Guide · blepharitis
Can blepharitis cause blurry vision, double vision, or worse?
Blurry vision that clears when you blink is one of the most common things blepharitis does. It is unsettling, and it is almost always fixable. Here is what is happening, and the few signs that need seeing today.
Blurry vision: yes, often
Inflamed lids upset the tear film, and the tear film is the first surface light passes through. When it breaks up, vision smears, especially on a screen or reading, then clears when you blink. It comes and goes through the day. That pattern is the tear film, not your eyes failing.
Double vision: usually not true double vision
Blepharitis can cause a ghosting or a faint second image in one eye, again from an uneven tear film, which clears with blinking. True double vision, where you see two of everything with both eyes open and it goes when you cover one eye, is not blepharitis. That needs seeing the same day.
Can it damage your sight?
Rarely, and only when it has been left inflamed for a long time. Long-standing inflammation can irritate the clear front of the eye, and in a small number of people it scars. That is uncommon, and treating the lids properly prevents it.
Is it contagious?
No. You cannot catch blepharitis from someone or give it to them. Use your own towel and flannel, mainly to keep your own lids clean.
When to be seen today
A red and painful eye, sensitivity to light, a sudden drop in vision, or true double vision. Our urgent eye care is free if you are registered with a local GP.
The three types of dry eye, and what we do for each
Most people are told “you’ve got dry eyes” and handed drops. But there are three different causes, and each needs something different. Most people have a mix.
Blocked oil glands: meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD)
In one large study, 86% of people with dry eye had signs of this. Along the edge of your eyelids are tiny glands, about 30 in the top lid and 25 in the bottom, that put a thin layer of oil on your tears. When they block, your tears dry up in seconds, however much water your eyes make. It feels gritty, burning and tired, often worse on screens or by evening. Drops help for an hour, because they don’t unblock the glands.
What we do: photograph your glands so you can see them, warm and clear them in clinic, clean the lid edge, and use IPL or light therapy where it helps. Then we give you a simple routine for home.
Not enough tears
Your eyes don’t make enough of the watery part of tears. This is more common with age, some medicines, the menopause, and conditions like Sjögren’s.
What we do: measure your tear level, choose the right drops for you, and use tiny plugs to keep your own tears in where they help. We’ll write to your GP if something needs checking.
Inflamed eyelids: blepharitis, often with tiny mites called Demodex
Crusty, itchy, red lid edges, often worse in the morning.
What we do: deep-clean the lid edge in clinic, treat the mites, and show you how to keep the lids clean at home.
Not sure which one you have? That’s what the assessment is for. We look at your glands, tears and lids, and tell you which type, or which mix.
The short version
- Blur that clears with a blink is the tear film, and common
- True double vision is not blepharitis: be seen today
- Lasting damage is rare and preventable
- It is not contagious