How is blepharitis diagnosed?
How is blepharitis diagnosed?
Because blepharitis can be caused by so many conditions, it’s difficult to diagnose. There is no one test for this ailment. Here are a few steps your eye care provider may take to diagnose which disease type(s) is present.
- Health history. The provider will ask about symptoms and other health conditions to determine your risk factors.
- External eyelid exam. The appearance of the eyelids and intensity of reddening, discharge and swelling will help determine the type and severity.
- Discharge cultures. A swab of eyelid secretion sent to a lab can determine contents, including what type of bacteria is present and in what quantity.
- Tear test. A sample of tears can determine if dry eye is a contributing factor.
- Eyelash exam. Evaluating eyelashes under a microscope can detect mites.
- Eyelid biopsy. Rarely, extreme swelling may require biopsy to rule out skin cancer or other abnormal cells. The biopsy type is determined by the location of the area being tested. Your eye care provider will numb the lid with local anesthetic. Then a needle biopsy is used to take a sample of cells to be examined under the microscope. You may experience some bruising, but there is usually little or no scarring.