Key takeaways:
Blepharitis is a common, uncomfortable eye condition that makes the eyelids red, swollen, and itchy.
Blepharitis is not contagious. It can cause other eye problems, but it doesn’t usually cause lasting damage.
Cierra Quirici manages her blepharitis by following a self-care routine.
Cierra Quirici had never heard of blepharitis until she was diagnosed with it.
She’d grown up with allergies and eye styes, so she was used to eye problems. But being diagnosed with blepharitis — or inflamed eyelids — at age 30 was a first.
It was the summer of 2022, and Cierra had just lost her job, ended a 5-year relationship, and moved twice in a short time. She says she felt stress had suppressed her immune system, and that, along with dust in her new apartment, were her problem.
“I do have seasonal allergies that flare up at random times of the year,” she says. “I thought it was just a manifestation of that. I got it [blepharitis] in one eye at a time. One just started to get really swollen and kind of red and puffy, but just on the eyelids. My eye itself felt fine, other than feeling a little dry, a little itchy. It persisted for a few weeks, which is kind of the point where you realize this isn't allergies. This is something a little more serious than that.”
Blepharitis: The common condition no one’s heard of
Just like Cierra, many people have never heard of blepharitis. But it is believed to affect tens of millions. It’s common enough that in September 2023, the HealthWell Foundation started a fund to help people with blepharitis. The foundation offered up to $3,500 in medication copayment or insurance premium assistance to people with annual household incomes up to 500% of the federal poverty level.
Since her initial diagnosis, Cierra has had five bouts with blepharitis. She says she’s developed tips for coping with it because she’s likely going to be susceptible to it for the rest of her life.
“It's like a dormant volcano,” says Cierra, who’s 31 and lives in West Springfield, Massachusetts. “Something could trigger it. You know, the tectonic plates are moving, and all of a sudden, your face blows up. You just don't know when it's going to happen.”
What does blepharitis feel like?
Blepharitis symptoms include red, itchy, and burning eyes or eyelids. It can make your eyelids and lashes crusty. It is uncomfortable, but not contagious. It can cause other eye problems but doesn’t usually cause long-term damage. The main treatment is keeping the glands around and inside the eyelids clear.
People who have dandruff, rosacea, oily skin, and allergies are more susceptible to the condition. Cierra says she has always had problems with allergies that affected her eyes.
“Even when I was a kid, I couldn't rub my eyes too much because I’d get a bunch of little styes,” she says. “They’d go away and I’d be fine. But that didn’t happen this time. I had activated something. I can’t rub my eyes at all now, not even in the shower.”
Cierra says her mom also got styes when Cierra was growing up. She’s noticed that her own blepharitis seems to always be paired with some other eye problem, such as styes. Prior to her first diagnosis, she had a stye in her upper eyelid and then developed one in her lower eyelid.
Her doctor prescribed the antibiotic doxycycline hyclate. When that didn’t help, they sent her to a specialist.
“I went to a specialist, and they gave me some sort of steroid injection into my eyelids. It was not fun. I don’t recommend it,” she says. “It’s not the most painful thing, but I just don’t really like having pointy objects near my eyes.”
What works for easing blepharitis symptoms?
Cierra jokes that her blepharitis flare-ups leave her with a “Rocky Balboa eyeball.” In frustration, she says she went “holistic mom mode” and turned to Reddit for help. There, she learned what worked for others. Here’s what works for her.
Fish oil supplements
The Reddit community turned Cierra on to fish oil and omega 3 fatty acids — specifically, one with krill oil.
“I started taking two in the morning every day with my breakfast,” she says. “It helped me get it [blepharitis] under control. So, I’m at a point in my life right now where if I were to stop taking those vitamins for a few days, I’d be fine. If I was going to stop taking them indefinitely, I would probably go right back to having a blimp face.”
Eye masks
Cierra’s doctor recommended a heated eye mask to reduce swelling. They’re available at the pharmacy, but she prefers a microwavable mask she buys on Amazon.
“I don’t know how to describe it, other than it is kind of like a Beanie Baby, and you pop it in the microwave for literally 15 seconds. It becomes piping hot, then you strap it to your face and sit there for 8 to 10 minutes,” she says. “They recommend you do that six times a day, depending on the severity.”
Afterward, she massages her eyes, trying to clear the toxins away from her eyelids. Then she washes her face.
Eye drops
Cierra’s seasonal allergies give her dry, itchy eyes. Instinctively, she wants to rub them. But that can aggravate her blepharitis.
She’s found Pataday eye drops help provide relief. She puts a drop in each eye daily.
She says her eyes still itch. However, she thinks her remedies are working together to keep her on a good path.
Eye scrubs
Cierra’s doctor recommended medicated eyelid wipes to help keep her eyelids free of bacteria.
“That’s the first thing they are going to recommend,” she says.
For some people, scrubs and non-prescription treatments are enough to help clear blepharitis on its own. Cierra needs more help than that. But she considers the scrubs a good precaution. The wipes are available over the counter. Cierra uses Ocusoft eyelid scrubs.
“They’re textured and have a medication in them,” she says. “They have a regular one and an allergy-relief one.”
Routine
Cierra also has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and she has a difficult time focusing on her self-care. As a result, she says it is important to establish a routine of consistent care.
“For me, I have a hard time getting up early, and I rush around doing things,” she says. “So, I have started getting up early and making time to sit with a cup of tea and relax with the mask on.”
Her advice: Choose health over vanity
Cierra, who works in the automotive parts industry, once thought about wearing an eye patch to work because her eyes looked so bad.
“It can be pretty embarrassing, but I would say don’t prioritize your image over your health,” she says. “When I first started getting blepharitis flare-ups really badly, my first reaction was to get an eye patch and wear it in public, because I’d rather look like a pirate than a monster. But at the end of the day, the doctors will tell you to make sure that your eye is able to breathe. And covering it up is just going to make it worse.”
What should you do when you feel a flare-up coming on?
Cierra hasn’t had a blepharitis flare up since June 2023. But she says she has felt many coming on.
“It’s almost like your eyelid feels just a small bit heavier — which is crazy because it’s not even enough to be an ounce of fluid that builds up — but it’s just enough that you can feel,” she says.
“It’s like I am opening my eye all the way, but for some reason, there’s just the smallest bit of pressure. You kind of learn to recognize that, because when it first started happening to me, I was none the wiser until I was already looking like I had a shiner.”
When she feels a flare-up coming on, she doubles down on her care routine. She’s prepared to do it for the rest of her life.
“There are cases of people like me who, this is just how my life is now,” she says, “constantly being on guard to make sure I don’t do things to aggravate my eyes.”
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