Ever wake up in the morning with itchy, gritty eyes?

If so, you might be suffering from a common malady called blepharitis.

I’d never heard of blepharitis before getting a diagnosis for it the other day.

So what the heck is it?

Blepharitis is inflamed eyelids that feature crusting along the eyelashes and a burning or gritty sensation in your eyes.

Eyelid redness and swelling often accompany these symptoms, all of which can be caused by bacteria.

An artistic rendition of blepharitis from my optometrist’s office

There are other possible causes, including clogged or malfunctioning oil glands at the base of your eyelids, demodex mites that live on eyelash follicles, and a skin condition called seborrheic dermatitis (which can also cause dandruff on your scalp and eyebrows).

Fortunately, the treatment for blepharitis, regardless of cause, is drop-dead simple.

Just clean your eyelids!

If you’re like most people, you hardly ever do that.

It’s a pretty simple process – just get some “lid scrubs” from your local drug store, which are square-shaped wipes that contain hypochlorous acid.

Yes, it’s a chemical, but IMO not one to obsess over, as it effectively removes debris, oil, pollen, and other contaminants from your eyelids.

What you do is wipe one of these scrubs across your eyelids horizontally a few times.

(With your eyes closed, of course.)

If you’re loathe to use lid scrubs, you can also make your own eyelid cleaner (50% baby shampoo and 50% water).

What you do is apply this solution with a Q-tip (as in lid scrubs, you wipe them over your eyelids horizontally, with your eyes closed).

If you go the homemade route, make sure you follow the above procedure by rinsing your eyelids thoroughly with a clean, wet washcloth.

Whether you use lid scrubs or make your own eyelid cleaner, you should also apply most heat to your eyes.

The best time to do this is right before cleaning your eyelids, as that will dampen any eyelid crusts and make oily debris easier to wipe away.

What I use is a microwaveable heating pad, which I stick in a microwave for a minute or so. Then I place it over my closed eyes (which I cover with a protective sleep mask beforehand).

After leaving it on for a few minutes, I applying the lip scrub procedure.

You can also use a warm, wet washcloth.

So, besides cleaning your eyelids regularly, how do you prevent blepharitis?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, a good practice is to make sure your diet includes plenty of omega-3 oils, which the Clinic says will help your eye glands work better.

Good omega-3 sources include fish, krill, and flax seed oil. Grass-fed beef, wild-caught salmon, and pastured chicken are also good sources.

Another strategy is to lessen your exposure to dust and chemicals (a challenge in this polluted world of ours).

And finally, it’s a good idea to avoid eye makeup, as all the goop it contains can clog your eyelid oil glands.

Bottom line – if you wake up with itchy, gritty eyes, you’d be wise to start treating them… because if you ignore the problem, you could end up with conjunctivitis (pink eye), corneal ulcers, or styes.

Who needs any of that, right?

So much for this week.

Lashing out at eye problems,

Doug Fogel, Publisher, Natural Wealth, Natural Health