How or why to we contract Bleph' ?

The exact cause of blepharitis isn't clear. Factors associated with the development of blepharitis include:

Seborrheic dermatitis — dandruff of the scalp and eyebrows

A bacterial infection

Malfunctioning oil glands in your eyelid

Rosacea — a skin condition characterized by facial redness

Allergies, including allergic reactions to eye medications, contact lens solutions or eye makeup

Eyelash mites or lice

Certain medication — the severe acne medication isotretinoin (Amnesteem, Claravis, Sotret) can lead to an increase in bacteria on the eyelids and can affect tear production

Blepharitis may be caused by a combination of factors.

Thanks to Lynda mine is now managable (only 1 eye affected). I can wear make-up again, I know not much interest to most blokes but a huge difference to a lot of the women out there. I started with the UK Wet ones which helped, then found Nutrogena Visable face wash which also contains same ingredient. Recently purchased the American Wet Ones online and I think these are far gentler on the skin. My eyelid isn't prone to going flaky and sore now. Don't think I will ever cure it completely after having it for around 15 years but feel I can live with it now and don't think to look at me others would notice I have a problem. Still have a watery eye but even that isn't as bad. I'm on my phone so apologise for any glaring typing errors.

Personally,  I wouldn't want a dog to lick my face because they also lick their nether regions

01)  A dirty face can causing blepharitis as dirt can physically block eyelash

ducts from emptying.

Examples of this are:

When cigarette smoke, yours or others, contacts your face when you are walking on the street, you are smoking, or it's blown into your face by the wind. If you can smell it, it's on your eyelashes.

This is the same for campfire smoke, B.B.Q. grills (gas or charcoal), etc.

If you are frying something to eat, the grease/oil/butter can get so hot that small drops spatter outside of the pan, making a mess on the stove. If this happens, there is grease/oil/butter in the air that gets on your eyelashes.

If you are baking using flour, as the flour gets sifted, beaten, or mixed, some of the flour gets outside the area where you put it, and it lands on backs of your hands, and some gets in the air, which ends up on your face. The same thing happens when you use flour to dust a cutting board or dust a cake pan. As you now realize, the same is true for other fine powders like cornstarch, talcum powder, powdered spices, dry cement, sawdust, etc.

Then there are chemicals used to clean the floors, the tub/shower, the dishes, etc. If you can smell it, it's on your face and can get on your eyelashes.

OK, enough fpr # 1.

02)  If your face gets hot and sweaty this can lead to blepharitis.

Heat can cause your sweat to dry quickly, which can cause your eyelash ducts to clog up. This is similar to glue applied to a piece of paper drying faster when it's hot.

Your should be aware that your sweat is made up of more than pure water.

When it is drying it can become sticky. Sweat causes dirt (see above) to stick to your face. Sweat can also disolve dirt so it is harder to see. These two facts make sweat a major ccause of dirt getting spread around on your face and staying there.

Then, there is the problem of bacteria. Sweat allows bacteria to live longer, as they don't dry out. Some bacteria even eat sweat and so, once again, live longer thanks to this food source. Bacteria can cause an infection in eyelash ducts, tear ducts, the inner and outer eye, etc.

* Note - This is why it is a bad idea to share cosmetics with another person.*

It is very important to remember to say no, when a friend wants to borrow your mascara, eye liner, under eye concealer, eye shadow, anti wrinkle cream, moisturizer, foundation, and/or other cosmetics.

Cosmetics through normal use get bacteria in them. Similar to how your toothbrush gets colonized by bacteria. Both cosmetics and toothbrushes should be replaced regularly, For example, if you don't replace your toothbrush every three months you are putting more bacteria into your mouth and onto your teeth than brushing your teeth can remove.

Enough of # 2.

03)  If you leave your home you need to be aware of major actions that can cause dirt, sweat, bacteria, etc., to get on your eyelashes.

So, do you wash your hands for more than 20 seconds per hand after ...?

You sit on a chair, couch, floor, or touch the surface of a piece of furniture, counter top, sink, use a public toilet, etc., when waiting for your doctor's appointment, waiting for your prescription to be filled, or take public transit, etc.

Do you wash your hands for more than 20 seconds per hand after ...?

You are going to eat a meal, have just eaten a meal, just grabbed a sandwich from a outdoor food cart/vendor, exercise at a gym, take a yoga class, etc.

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Then, there are the other less obvious places where you can get eye problems from doing.

When you take a trip/vacation ...

One action you do often, yet tend not think about, is when you handle money.

It's incredibly dirty and carries lots of bacteria.

Most people are careful at gas stations, but are not as careful at minute marts, on airplanes, on buses, on trains, or when you take a tours, tempels/churches/ open air markets.

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Even if you try to be careful, when your eye gets a speck of something in it, it's really hard, and sometimes impossible to wash your hands before touching your eye.

That's why it is a good idea to carry either a small bottle of hand sanitizer or individual pre-packaged hand cleaners in your purse.

You should also carry a least a few one time only, ampules of sterile saline.

These are a eye saver when you need to get a speck out of your eye.

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Now that you have read all this, do you still find it difficult to understand why people get this kind of eye problem so frequently ?

Of the three friends I talked to about this, over the years, they have all had it.

They haven't had this problem again, since they learned to be more aware of how you touch your face.

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* Note - It takes brisk, firm rubbing with soapy hands for a minium of 20 seconds (for each hand), to remove most of the dirt and bacteria on it. *

How should you wash your hands and why do you need to wash for a minimum of 20 seconds ?

Get at least 3 paper towels before you start washing.

Place the paper towels, on a dry spot, within easy reach of the sink.

Turn the water on and wet your hands.

Next, put enough soap on your hands (minimum size is the size of a US quarter).

Now, you need to briskly rub the soap to build up a good lather.\

* OK, the 20 seconds begins now. *

Begin by scrubbing clean your dominant hand's palm,

then scrub the back of that palm,

then scrub the two sides of that palm ( below the pinky finger and below the thumb),

Repeat, washing the other hand's palm.

Next, scrub the V shaped area between each finger, including and starting with the large area between the thumb and index finger,

then scrub around each finger and thumb, along their entire length (starting from the base, near the palm, and proceeding outward to the tip of each finger).

The timing of the 20 seconds ends here.

It really isn't all that long, if you take the time to wash properly.

Now, rinse your hands well, by briskly rubbing the soap off under running water, starting with the wrists and finishing with your fingertips.

When soap is no longer visible, stop rubbing.

Hold your hands under running water, for another 5 to 10 seconds or more, while turning them to make sure the soap is gone (this usually gets the last traces of soap off).

Pick up a paper towel and use it to turn the sink faucets off.

Dry hands with the other towels.

Pick up the towel used to turn off the sink using the towels used to dry your hands.

When exiting the toilet do not use your hand to open the door.

Use your arm to push the door open.

If it has a knob, pull your hand up inside one of your sleeves and use the sleeve to open the door.

These doors are usually the dirtiest place in a toilet, due to those who do not wash their hands properly.

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I have done my best to remember these things and be aware of my situation.

Since then, I have been blepharitis free for 29 years.

Until two months ago.

One day I forgot to wash my hands when I got home after running several errands that included the pharmacy and the grocery store.

I rubbed my left eye.

A week or so later, I developed three clogged eyelash ducts.

Two on the top lid and one on the lower lid.

The lower one grew to about 2 mm.

I almost went insane.

I have sensitive eyes and the clogged eyelash ducts bothered me.

It was like I had a lump pressing on my eye that made my eye irritated, so I would rub it, without thinking, making the entire mess worse.

It woke me up from sleep several times every night.

Yes, I woke up rubbing them.

It was that bad.

* Note - I put some ground cloves inside a small piece of Bounty paper towel (they don't shed and they don't fall apart. Not the cheap, thin, so called economical ones, the original type Bounty towels).

I folded over the edges to make a very small package.

Then I added hot water to moisten and squeezed just enough to stop it from dripping.

I placed this over my eye to stop the irritation and pain (from rubbing them in my sleep).

Clove oil stops pain and it worked really well.

Just don't use a dripping pack, as you don't want any drips in your eye.

They used to use these clove packs for toothaches.

Now they use the clove oil in a gel you squeeze on your gums to stop toothaches.

I have even used the whole cloves, wrapped of course, just as sucessively, but they can feel rather hard and they don't taste good.

Still, it's way better than a bad toothache or a screeming, teething baby with sore gums.

They're great for bug bites too.

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So, what did I have to do to get rid of them ?

It took me a month and a half, two doctor visits, two perscription medications, and tons of time doing the annoying eye treatment routine, described below.

I had to scrub my eyes with special eye soap, every night and in the morning.

When that was done, I had to heat and re-heat paper towels with very hot water, and put them on my eyes, for at least 10 minutes each time.

During the time the towels were on my eyes, I had to press the eyelash area to open the ducts and express whatever was clogging them.

Once this mess was finished, I had to add the perscription ointment to my eye.

Now I'm free of them and intend to keep it this way.

I never want another one of these things.

I really hope all this detailed indfformation will help you.