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At OCLI, we often see patients who come to use with irritated or dry eyes. We’re well prepared to take care of them at our Dry Eye Care Center, but we’re always on the lookout for new and effective treatments. One treatment for blepharitis, a potential cause of dry eye, that we’ve been finding success with is Cliradex. We’ve found it to be quite effective, and we wanted to share the news with anyone who is suffering from blepharitis or simply wants to maintain better ocular health.
Cliradex comes in wipes and a foaming solution that help clean the eyelids, eyelashes, and the skin around the eyes (we prefer the wipes). Let’s take a look at what it treats.
What is Blepharitis?
Blepharitis is a common inflammation of the eyelids and skin surrounding the eye. It’s a treatable condition, but it can be uncomfortable and irritating for those who suffer from it. Some symptoms include:
- Burning, irritated, or watery eyes
- Crusty buildup at the end of the eyelids
- The feeling that something is in your eye
- Itchy eyelids that become irritated with rubbing
- Loss of eyelashes in some cases
These symptoms are mostly caused by bacteria and microbes on the eyelids and surrounding area that feed on oils and cause damage to the ocular environment.
You may experience all of these symptoms or maybe just a few, and they might be constant, or they can come and go. Blepharitis is closely linked with dry eye, and the question of how it interacts with dry eye is still somewhat unsettled. Blepharitis often leads to dry eye, and some researchers believe that blepharitis and dry eye are both part of a single chronic eye disease. Whatever the case, blepharitis is uncomfortable, can be unsightly, and can lead to dry eye if left untreated.
How Cliradex Helps
At OCLI, we’ve been having great success treating blepharitis with Cliradex products. Those bacteria and microbes we mentioned earlier can be difficult to kill with traditional treatments. Cliradex offers wipes have had great effect in ridding the ocular environment of these problems.
Cliradex is an all-natural option that is derived from tea tree oil, and it comes in a couple different forms.
- The wipes, which we prefer, are formulated with a high concentration of T40 that’s ideal for treating blepharitis, as well as physically removing its causes.
- Cliradex Light, on the other hand, is a foaming cleanser meant for everyday ocular hygiene and less severe cases of eye irritation. The cleanser is non-irritating, preservative-free, and is appropriate for daily use.
We recommend using the wipes once a day in the morning. We inform our patients that the skin around their eyes will burn for several minutes following application. This can be quite uncomfortable. But, our patient report that their eyes feel much better as the day proceeds.
The all-natural approach–free from harsh chemicals–and the effectiveness of the treatment make Cliradex a winner in our book. Our job is to help keep your eyes healthy and your eyesight in great condition, so we thought we’d pass along the good news for anyone suffering from blepharitis. Cliradex is an over the counter product. Since it is so new, it may be difficult to find in your pharmacy. It is, however, available on Amazon.
If you want to learn more about the treatment, or about our Dry Eye Care Center, then give us a call today and we can set up an appointment for you.
