Meibomianitis: What Causes It, How to Diagnose and Treat It
Meibomianitis is a highly contagious, eyelid-related eye disease that leads to dry and inflamed eyes. In order to diagnose the disease and find treatments, though, doctors will need to thouroughly examine your eyes. Fortunately, there are several different ways in which they can be examined, all of which are discussed in this article.
What is Meibomianitis?
Meibomianitis is the inflammation of the oil-producing glands in the eyelid. This inflammatory disease commonly occurs in those who wear contact lenses and can lead to eye redness, pain, dry eyes and even corneal ulcerations. It can be diagnosed easily by your healthcare provider with a simple examination of the eye. A diagnosis of meibomianitis is confirmed by a visual assessment for lipid deposits on top of the eyeball as well as other signs such as redness, swelling and discharge from the lids.
What Causes Meibomianitis
Meibomianitis is an inflammatory condition of the eyelid that can cause blepharitis, ocular swelling, and vision disturbances. It affects the meibum, or a thin layer of oil secreted by sebaceous glands on the eye. It typically occurs when a patient has an infection in the eyelid. Infections can come from bacteria such as staphylococcus aureus, folliculitis, or herpes simplex virus.
Symptoms of Meibomianitis
It also known as oil drop eye, is a condition that causes tears to pool in the eye. This can cause an infection that can lead to swelling, redness and eyelid pain. Experts say symptoms should be brought to attention by seeing your eye doctor immediately.
How to Diagnose Meibomianitis
In order to determine if there is Meibomianitis, one needs to be able to understand the signs and symptoms of the condition. These include excessive tearing, redness, and swelling around the eyes. Sometimes these conditions can further lead to Itchy Eyes, eye pain, and headache.
Treating Meibomianitis
Meibomianitis is a condition where the meibomian glands become blocked and creates a buildup of meibum. This buildup causes the tear layer to be thinner than usual and in turn causes dry eyes or eyelid irritation. You can see if you have this condition by driving your fingers into the corner of your eye forcefully enough to make an indentation. If you are able to create an indentation, it means that there is too much meibum built up on your eyelids and you may have Meibomianitis.
