How to Prevent Blepharitis

Blepharitis is more of an irritation than a threat to the eyes, but it's a chronic condition that recurs despite treatment to control symptoms. Therefore, the best treatment for blepharitis is prevention. If you've been diagnosed with blepharitis in the past and your disease is in remission, you must undertake measures to prevent a recurrence.

Instructions

• 1

  Maintain scrupulous eyelid hygiene. Wash the lids with a clean washcloth, baby shampoo, and warm water twice a day, using a gentle scrubbing motion to dislodge any bacteria-laden crusts.

• 2

  Wash your hands after touching your nose. Keep your fingers out of your nostrils. Your nostrils harbor staphylococcus bacteria, which can colonize the eyelid and cause blepharitis.

• 3

  Discard your eye makeup regularly and keep your eye makeup to yourself. Eye makeup, especially liquid products like mascara, can harbor blepharitis-causing bacteria. Replace makeup every three months.

• 4

  Take the amino acid supplement N-acetylcysteine. Some research indicates this amino acid stimulates the repair of oxidation damage to the tear glands that clog in blepharitis.

• 5

  Reduce your exposure to smoke and other air pollutants. Smog and chemicals can trigger a recurrence in patients with latent blepharitis.

• 6

  Treat sties promptly. Repeated sties are associated with the development of blepharitis. Place a very warm compress on the affected eyelid twice daily as soon as sty symptoms develop.

• 7

  Ask your doctor about treatment if you've been diagnosed with the skin disorders of rosacea or seborrheic dermatitis. These skin conditions are risk factors for the development of blepharitis, so treating them reduces blepharitis incidence.