Jean wrote:
Hello

I plan, after completing university, to apply as an air force pilot. I have 20/20 vision, and I am not colour blind, but I have a chronic blepharitis condition. Will this pose an issue to become an air force pilot? Is there something I can due to remove my blepharitis?

ANSWER

Dear Jean,
Blepharitis on its own will not affect your vision but can trigger a severe dry eye condition, which is not exactly what we want to have in an airplane cockpit. Airplanes are considered the worst environment for the eyes, commercial or military. Many patients suffer from ocular dryness in airplanes and can not tolerate their contact lenses for example.
It is important therefore to treat your blepharitis. The first thing to know is that this condition is chronic. We can manage it but you will have it for all your life. Depending of the type of blepharitis, your optometrist will recommend you an appropriate treatment. If it is infectious, he will prescribe an appropriate medication. If it is seborrheic, a regular cleaning of the lids with an appropriate pH balanced solution and a massage of the lids, 2-3 times a week could do the job. If it is related to a meibomian gland dysfunction, some oral medication in addition to lid hygiene could be necessary to manage the condition. Lid hygiene should be observed for all your life since the condition is chronic, as I said. Most of the patients tend to reduce the rate of their lid massage /shampoo over time and the condition is back after several weeks.
Another point: it is also important to rule out acnea rosacea as the systemic condition trigerring blepharitis. In our modern days, this condition is under-diagnosed but affects mostly young people (20-30 y.o), especially female. (Apparently, Princess Diana suffered from it.) This is seen as a telangiectasia on the cheeks (rosacea, some blood vessels visible at the surface of the skin). Symptomatically, patient are flushing easily under the sun (even if not directly exposed), or after a drink of alcohol. They can also react to tomatos, spices, and caffeine. If this is the case, a consultation with a dermatologist is required in addition to the eye condition treatment.

Hoping that this answer will help you to fly happy,
Langis Michaud, OD, MSc, FAAO (Dipl) – Associate Professor, École d’optométrie de l’Université de Montréal