Rosacea is a popular problem for thousands of Americans. It is a chronic skin condition affecting the face. The symptoms are red flushed cheeks, tiny spider veins on the nose and cheeks. Rosacea is often a hereditary condition that results in a lot of inflammation. High percentage of people with facial rosacea will develop ocular rosacea at some point in their life.
Experts estimate that betwee
1 to 10 people out of a hundred will experience some form of rosacea in their lifetime. This condition, which affects the cheeks, chin, and nose, can also affect they eyes.
Ocular rosacea is a condition that causes inflammation of the eyes. Burning, itching, and redness are common symptoms for those who suffer with ocular rosacea. In fact, ocular rosacea can occur before other rosacea symptoms develop.
Mainly found in adults betwee
30 to 50 years of age, this condition seems to be prevalent in those who blush or flush easily. Unfortunately, there is no known cure for ocular rosacea, but there are measures that can be taken to relieve the uncomfortable symptoms. Particular medications along with a consistent, good eye-care routine can often help control the signs and symptoms of ocular rosacea.
Symptoms of Ocular Rosacea
Since the symptoms of ocular rosacea often appear before facial rosacea, many sufferers do not realize that their uncomfortable eye symptoms are caused from ocular rosacea. Some common symptoms of ocular rosacea include:
• Red eyes
• Burning or stinging eyes
• Itchy and dry eyes
• Blurred vision
• Redness
• Swollen eyelids
• Excessive tearing
• Light sensitivity
These are also the same symptoms for chronic dry eyes. A trip to the ophthalmologist can determine if those dry, burning, itchy, red eyes are caused from ocular rosacea or another cause. For those who have been diagnosed with skin rosacea, periodic eye exams should be done to check for ocular rosacea.
Causes of Ocular Rosacea
No known cause for ocular rosacea occurs. However, there are several factors that may be linked to ocular rosacea, including:
• Heredity
• Eyelash mites
• Blocked eyelid glands
• Bacteria
• Environment
If a patient suffers from ocular rosacea, several factors can aggravate the condition, such as:
• Hot or spicy food
• Alcohol
• Wind, sunlight, or extreme temperatures
• Stress, anger, embarrassment or other emotions that would cause a patient to flush or blush
• Strenuous exercise
• Saunas
• Hot baths or showers
• Certain medicines that dilate blood vessels or cortisone creams
Those who have ocular rosacea may or may not have skin rosacea. The two are not symbiotic. Women and men are equally at risk of developing ocular rosacea. If someone blushes easily, they may be more likely to develop ocular rosacea symptoms.
Complications of Ocular Rosacea - Blepharitis
Rosacea and Ocular Rosacea both results in a lot of inflammation. Inflammation in turn shuts down tear secretion glands and result in both Blepharitis and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (clogged Meibomian oil glands) Affecting the cornea, ocular rosacea can lead to corneal complications, inflammation of the eyelids, and may ultimately lead to vision loss. If the eyes are dry due to a lack of tears, other uncomfortable symptoms can surface, such as blepharitis.
Blepharitis is an inflammation of the eyelids. Both eyelids are usually affected and is located where the eyelashes grow. Tiny oil glands are located near the base of the eyelashes. If these glands become clogged, the eyes become red and irritated. Although not contagious, blepharitis is difficult to treat.
Symptoms Shared betwee
Ocular Rosacea and Blepharitis
Blepharitis shares some common symptoms with
ocular rosacea. These include:
• Gritty, burning, or stinging eyes
• Red and swollen eyelids
• Light sensitivity
• Itchy eyelids
• Watery eyes
In addition to these shared symptoms, blepharitis symptoms can also include:
• Greasy eyelids
• Skin flaking around the eyes
• Crusted eyelashes after sleeping
• Sticking eyelids
• Abnormally/misdirected eyelash growth
• Loss of eyelashes
Finding Relief for Ocular Rosacea and Blepharitis
For patients looking for a natural way to decrease the symptoms of ocular rosacea and blepharitis, TheraLife provides an entire line of products that help the body heal the eyes from the inside out. Addressing the fundamental cause of dry eyes, TheraLife goes right to the source of the problem: underactive tear secretion.
TheraLife.com promotes the production of the body’s own natural healing tears. Once the body is able to naturally make tears, painful inflammation and dryness disappear. Eye drops only mask the problem, medicines can be expensive and ineffective, and surgery can be painful. As a leader in chronic dry eye relief, TheraLife addresses the root cause of painful eyes with only natural products. To learn more about their products, visit
https://www.theralife.com/products/.