Blepharitis: How to Treat of Swollen Eyelids From Laptop Screen — Expert Advice

Eye doctors have a message for every one of us: Don’t forget to blink. 

The novel coronavirus has correlated with surprising side effects, like increased instances of body acne (from all that sitting) and social media showed many people decided to dye their hair pink (from all that sitting around bored). Around the Allure virtual office, we’ve also noted instances of mysteriously swollen and irritated eyelids. And according to the experts, we’re not alone.

“People tend to take their eyes for granted until there’s a problem,” says Monica Dweck, a board-certified ophthalmologist in New York City, and an associate professor of dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. 

Since the pandemic has people spending more time at home, she’s noticed a rise in one of those problems called blepharitis, or the swelling of the eyelids. Blepharitis manifests as inflammation of the eyelids, which can also include flaky or crusty eyelids or eyelashes, as well as redness, itching, or burning around the eyes and lids. The experts helped us break down what exactly blepharitis is — and why it may be more likely to creep up on you during stay-at-home orders.

What causes blepharitis?

Blepharitis has a range of causes, including contact or irritant dermatitis, allergic reactions, drug-induced swelling, systemic vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels), cluster headaches, or even “something as simple as swelling due to eating too much salt,” says Flora Kim, a board-certified dermatologist in Dallas. Improper removal of eye makeup can also “lead dramatically” to swollen lids, according to Dweck.

Dry eyes can also lead to swollen eyelids, which means one reason for a potential uptick of blepharitis this year is the increased amount of time spent in front of screens. “There’s a very strong association with blepharitis and dry eye symptoms during this pandemic,” says Dweck. “People are using screens more — Zoom conferencing, computer screens, reading or watching more television, looking at their phone, looking at their tablets. When people are performing these concentrated activities, we call these ‘visually attentive tasks,’ they tend not to blink.”

Blinking is what moisturizes the front of the eye, so when you don’t blink, tears can dry more quickly, leading to dry eye problems like swollen lids.