Practice Hygiene! Prevent Blepharitis!

Blepharitis and chronic blepharitis are common diseases. Unfortunately, they are also very uncomfortable. Our eyes itch and they constantly remind us of our ailment. However, do we need to suffer from it? Isn't there a blepharitis cure that can help us avoid this slow torture? Let's find out more about preventing blepharitis and if there is a way to treat blepharitis.

What Is Blepharitis?

In layman terms, blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelids. The eyes get red and there is a constant irritation in the eyelids of both eyes. As a consequence, the affected person scratches his eyes, making the itching worse.

However, it shouldn't be confused with conjunctivitis, which is a totally different disease. Conjuntivitis, also known as "pink eye" in the United States, is an inflammation of the outermost layer of the eye, and the inner surface of the eyelid (this area is also known as conjunctiva, hence, the name of the disease). There are many kinds of conjunctivitis: viral, allergic, bacterial, toxic and xerophthalmia. The latter is caused by a dietary deficiency of vitamin A.

It must be noted that there is a disease that combines both conjunctivitis and blepharitis, known as blepharoconjunctivitis. In this case, both the eyelids and the conjunctiva become inflamed. If you are suffering from this strange disease, visit a doctor as soon as possible in order to stop it.

Types Of Blepharitis

There are two types of blepharitis. The first one is known as anterior blepharitis. It affects the front of the eyelids, near the area where the lashes are located. It is caused by seborrheic dermatitis or by the staphylococcus bacteria. However, what are they?

Seborrehic dermatitis is a skin disorder caused by yeast known as Malassezia furfur. The skin of people with low defenses, or that produces too much sebum, becomes infected, inflaming and shedding portions of skin.

On the other hand, the staphylococcus is a bacterium. Although it is quite common to find it around us, there are 31 species of staphylococcus, and some of them can become quite a problem for our body.

Then there is posterior blepharitis, which occurs in the back of the eyelids. This inflammation is caused by the oil glands that are located in that region. The oil glands eject more than average oil to the skin, irritating it. In this type of blepharitis, it is very important to clean, constantly, the affected area, in order to use the eyes adequately.

Any of these two kinds of blepharitis could be considered chronic blepharitis. However, there are different levels of intensity. It will depend on many factors like your genetic inheritance, the organism responsible of the infection and how hygienic you are.

Continue to: Blepharits Treatment