Blepharitis is swelling of the eyelid that can flare up randomly over time. It can make the eyelid burn and feel sore. Dry eye and excess tears may also happen. It may make you sensitive to light and cause blurry vision as well.

It is treated with warm compresses and medicine. Some people turn to natural treatments to natural therapies to ease discomfort. It should only be used with standard treatment.

Natural Therapies

May Be Effective

These therapies may help ease eye swelling and discomfort:

  • Omega-3 fatty acid is a healthy fat that has been used to ease swelling and help the body slow damage to cells. A3
  • Tea tree oil is an essential oil that can be gently scrubbed on the eye. A2

Not Enough Data to Assess

Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.

Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.

Herbs and Supplements to Be Used With Caution

Talk to your doctor about any supplements or therapy you would like to use. Some can interfere with treatment or make conditions worse.

References

Herbs and Supplements

REFA1 Yalҫin E, Altin F, et al. N-acetylcysteine in chronic blepharitis. Cornea. 2002;21(2):164-168.

REFA2 Koo H, Kim TH, et al. Ocular surface discomfort and Demodex: effect if tea tree oil eyelid scrub in Demodex blepharitis. J Korean Med Sci. 2012;27(12):1574-1579.

REFA3 Oleñik A, Jiménez-Alfaro I, et al. A randomized, double-masked study to evaluate the effect of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation in meibomian gland dysfunction. Clin Interv Aging. 2013;8:1133-1138.

REFA4 Lindsley K, Matsumura S, et al. Interventions for chronic blepharitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012 May 16;(5):CD005556.

REFA5 Gaby AR. Nutritional therapies for ocular disorders: Part Three. Altern Med Rev. 2008 Sep;13(3):191-204.

Revision Information

  • Reviewer: EBSCO NAT Review Board Eric Hurwitz, DC
  • Review Date: 11/2019
  • Update Date: 05/20/2020