I have noticed my own patients who suffer from this inflamma- tory condition usually complain of itchiness, redness, flaking, and crusting of the eyelids. I find that it affects both children and adults alike, and is common in all ethnic groups, across all ages. Debris de- posits on the eyelids, lashes, and sensitive skin around the eye con- tain microorganisms; this, in turn, causes irritation, inflammation and sometimes serious infection. Traditionally, it has been man- aged in many ways, ranging from warm compresses to dabbing baby shampoo on the eyelid where the redness and soreness occurs. I recall a 63-year-old male patient who was ready to have his cataract removed, but had a chronic form of this disease. We discussed that the bacteria from the lids can in- crease the risk of serious infection aſter cataract surgery. Conven- tional treatments such as warm compresses, over the counter drops, and cleaning the lids with baby shampoo, can sometimes ex- acerbate symptoms. is regimen is oſten difficult for patients to fol- low the routine and sometimes the symptoms do not go away quickly. So, I have found a new approach: using Avenova. Avenova is an easy and quick solution that utilizes Neutrox™, a pure 0.01% concentra- tion of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) in a saline. While acid on your eyes sounds frightening (not to worry, Neutrox is completely safe) such acid is a bactericidal compo- nent of the innate immune system; it’s actually produced by your neu- trophil white blood cells to fight infection. However, when the ir- ritation and infection is severe enough, and one's own defenses are unable to do so, the engineered formulation found in Avenova is an effective solution to cleanse, re- move and protect against blepha- ritis. Packaged in a glass bottle with a spray top and dispensed onto a cotton pad or cotton round, the solution actually cleans the lashes and lid surface (periocular skin). It is non-toxic to human tissues and non-irritating. Avenova may be used twice daily: in the morning and at bedtime. In my experience it has resulted in consistently positive results with complete resolution occurring for some patients within 2 weeks. Most patients felt it is very effec- tive and report a "refreshing" feel- ing aſter application. You may not think that burning and irritated eyes are so debilitat- ing, but they can be. One of my pa- tients, a 70-year-old man, was quite active in his retirement. Some of his activities included reading and woodworking - both which relied upon his eyesight without any distractions or other irritations. He suffered from chronic blepha- ritis. It had gotten so bad that he couldn't engage in his favorite hobbies. When he came into my One of the most common ailments my patients complain of is an irri- tation and burning feeling in their eyes. Typically this is near the eyelid margins at the root of the eyelash- es - a gathering ground for micro- bial deposits that cause a condi- tion known as blepharitis. ere is a new treatment solution, a cleanser called Avenova™ that seems to be extremely effective and an excellent alternative to tra- ditional methods of care. Blepharitis, a common condition causing inflammation of the eye- lids, can affect the inside or out- side of the eyelids, and is challeng- ing to manage as it recurs. Over 23 million people suffer from it and over one third of those who walk into an Optometrist’s or an Oph- thalmologist’s office, complain of blepharitis. Next Page Alice T. Epitropoulos, MD GOOD NEWS FOR TIRED, IRRITATED EYES