JT-
RT-
47 READI
NGTEXT
Bl
ephar
it
is:Text
s
TEXTA
Whati
sbl
ephar
it
is?
Blephari
ti
sisaninf l
ammatorycondi
ti
onoft heeyel
ids.Itcanaf
fectpeopl
eofallages,buti
tismor e
commoni nol
derpeople.
Theey el
idmargins,aswel
l ashavi
ngeyelashesprotr
udingfrom t
heirant
eri
or(
front)sur
face,hav
et he
openingsofoilglands(
Meibomianglands)behindthelashes.
Ther
ear ethr
eemai ntypesofbl ephar it
is:
Ant eri
orblephariti
s:Thisaf fectst hefrontoftheey el
i
dsaroundt heeyel
ashesandmaybedue
toseborrhoeicdermat i
ti
s( simi l
art odandruff)
.Thismayal soinvol
vethescalp,
faceandears,
or
beduet obact er
ial(st
aphy lococcal )infect
ion.
Post eri
orblepharit
is:Thismai nlyaffectsthebackoft heeyel
ids,ar
oundtheMei bomi
anglands.
I
tisoftenassociat edwithr osacea( askindiseasecausingrednessoftheface)
.
Mi xedant er
iorandpost eriorbl ephariti
s:acombi nati
onoftheabov e.
\
Whataret hesy mpt omsofbl epharit
is?
Thesympt omsofbl ephari
ti
sar e:
cr usting,swel li
ngandr ednessoft heeyeli
ds
dr ynessoft heeye
agr i
ttyfeel ingandbur ni
ngsensationintheeye
tinyf lakesont heeyeli
dssi mil
artofinedandr
uff
sensi t
ivi
tyt olight
blur redv i
si on
lossofey elashes/in-growingeyelashes
st yes( ani nfecti
onatther ootofaney el
ash)ontheey
eli
d
smal lulcer sont heeyeli
ds.
Howi
sbl
ephar
it
isdi
agnosed?
Inmostcasest hediagnosisisconf i
rmedbyanopht hal
mologist(special
isteyedoct or
)usi
nga
microscopecal l
edasl it
-l
amp.Themi cr
oscopegi vesamagni f
iedv i
ewoft hediff
erentpart
soft
heey e.
Withblepharit
istheey el
idsappearr edandi nfl
amedwi t
hcrustsandscal esar oundthebasesofthe
eyelashes.TheMei bomi anglandopeningsmaybebl ockedandt helidmayhav eassociat
ednotches,
styesandMei bomi anglandcy sts.Thetearf i
l
m, whi
chcoatstheey e,isoftenunev en.Thi
scanbe
i
dent i
fi
edbyst aini
ngt hetearfi
lm withay ell
owdy ecall
edfl
uorescein.Inf
lammat i
onandlossofskin
cell
sont hecornea( theepithel
ium)mayal sobeseenwi tht
hisfluorescei
nst aini
ng.
, TEXTB
Pr
eval
enceandSever
it
yofi
ndi
vi
dual
sympt
omsofbl
ephar
it
is.
RT-
47 READI
NGTEXT
Bl
ephar
it
is:Text
s
TEXTA
Whati
sbl
ephar
it
is?
Blephari
ti
sisaninf l
ammatorycondi
ti
onoft heeyel
ids.Itcanaf
fectpeopl
eofallages,buti
tismor e
commoni nol
derpeople.
Theey el
idmargins,aswel
l ashavi
ngeyelashesprotr
udingfrom t
heirant
eri
or(
front)sur
face,hav
et he
openingsofoilglands(
Meibomianglands)behindthelashes.
Ther
ear ethr
eemai ntypesofbl ephar it
is:
Ant eri
orblephariti
s:Thisaf fectst hefrontoftheey el
i
dsaroundt heeyel
ashesandmaybedue
toseborrhoeicdermat i
ti
s( simi l
art odandruff)
.Thismayal soinvol
vethescalp,
faceandears,
or
beduet obact er
ial(st
aphy lococcal )infect
ion.
Post eri
orblepharit
is:Thismai nlyaffectsthebackoft heeyel
ids,ar
oundtheMei bomi
anglands.
I
tisoftenassociat edwithr osacea( askindiseasecausingrednessoftheface)
.
Mi xedant er
iorandpost eriorbl ephariti
s:acombi nati
onoftheabov e.
\
Whataret hesy mpt omsofbl epharit
is?
Thesympt omsofbl ephari
ti
sar e:
cr usting,swel li
ngandr ednessoft heeyeli
ds
dr ynessoft heeye
agr i
ttyfeel ingandbur ni
ngsensationintheeye
tinyf lakesont heeyeli
dssi mil
artofinedandr
uff
sensi t
ivi
tyt olight
blur redv i
si on
lossofey elashes/in-growingeyelashes
st yes( ani nfecti
onatther ootofaney el
ash)ontheey
eli
d
smal lulcer sont heeyeli
ds.
Howi
sbl
ephar
it
isdi
agnosed?
Inmostcasest hediagnosisisconf i
rmedbyanopht hal
mologist(special
isteyedoct or
)usi
nga
microscopecal l
edasl it
-l
amp.Themi cr
oscopegi vesamagni f
iedv i
ewoft hediff
erentpart
soft
heey e.
Withblepharit
istheey el
idsappearr edandi nfl
amedwi t
hcrustsandscal esar oundthebasesofthe
eyelashes.TheMei bomi anglandopeningsmaybebl ockedandt helidmayhav eassociat
ednotches,
styesandMei bomi anglandcy sts.Thetearf i
l
m, whi
chcoatstheey e,isoftenunev en.Thi
scanbe
i
dent i
fi
edbyst aini
ngt hetearfi
lm withay ell
owdy ecall
edfl
uorescein.Inf
lammat i
onandlossofskin
cell
sont hecornea( theepithel
ium)mayal sobeseenwi tht
hisfluorescei
nst aini
ng.
, TEXTB
Pr
eval
enceandSever
it
yofi
ndi
vi
dual
sympt
omsofbl
ephar
it
is.
