Does washing the eyes with tap water or using artificial tears cause blepharitis?

Question

Hi doctor,

I had psychosis a while ago. I washed my eyes under tap water from the sink, and also, I was using some artificial tears that did not expire but were opened and were not used for a year. Kindly tell me if there is a higher chance of getting blepharitis or blepharoconjunctivitis from tap water or using old artificial tears. Can you please help me to find the possible cause of the disease? And how should I treat this condition?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern. Blepharitis does not occur due to contamination with tap water or eye drops. It occurs because the meibomian glands, which are the oil-secreting glands of the lid, get clogged and are subsequently infected by bacteria. This occurs because of two common causes: dandruff on the scalp or the constant habit of rubbing your eyes. I would suggest eye ointment Chloramphenicol with Polymyxin B twice a day for 15 days and maintaining lid hygiene as the treatment. I am sure this would be fine.