Blepharitis

Blepharitis, pronounced bleh-fur-RY-tis, means inflammation of the eyelid. The edges of your lids turn red or dark in color and become swollen and scaly. Blepharitis usually affects both eyes. It can happen when a skin condition causes irritation, when you develop an infection or when oil glands become clogged. All of these things can even happen at once.

Blepharitis is a term for inflammation, but it can lead to an infection in your eye. However, most cases of blepharitis aren’t contagious. They aren’t likely to lead to blindness.

How common is blepharitis?

A survey of ophthalmologists and optometrists reported that nearly half of the people they see showed symptoms of blepharitis. The condition is common and symptoms are manageable.

Blepharitis typically affects adults and children of both sexes equally. However, one form — staphylococcal blepharitis — mainly affects women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB). This is true of about 80% of cases.

Are there different types of blepharitis?

There are two types of blepharitis, depending on where it’s located on your eyelids. They are:

• Anterior blepharitis: This type occurs when your eyelid’s front exterior, where the eyelashes come out of your lids, is red or darker in color and swollen, or when you have dandruff on your lashes.
• Posterior blepharitis: This type happens when the oil-producing meibomian glands under your eyelid produce thickened/unhealthy oil.