If you woke up with an eyelid inflammation, it means that you should start searching for home remedies for blepharitis. Don’t let the terminology throw you off; blepharitis pictures will show that it’s quite a common condition that occurs almost naturally at some point in one’s life. If your eyes are dry and you feel a crust building at the base of your eyelashes, this might be your case. However, you don’t need to worry. Blepharitis is not an incurable disease; instead of shopping for an over the counter antibiotic, ointment or eye drops, you can find a natural remedy to apply at home. Nevertheless, you should always approach any eye infection with caution and consult your doctor for medical advice, as severe problems can even require surgery. For casual cases, we have prepared a list of the best 9 home remedies for blepharitis.
Before we start presenting your natural options for blepharitis treatment, we want you to get familiar with what blepharitis is, how it manifests, what can cause it and what the symptoms are. You can read all about these before discovering natural treatments and cures. Gather all the information you need for treating blepharitis below.
What Is Blepharitis?
The basic definition for blepharitis (ICD 9 code 373.0) is an inflammation of the eyelid. It is a usually a chronic condition that frequently develops in adults, children and seniors alike, regardless of their gender. Even a dog can get blepharitis. The good news is that blepharitis (like rosacea or seborrheic dermatitis) is not contagious, as opposed to other eye diseases like conjunctivitis. There are two main types of blepharitis that can occur:
- Posterior
- Anterior
Posterior blepharitis also commonly regarded as a disease of the meibomian gland. It is the form of blepharitis that occurs most often and is usually treated with doxycycline antibiotics. However, an equally efficient cure can most likely already exist in your home (as you will soon find out).
Anterior blepharitis may develop because of bacteria, as a local staphylococcal inflammation. Another possible cause of anterior blepharitis can be the mite demodex.
You can find the typical symptoms for blepharitis in the next section of our home remedies for blepharitis guide.
Much like the traditional pink eye, blepharitis can be an annoying nuance that can impact the daily routines of your life. Luckily, this is something that can be treated right at home. If you are dealing with eye inflammation, then we have got 9 home remedies for you to try out.
It should be noted that these home remedies are meant to deal with the mildest of cases. If you find that your eye inflammation continues even after repeated treatments of the remedies below, then you might want to make it a point to visit a doctor. A chronic inflamed eye could be an underlying condition of something more serious.
Blepharitis Symptoms
The general symptoms of blepharitis are really easy to spot out, as they mostly occur on a physical level. You can get a general idea of how blepharitis looks like through the picture we have included in our article. They might be different from one case or another, but some of the most frequent ones are:
- Eyelids become sticky, crusty, red, itchy or sore
- Swelling occurs
- Abnormal eyelash behavior
- Discomfort when wearing contact lenses
- Burning feeling
- Pain, especially when you wake up
Usually, when you get one of these symptoms, you will feel it developing over the course of the day. In many cases, you may wake up and you will feel the pain of all these symptoms all at once.
Generally speaking, you can expect to deal with an inflamed eye for not more than 1 or 2 days. If you find that your inflamed eye lasts longer then this, then that is an indication that you need to speak with your doctor.
We strongly recommend that you speak with a medical professional if you feel that any of these symptoms get out of control.
Blepharitis Causes
The causes of blepharitis depend on the kind it is: chronic or acute. Chronic blepharitis can be anterior (the outside of eyelids) or posterior (the interior part of eyelids). According to its status as posterior or anterior, you can find the various potential causes in our Symptoms section.
As for acute blepharitis, causes are identifying according to its status as ulcerative / non-ulcerative. While the former type has viral or infectious roots, the latter usually takes place due to allergies.
If you find that your puffy eyes are actually a result of blepharitis, check out our list to find the best home remedy for blepharitis for you.
Our Top 9 Home Remedies for Blepharitis
1. Wash
If you want to treat your eye inflammation at any given moment, one of the best home remedies for blepharitis is simply cleaning your eyes as often as possible. If an individual with blepharitis wipes his or her eyes with a warmed up towel, the crust that usually forms will gently fall off. In addition to this, using warm water to wash the area also gets rid of the oily build up that comes with blepharitis. If you choose this home remedy, it is recommended that you repeat it several times during the day.
When you wash your eye out, you simply want to use lukewarm water. You may also use a mild soap, but be sure not to use anything that is artificially scented as thins can further exasperate your symptoms.
If you find that using a mild soap further irritates your eye, then you may want to consider ditching the soap entirely.
2. Castor Oil
A wide range of oils can work excellently as home remedies for blepharitis. It brings quick relief and keeps most of the common blepharitis symptoms under control. It is best if you apply this remedy on a nightly basis, before you go to sleep. The reason is that you will successfully clean the infected area so crust won’t develop throughout the night. You can take a cotton pad and soak it in some castor oil. Use the pad on your eyelids and the surrounding area.
3. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is well-known among natural remedy users as being one of the most efficient plants for healthy cures. It has an incredible range of health benefits and properties that can aid your body in healing, both inside and out. Aloe vera gel or juice can be found in stores, but it is best if you get an aloe vera plant at home and extract the gel yourself. By using aloe vera gel, you will be fighting the bacteria causing the inflammation and cleaning the infected region at the same time. After you cut a leaf and get the juice out, you have to store it in a cool place (like your fridge) for an hour or two. Use the gel several times throughout the day for fast relief.
4. Tea Tree Oil
One of the most popular home remedies for blepharitis is certainly tea tree oil. Recommended by medical specialists and patients alike, tea tree oil and vegetable oil combined create the perfect substance for treating blepharitis. Take a cotton pad and drench it in the mixed oils and carefully press it over your eyes. Allow the oils to sit on the skin for approximately twenty minutes and then remove it. You can repeat the remedy as often as needed until the blepharitis goes away.
5. Shampoo for Babies
While this might not be readily in your home if you are not a parent, baby shampoo still remains one of the most trustworthy home remedies for blepharitis. However, it is recommended that you do not use pure shampoo, because the inflammation can increase. What you can do is take one drop and add it to hot water. After roughly half an hour, use a cotton ball to apply the diluted shampoo to the edges of your eyes.
What is great about this method is the fact that your eyes will not tear up. This is convenient because many baby soaps offer the comfort of being tear free. Be sure that with the baby soap you are using, there are no artificial ingredients that can cause more irritation.
6. Coconut Oil
Another oil that works as one of the most effective home remedies for blepharitis is coconut oil. Just like aloe vera, coconut oil is packed with health benefits to soothe the body. Like most other remedies on our list, all you have to do is get a cotton pad and dab it in coconut oil. Allow it to take action for anywhere between twenty and thirty minutes and then remove. To get the best results, use coconut oil as a remedy multiple times every day.
7. Potato Slices
One of the home remedies for blepharitis that does not involve liquids or cotton balls is potato. The good part is that you’ll most likely have a potato or two lying around, so you won’t need to leave your home to stock up on any additional supplies. Get a potato and wash it thoroughly. Cut it into preferably thin slices so it won’t put too much strain on your infected eyes. Put them over your eyelids for around twenty minutes for a reliable outcome. Likewise, repeat often so the inflammation can go away in a timely manner.
8. Omega 3
Similar to aloe vera and coconut oil, omega 3 is also a remedy that you can’t go wrong with, especially when it comes to blepharitis. Omega 3 fatty acids have the power to reduce the impact of blepharitis symptoms and improve your overall health. There are two main ways in which you can increase your intake of omega 3 fatty acids: supplements or foods. As we want to promote ingredients that you can typically find in your home, a few foods that are rich in omega 3 fatty acids are:
- Trout
- Flaxseed
- Tuna
- Walnut
- Salmon
If none of these examples align with your tastes, you can look online for countless other sources of omega 3 that can help you get rid of blepharitis and promote a healthy lifestyle.
9. Chamomile Tea Bag
Last but not least, chamomile tea is awesome for curing blepharitis naturally. Get some chamomile tea bags and brew a pot of tea as you normally would. Allow it to cool off a bit before using the tea bags directly on your eyelids. It’s easier to keep the chamomile tea bags on your eyes if you’re resting somewhere on your back. Use the same time frame we have repeated throughout our article and don’t forget to repeat the process until the blepharitis backs off.
Final Thoughts on Eye Inflammation
If you are dealing with or have dealt with eye inflammation in the past, then you know just as well as us how annoying of an eye irritation it can be. Luckily, we have got nine home remedies that can make everything feel so much better.
As always, if you find that these home remedies are not effective or your eye irritation comes back consistently, then this is a clear indication that you need to pay a visit to your doctor.
Have you ever used any one of these nine remedies before? If so, let us know your thoughts about them below.