Diagnosis for blepharitis
There is no particular test to help identify blepharitis. Here are some steps your eye care provider may take to find out if you have blepharitis and what type it is:
- Take a health history: Your health care provider will ask about symptoms and other health conditions to determine your risk factors.
- Conduct an external eyelid exam: The appearance of your eyelids and intensity of reddening, discharge and swelling will help determine the type and severity.
- Take cultures of discharge: Your doctor will take a swab of eyelid secretion and send it to the lab to determine its contents, and what type of bacteria may be present in it as well as quantity.
- Conduct an eyelash exam: Evaluating eyelashes under a microscope can detect mites.
- A tear test: A sample of tears can determine if a dry eye is a contributing factor.
- Perform an eyelid biopsy: Rarely, your provider may need to do a biopsy to rule out skin cancer or other abnormal cells. Your eye care provider will numb your lid with local anesthetic. Then they’ll use a needle to take a sample of cells to examine under a microscope. You may bruise, but you’re not likely to have a scar.