Symptoms
- Red, swollen or itchy eyelid edges
- Crusting or flakes at the lash roots, worst in the morning
- Gritty or burning eyes
- Recurrent styes or eyelid cysts
- Lashes sticking together
Blepharitis
Blepharitis is inflammation of the eyelid margins — crusty, red, itchy lids, often worse on waking. It’s chronic but controllable with a simple daily routine, and it’s the usual culprit behind styes and chalazia.
Medically reviewed by Mr Mohamed Mohyudin, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon GMC 7039600
Why it happens
A shifted balance of skin bacteria and blocked oil glands along the lid margin, sometimes linked with skin conditions like rosacea or seborrhoeic dermatitis. It commonly occurs alongside dry eye.
Treatment
The mainstay is daily lid care: warmth, massage and lid cleaning. Flares or stubborn cases may need short prescription courses; a persistent chalazion sometimes needs a minor procedure — both reasons for specialist review.
Self-care that helps
Warm compress for 10 minutes daily, gentle massage towards the lashes, then clean the lid margins with dedicated wipes or cleanser. Maintain a few times weekly once settled — stopping the routine is the usual cause of relapse.
When to get help
Increasing pain or swelling, vision changes, a stye that doesn’t settle in a week or two, or a lump that persists for weeks — get assessed.
Go deeper
Related guides
Blepharitis: the eyelid condition behind so many irritated eyes
Consultant-reviewed guide to blepharitis — symptoms, the daily routine that controls it, and how it links to styes, chalazia and dry eye.
Dry eye: why it happens and what genuinely helps
A consultant ophthalmic surgeon's guide to dry eye disease — from screen habits and MGD to drops, warm compresses and when to seek help.
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