Red and Irritated Eyes

Sometimes the eyes feel are red in the mornings and they feel irritated.  In the picture below the patient has a lot of debris in their tear film, the eyes are a little red, and there are clogged glands on the lid margin.  This is called meibomianitis.  This is a chronic condition that comes from overpopulation of the normal bacteria in the eyelid because of glands having a tendency to clog.  Treatment ranges from hot compresses (rubbing the eyes well with a very hot cloth a few times a day) to doxycycline pills on a long term basis.  Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation may also help. When the eye becomes very inflammed to where it causes light sensitivity and pain, we have to use combination antibiotic/steroid drops.