Types of Blepharitis


Anterior Blepharitis

Anterior blepharitis affects the very front of the eyelids.  It occurs on the edge where the eyelashes are located and is caused by seborrheic dermatitis.  In seborrheic dermatitis, the affected part of the skin will become oilier and will look scaly.  It is usually attributed to bad dandruff and can cause a bad rash on the surface of the skin in the upper body and face.  Although a definite cause of seborrheic dermatitis is yet to be discovered, a yeast germ, Malassezia furfur, does seem to have some influence.  It lives in the oils of human adult skin, and although usually harmless, it can sometimes react with germs, resulting in inflammation.  Seborrheic dermatitis is a skin infection but is not contagious and therefore you cannot catch it from other people.

Posterior Blepharitis.

The second primary form of blepharitis is posterior blepharitis, which occurs in the back of the eyelids.  The oil glands in this region may sometimes discharge too much oil, a result of which will cause irritation to the skin and again inflammation.  It can be prevented by good hygiene and regular eye washes. 

Although anterior and posterior blepharitis, are the two most frequent causes of blepharitis, there are other forms of the condition, which differ in intensity:

Meibomian Blepharitis

For example, another form of blepharitis is Meibomian, or meibomian gland dysfunction.  This occurs in the meibomian glands in the eyelids.  You have roughly 25-30 glands in each upper and lower eyelid, and they are responsible for producing oils on the inside of your eyelid, to aid lubrication against the eyeball.  Patients who suffer from it have difficulties with their meibomian glands, and the fluids they produce, resulting again in an inflammation of the eyelid.  This is also another reason for dry eye, as the glands are incapable of producing sufficient fluid. 

Staphylococcal Blepharitis

Another form of blepharitis is caused by the bacterial germ staphylococcal.  Although staphylococcal germs are generally low in numbers in the skin, in some people, it may cause a localised infection, which leads to blepharitis.  There are around 31 different types of the staphylococcal germ in our bodies, and some are more harmful than others.  It is still unclear to professionals why this is the case. 

Since the different types of blepharitis are similar in symptoms, it is often difficult to differentiate between them.  However, it is not uncommon for a patient to have a combination of the above.  For example, seborrhoeic blepharitis may often occur with meibomian blepharitis at the same time.  Blepharitis will come and go, starting worse then easing in severity.  It is important, should you contract such symptoms, not to rub or aggravate the infected area too much, as this may worsen it.  Other exterior factors could be affecting the severity of the condition, for instance, your inheritance of the condition and certain organisms.

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