Do you ever wake up with crusty, scaly eyelids? Read on...

Blepharitis: The low down on scaly itchy eyelids

Do you ever wake up in the morning with crusty, scaly eyelids? Combined with your bed-head and morning breath, it’s not a pretty picture – but good news, your optometrist may be able to help you treat that “sleep” in your eyes.  You may have a really common condition called blepharitis.  

Other symptoms include flakes and a general redness, puffiness, or scaliness along the base line of your lashes.  You may feel like there is sand in your eyes, or have a general burning or itchy sensation throughout the day.  Blepharitis is also associated with an oily or sticky sensation on your eyes, caused by discharge from the eyelid glands – left untreated these glands can become plugged and infected, which can cause recurrent styes, or dry eye syndrome – not to mention crusted scales and debris on your eyelids. Over the long term, the chronic inflammation can lead to scarring of the eyelids and eyelash problems (loss of eyelashes or eyelashes that grow in the wrong direction).

I know what you’re thinking:  Gross, right?  But not to worry – although blephartis is a chronic condition with no known cure, we have solutions – including a brand new in-office treatment called BlephEx.

Just as your dentist recommends you floss and see the hygienist to prevent gum disease, your optometrist will want you to perform regular maintenance on your eyelids.  He or she will want you to use hot compresses and special lid washes or wipes at home.  If your condition is particularly severe, they may ask you to come in for a more extensive blepharitis treament.  BlephEx is an instrument that spins a medical grade micro-sponge along the edge of your eyelids and lashes, removing debris and exfoliating your eyelids.  It takes less than 15 minutes for the procedure, and it doesn’t hurt a bit, in fact most patients simply report a tickling sensation.  The effects are long lasting, but not permanent, and you’ll probably come in every six months or so for a repeat treatment in conjunction with the regular lid wash maintenance you’ll be doing at home.  

There are different kinds of blepharitis and different causes for the condition. It’s usually bacterial, but can also be caused by seborrhea (dandruff), rosacea, allergies, toxins or viral infections. Another common cause of blepharitis and the symptoms related to this condition comes from parasitic mites called Demodex. Often these little critters need to be treated with tea tree oil washes.  Early diagnosis and proper treatment are the trick for getting the condition under control.

If you’re suffering from crusty, dry, scratchy, red or irritated eyes – do yourself a favour and make an appointment with your optometrist right away, so that you can start a treatment plan that’s right for you.

Fish is the new CARROT!

Fish is the new carrot

Carrots?  Forget carrots!  Fish is the new food to eat for healthy eyes!  Fish, especially cold water fish like salmon and tuna, are packed with eye loving omega-3 fatty acids.  Omega-3 fatty acids are an essential part of our diet.  Why?  Our bodies can’t produce omega-3’s, but we need them for things like regulating blood pressure and heart rate.  In fact, the American Heart Association currently recommends 2 servings of cold water fish weekly, and many eye doctors are starting to do the same.

Dry eye is probably the most common eye condition that omega-3’s are prescribed for.  Omega-3’s have been shown to dramatically reduce dry eye symptoms and signs.  Tears are kept from falling off our eyes with a special oily secretion produced in our eyelids.  This oily secretion can sometimes become less like olive oil and more like butter.  When that happens, the oils can get jammed up inside of our eyelids and our tears end up on their own with nothing keeping them on our eyes.  The tears will either evaporate or fall out of our eyes, causing dry eyes.  It’s thought that omega-3’s help stabilize those oily secretions and keep them the consistency of olive oil, therefore preventing tear evaporation and dry eye.

Some studies have shown that omega-3’s may even help prevent the occurrence or progression of macular degeneration.  Macular degeneration can be a visually devastating disease, and with no cure in sight, preventative methods are all we have.

Omega-3’s aren’t just for adults either.  A Harvard study compared the visual acuity of infants fed with formula with and without omega-3’s.  The group of infants that were given the omega-3 formula had better visual acuity at 2-4 months than the infants who were not receiving the omega-3 formula.  Studies have also shown that when mothers have a diet higher in omega-3’s, their child tends to have better visual acuity at 2-4 months due to more intake of omega-3’s through their mother’s milk.

There are many foods that are packed with healthy omega-3’s.  As mentioned earlier, cold water fish, including salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines are a great source for the essential fatty acid.  Fresh caught fish are a better source for omega-3’s than farm caught fish.  If you aren’t a fan of fish there are plenty of other options for you.  Dark green leafy vegetables, walnuts, olive oil, and flaxseed have lots of omega-3’s.  There’s also the option of supplements, such as fish oil pills, krill oil pills, and many more.  While the supplements are a great option, studies do tend to favor the benefits of omega-3’s from food sources over supplement sources.  So switch out that canola oil for olive oil, enjoy that tuna sandwich, and make it a sushi night for a doctor approved feast!  - Dr. Nicole Hewitt, OD