Eye Doctor for Blepharitis Cape Coral

Blepharitis is a chronic disease of the eyelid. The condition can be very painful, but it won’t go away on its own. You will need an eye doctor for treatment and, in Cape Coral, the best choice is Elmquist Eye Group.

The small glands in the upper and lower eyelids secrete an oily substance. Sometimes, these glands become infected, which leads to the common eyelid condition known as blepharitis.

The Three-Fold Treatment

Patients with blepharitis experience redness, itching or swelling in the eyelid, and many report a gritty feeling or even a sensation of a foreign body in the eye.

At Elmquist, we use a three-fold treatment that has proven very effective for blepharitis. First, we apply a warm compress to the affected area. The debris that has collected in the eyelid is heated to loosen it. We will then massage the eyelid to loosen the buildup in the infected area. The compress/massage treatment is particularly effective for patients who have meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).

Following the warm compresses, we use our tried-and-true lid scrubbing treatment. Dr. Elmquist personally designed this spa scrub to scrub the base of the eyelids right along the eyelid margin, the area where bacteria buildup usually occurs. One of our skilled physicians will perform the scrub procedure, and we can even send you home with an at-home kit. Patients typically report a huge improvement after the eyelid scrub.

Immediately following the scrub, we will apply an antibiotic ointment to the eyelid margin, using either erythromycin antibiotic eye ointment and/or Tobradex, a steroid eye ointment. Both ointments aid in the reduction of bacteria. In cases where a patient has MGD or in other complicated cases where a lid abscess is also present, we may prescribe oral antibiotics. Just know that our three-fold treatment described above is usually all that is needed to clear up blepharitis. In certain complex cases, such as blepharitis accompanied by the development of an eyelid cyst (chalazion), minor surgery may be necessary.

Blepharitis can be acute, coming on suddenly. We treat acute cases with an intensive therapy designed to rapidly reduce inflammation. After the acute phase, we enter the maintenance phase of the condition. We can provide a minimum amount of therapy to prevent flare-ups and keep bacteria at bay.

The Elmquist Answer

There is no cure for blepharitis, but the condition can be easily maintained. Regular eyelid hygiene is very important. When you wash your face, don’t forget your eyelids. Remove eye makeup every night before bedtime. These are the best measures to prevent blepharitis.

Left untreated, blepharitis can easily lead to complications and even worse infections. If you have painful swelling in your eyelid, you may have blepharitis, so you need an eye doctor in Cape Coral specially trained for blepharitis. Contact our team at Elmquist Eye Group today. We will get you scheduled for an evaluation and treatment, and we will teach you how to keep your condition under control. Schedule your appointment today.