Eye Health More Eye Issues & Safety Granulated Eyelids: Blepharitis By Troy Bedinghaus, OD linkedin Troy L. Bedinghaus, OD, board-certified optometric physician, owns Lakewood Family Eye Care in Florida. He is an active member of the American Optometric Association. Learn about our editorial process Troy Bedinghaus, OD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by David R. Watt, MD on November 11, 2019 linkedin David R. Watt, MD, is a board-certified ophthalmologist who specializes in retina surgery. Learn about our Medical Review Board David R. Watt, MD on November 11, 2019 Print Table of Contents View All Anterior Blepharitis Posterior Blepharitis Treating Blepharitis Granulated eyelids is a common condition that affects the eyelids. Often referred to as blepharitis, granulated eye lids is a common problem in both adults and children. Blepharitis is an inflammation and sometimes an infection of the eyelids and lashes. It is the most common complication of ocular rosacea. The extent to which the blepharitis affects some people depends on the type of blepharitis..Blepharitis can be considered anterior blepharitis, affecting the outside of the eyelid and eyelashes or posterior blepharitis, affecting the meibomian or oil glands of the eyelid. This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing. See Photo Blepharitis. DermNet / CC BY-NC-ND Anterior Blepharitis Anterior blepharitis can be caused by poor hygiene. When the bacterial load begins to grow, it can collect in the crevices and folds on our eyelids. If our hygiene is poor, the bacteria grow more, causing inflammation, redness and flaky or crusty discharge. Blepharitis associated with poor hygiene is more common children and teens. Seborrheic dermatitis, acne rosacea and allergic reactions to chemicals are also causes of blepharitis. Another important cause is demodex. Demodex is an eyelash mite that infests the eyelid margins and eyelashes. As we get older, demodex tends to hang around a little longer and proliferates. When blepharitis becomes more chronic, the eyelids become red, thicker and roughened in appearance and thus, more granulated in appearance. Although, this can occur in children, it is more common in elderly patients and patients who have ocular rosacea. Posterior Blepharitis Posterior blepharitis refers to meibomian gland dysfunction. The eyelids are lined with meibomian glands. These glands secret a type of oil that contributes to the stability and quality of your tears. Without the oily layer of the tears, your tears will evaporate quickly. When people have this problem, they have evaporative dry eye syndrome. People who have meibomian gland dysfunction can also develop granulated eye lids. Their eyelids typically appear thickened, swollen and usually have a red rimmed appearance. They also developed oily, waxy meibomian caps along their eyelid margin. Treating Blepharitis Treatment of granulated eyelids encompasses many different remedies. The most common way of reducing the signs and symptoms are to apply very warm compresses to the eyelids. Not only does it bring comfort to the patient suffering from blepharitis, it also brings blood flow to the area to speed healing and can physically "melt" the hardened or impacted eyelids glands. Warm compresses also generally reduce itchiness and pain. Many doctors also prescribe artificial tears, antibiotic ointments and various eyelids scrubs. In certain cases when the condition can be stubborn, oral antibiotics pills are prescribed anywhere from 7 days up to several months. A Word From VeryWell Some people who suffer from granulated eyelids may also develop a stye, also referred to as hordeolum from time to time. A stye can be confused with a chalazion, which is a blocked gland in the eyelid. These are not infected and are usually not painful, although they are treated the same as a stye with warm compresses. An internal stye arises from the gland of Zeis or Moll, while an external stye comes from an infected meibomian gland. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Fromstein SR, Harthan JS, Patel J, Opitz DL. blepharitis: clinical perspectives. Clin Optom (Auckl). 2018;10:57-63. doi: 10.2147/OPTO.S142708 Putnam CM. Diagnosis and management of blepharitis: an optometrist's perspective. Clin Optom (Auckl). 2016;8:71-78. doi:10.2147/OPTO.S84795 Lindsley K, Matsumura S, Hatef E, Akpek EK. Interventions for chronic blepharitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;(5):CD005556. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD005556.pub2