen the crusty deposits from your eyelids.
You can also firmly and gently massage the eyelids to help with blepharitis.
You can also use some eyelid scrubs or even use a bit of diluted baby shampoo solution to remove crust and scales and or use some hypochlorous acid spray to reduce bacterial and inflammation on the eyelids.
Pre moistened eyelid wipes such as Optaste eyelid wipes can be good for daily cleaning of your eyelids.
If you wear makeup or contact lenses you should avoid makeup and contact lenses until the blepharitis has gone away as they can make it worse.
In some cases if a bacterial infection is the cause of the blepharitis you doctor can prescribe some antibiotic eye drops, ointments or other oral antibiotics.
Corticosteroid eye drops or ointments may also be used for blepharitis to reduce inflammation and redness, especially in severe cases of blepharitis.
Blepharitis is caused by several different things which include skin conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis and rosacea, blocked eyelid oil glands and even bacterial overgrowth.
Even mites or Demodex and allergies can also result in and cause blepharitis.
Blocked eyelid oil glands and bacterial overgrowth are the most common causes of blepharitis.
The eyelids have tiny oil glands which are called the meibomian glands and these tiny oil glands in they eyelids secrete oil to lubricate your eyes.
But when the tiny eyelid oil glands get clogged or malfunction and not work as they should, they can lead to dry eye symptoms and posterior blepharitis.
The dysfunction of the eyelid oil glands is often associated with seborrheic dermatitis or rosacea.
Bacterial overgrowth can result especially when the oil glands are clogged but can occur at other times as well even when your eyelids are not cleaned.
Bacteria naturally live on the human skin, which includes around your eyelashes and eyelids and in blepharitis, there's an overgrowth of the bacteria, which is often the bacteria called Staphylococcus, which can result in irritation and inflammation of the eyelids.
The overgrowth of the bacteria can be caused by poor eyelid hygiene, underlying skin conditions and clogged oil glands.
Seborrheic dermatitis can result in dandruff on your scalp and eyebrows, which can spread to your eyelids and cause inflammation and result in anterior blepharitis.
Rosacea is a skin condition which causes redness and inflammation on your face, including your eyelids which can result in blepharitis forming.
Other things that can trigger or cause blepharitis are allergic reactions to makeup, contact lens solutions, other allergens, poor eyelid hygiene and demodex mites.
Demodex mites are microscopic mites which live in hair follicles including the hair follicles of the eyelashes and an overpopulation of Demodex mites can irritate your eyelids and cause blepharitis to form.