I know visitors to this site are normally interested in what steps I took to alleviate my blepharitis symptoms. However, the following article contains some additional information about innovative new methods for treating blepharitis. Please note I haven’t used all of these techniques but the core ideas are similar to the steps I advocate on this site, and the tip about blinking definitely deserves some more research.

New Methods of Treating Blepharitis

Blepharitis is a condition that often created red, swollen eyes and other symptoms that include the following;

–       Dry Eye

–       Itchiness

–       Grittiness

–       Crusting of the Eyelid

–       Photophobia

Patients are often discomforted by the symptoms which may grow in frequency over the years as people age. In addition, blepharitis can affect the outcomes of refractive and cataract surgeries as well.

Understanding the Symptoms of Blepharitis

Naturally, a full series of evaluations will have to be carried out to fully understand the parameters of blepharitis. Here, keeping a diary of the symptoms when they occur is important as well to zero in on the causes. A change in habit, diet or environment may be the actual cause of why the symptoms are flaring up again.

Treatments for Blepharitis

There are numerous treatments for blepharitis that are mostly conventional in nature. The following are the most common types of treatments;

Fatty Acids: Consuming more Omega-3 fatty acids in the diet will help relieve the symptoms of this condition over time, although it may take up to a year for the full effect to be realized.

Heat: The application of moist heat for five minutes four times a day for two weeks at first will start to alleviate the symptoms as well.

Scrub the Eyelids: In certain cases, eczema can be the cause of blepharitis which in turn means that saltwater soaks that scrub the eyelids can help alleviate the symptoms.

However, there are some new blepharitis treatments as well which are undergoing analysis for their effectiveness, including the following;

Compression of the Eyelid: Gentle compression instead of scrubbing may have the same effect without the harsher treatment.

Blinking: One of the most interesting treatments is increasing the amount of times a person blinks can actually lower the risk of blepharitis from returning. As people age, they blink less over time so raising the amount in specific sessions may make a difference, especially when combined with applying heat.

There are other alternative treatments as well which have enjoyed varying degrees of success such as the following;

–       Thermal Pulsation

–       Intense Pulsed Light

–       Duct Probing

–       AzaSite Lid Massage

–       Cyclosporine

–       Steroids

In addition, topical antibiotics have been used as well to help clear away the debris from the eyelids. All of these methods have been used with different degrees of success and depended on what was causing the blepharitis.

In this article, the authors challenge those who are undergoing a new episode of blepharitis to ask questions to see if a new habit has caused this condition. There certainly seems to be enough evidence to warrant such questions that help identify the causes of recurring bouts of blepharitis. In addition, we also see some of the same treatments detailed in the article as found on this website.

The importance of eating the recommended diet and wearing a heat mask can be combined with the new methods of engaging in blinking sessions and closed eye compresses to help alleviate the conditions. You can read directly from the original article here and draw your own conclusions about these new treatments.