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What Causes A Swollen Eyelid, And How Is It Treated?
A cool compress or tea bag over your eye may help relieve swelling in your eyelid, while a saline rinse can help clear away crust and discharge. If the swelling doesn't improve within a few days, a doctor can recommend treatment based on the cause.
A swollen or puffy eyelid often goes away within 1 day.
You can reduce the swelling with compresses, but how you treat a swollen eyelid can also depend on its cause. Causes can range from fluid retention to infection.
If your eyelids are painful or tender to the touch, the cause is likely an infection. Determining the cause of your swollen eyelid is important, as treatment options depend on what caused it.
Pink eye is the result of a bacterial, viral, or allergic infection that causes inflammation on the surface of your eye. It can start from one eye and spread to both. Pus or a sticky coating will often appear on the eyelashes and corners of the eyes.
TreatmentYou can clean the sticky and crusty eyelids with warm water and cotton. The eye may get better on its own without treatment, although it may take up to 2 to 3 weeks. During this time, avoid touching your eyes and keep your pillowcases clean.
You'll also want to stop using eye cosmetics and contact lenses.
If your upper or lower eyelid is swollen, it could be from a chalazion or a stye. A chalazion typically causes a bump in the eyelid with localized swelling around the edge of the eyelid. A chalazion that has not ruptured is generally painless.
A stye can occur on the outside or inside of the eyelid and often results from an infection. A stye is typically painful.
Both may become red or inflamed.
It can take a few weeks to clear, and some develop into a hard bump.
TreatmentYou can use a warm compress to bring relief and promote healing. The warmth can help with oil secretion and blockage. You can do this three to five times a day.
On occasion, a doctor may recommend prescription eye drops or ointments. If the chalazion continues to linger, the doctor can perform an in-office procedure to drain it.
Avoid using makeup while you have a chalazion or stye. Consider also replacing your makeup brushes or other tools to prevent reinfection.
An infection of the skin is called cellulitis. In periorbital or orbital cellulitis, the skin around your eye will become red and may hurt. You may need antibiotics to relieve this swelling.
Cellulitis symptoms that indicate the need for emergency treatment include:
Your eyelid may become swollen for various reasons. These may include:
Some medical conditions can also cause symptoms of a swollen eye or eyelid. They include Graves' disease and — in rare cases — eye cancer.
TreatmentYou can treat swollen eyelids at home, especially if they result from noninfectious causes, such as fluid retention or allergies. If those are possible causes, the swelling tends to occur in both eyes.
If your puffy eyes are due to allergies, you can use antihistamine eye drops. For severe allergic reactions, you may need prescription eye drops. Oral antihistamines can also help.
In some cases, you may want to make an appointment with an eye care professional or visit an immediate care center if the swelling is severe, is accompanied by concerning symptoms, or lasts longer than 24 to 48 hours.
Depending on the cause, swollen eyelids take a few days to several weeks to clear up.
Be sure to stay indoors when you can if allergies are the cause. If your swollen eyelids are due to crying, try washing your face before bed.
Some people prefer to seek medical treatment immediately to get an accurate diagnosis and, if necessary, antibiotics or another treatment. If your bump or swelling is severe, gets worse, or does not start to improve after 1 week, you may need medical attention.
Emergency symptomsSee a doctor immediately if your swollen eyelids are accompanied by these symptoms:
Certain conditions that cause a swollen eyelid require medical attention.
Cancers of the eye and orbital socket are rare, but they may cause the eye to push forward, making it seem like the eyelid is swollen when it's actually tissue congestion from the cancer.
If you have diabetes and experience eye issues, you may need medical care or a medical professional to make changes to your treatment plan.
Other symptoms to watch out forOnly a doctor can diagnose what's causing your eyelid to swell. However, it may help if you can note:
The following includes common questions about swollen eyes and how to treat them.
Why is my upper eyelid swollen?Your upper eyelid may swell due to pink eye (conjunctivitis), orbital cellulitis, a chalazion or stye, allergies, or an injury, among other causes. Other symptoms you experience, such as itching, pain, redness, or vision changes, may help identify the cause.
How long does it take for a swollen eyelid to go away?The time it takes for a swollen eyelid to get better can depend on the cause and how quickly you get treatment. It may take between 1 day and a few weeks. Some infections may require prescription medications to resolve.
How do you shrink a swollen eyelid?You may reduce eyelid swelling by applying a cold compress, such as a clean, wet washcloth, over your eyes. You can also try moist, chilled tea bags containing caffeine to help with inflammation.
How do you get rid of a swollen eye fast?You may be able to relieve a swollen eye with home remedies, including applying a cold compress to reduce swelling. Depending on the cause, though, a swollen eye may take days or weeks to heal.
If your swollen eyelid does not gradually improve, or if your symptoms worsen, consider contacting an eye care professional.
If you have an infection, you may need medical attention to help your symptoms go away.
Some home remedies may soothe a swollen eyelid. This can include a cold compress or saline rinse.
If the swelling doesn't improve or worsens after a few days, a doctor can recommend treatment based on the cause.
What Is A Chalazion? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, And Prevention
To help the cysts heal, doctors recommend applying warm compresses to the affected eyelid for 10 to 15 minutes, 3 to 5 times a day. (2) "The warm compresses kind of 'melt' that oil and allow it to drain through," says Mehta.
You can also try to help the chalazion drain by gently massaging the eyelid for several minutes a day; but never try to push, squeeze, or "pop" the cyst. (8)
Medication OptionsDoctors do not typically treat chalazions with systemic medication, like oral antibiotics. But sometimes a chalazion can prompt an inflammatory reaction or become infected, says Mehta. "Depending on the diagnosis, we will treat it with a topical steroid or antibiotic, or an antibiotic/steroid combination ointment or drop," she says.
Alternative and Complementary TherapiesThe best treatment for a chalazion is a clean, warm, moist washcloth placed over the closed eyes a few times a day. Some people use warm tea bags, but there is no evidence that this is any better than the recommended warm washcloth. (9)
Good hygiene can help reduce your chances of developing chalazia: (8)
How To Diagnose And Treat The Most Common Eye Conditions In Children
Eye illnesses are tricky to treat in children. They can be stubborn like blocked tear ducts, highly infectious like conjunctivitis, and at times painful like a stye. Dr Sam Hay explains some of the common conditions parents need to know about.
Eyes are our gateway to the world, which means they're precious, and need a lot of protection.
As a parent, it can often be hard to work out what's going on, but most importantly – what you can do to avoid a potentially unnecessary trip to the doctor.
Infective ConjunctivitisThe old pink eye!
Second only to hand-foot-and-mouth disease as the most annoying daycare infection! Parents hate conjunctivitis, and I don't blame them. Once your precious one has it, most of the other kids in daycare have already been infected - which makes days of exclusion all the more frustrating. But it's still vitally important to keep them home until it's settled, as it's a highly contagious infection, which can be caught more than once in quick succession!
There are two main types of infective conjunctivitis: viral and bacterial. Regardless of the cause, the whites of the eyes become inflamed with the blood vessels becoming obvious; and the lining of the eye - the conjunctiva - swells up. The eye will also produce lots of discharge.
Either way, infections spread super easily, and parents remember - you're not immune! Wash your hands after every time you touch your kids.
So how do you manage conjunctivitis?Early conjunctivitis can often be knocked on the head with early and frequent flushing with salty water - saline or artificial tears. You can use a dropper/little bottle, or wipe the eyes with saline soaked cotton balls - but be sure to make sure the saline is flushing in and around the conjunctiva. If things don't settle, check in with your GP about whether you may need antibiotic drops. Antibiotic ointments may be used, but they're messy and can cause more blurry vision - which is annoying for adults.
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Irritant or allergic conjunctivitisAllergens such as pollens, dust mites, and grasses can trigger an allergic conjunctivitis reaction. Chemicals such as chlorine can cause direct irritation to the eye - irritant conjunctivitis – what you get after long days in the family pool. Regardless, both are setting up the same type of inflammation of the conjunctiva as the infection. Discharge tends to be clear and teary, rather than thick and snotty.
Symptoms will be chronic and fluctuate with allergen triggers, and more situation-dependent with irritant triggers. Either way, if parents can identify the trigger, avoidance will go a long way to managing symptoms. Once again flushing the eyes regularly will be the mainstay of therapy, but when allergic conjunctivitis becomes chronic, specific anti-allergy eye drops can work a treat, plus even a daily antihistamine tablet.
If issues persist, then a check-up with an eye doctor could help, or visit to an allergist to try and narrow down the triggers. Get a check-up with your GP for assistance.
Blocked tear ductParents panic with any eye issue that pops up for their baby - and I'm one of them. I'll never forget dragging the pediatrician in from the Opera when my first was a mere five days old for what I was convinced was a whopping case of conjunctivitis. Only for him to sigh, smile sweetly, and explain it was merely a blocked tear duct!
The tear duct is designed to drain excess tears from the eye into the nose. But in bubs, it's ridiculously narrow, so it can easily block up with dust, dirt, and the natural oils from their tears. As the blockage progresses, the thick sticky oily mess will collect along the edges of the eyelids, may smear across the eyeball, and even dry out causing the eyelids to stick shut. The big thing that sets it apart from conjunctivitis is that the whites of the eye aren't infected and inflamed, so there's no spreading redness around the eyelids.
Now it's really important to reassure parents that blocked tear ducts are super common, and super easy to manage. Flush the eye out every hour or two with breast milk or warm salty water - even plain water will do. Then 'massage' the tear duct by firmly rubbing the pad of your fifth finger down the side of the nose from the corner of the eye. This pushes any blockage down into the nose. But don't be alarmed if more of the sticky stuff seems to spill out - simply clean this up.
Tip: Be careful of too much rubbing around the eye as it may irritate baby's delicate eyelid skin. A light fragrance free moisturiser can help - but make sure you don't get it in their eyes.
Bags under the eyesIt's common for parents to complain of their kids having 'panda eyes' - dark circles under the lower lids, which can often appear swollen. Usually, parents are after my stern explanation for their kids that they need more sleep, but I'm sorry - they're rarely caused by tiredness.
Bags under the eyes are most commonly associated with chronic nasal congestion, and the biggest cause of that is allergies. Big adenoids and swollen nasal passages lead to subtle blockages in the blood vessels around the nose and under the eyes. This causes them to swell up, so what you're actually seeing is the dark colour of the blood vessels under the skin. Secondly, they can run in families, so if you had them, your kids are more likely to.
Saline flushing for the nose and getting on top of any allergies will be the best management.
RELATED: Do kids need a COVID-19 test every time they're sick?
Lumps on the eyelidThe two most common causes of a lump on the eyelid can be really confusing for patients to tell apart.
StyeA stye is effectively a pimple of the eyelashes. At the base of the hair follicles are small oil glands that can become blocked, and even infected. They swell up to become hot and red, often with a 'head' of pus like a pimple.
Using old cosmetics, or not removing eye makeup efficiently can increase your risk, as can a poor diet. Warm compresses may ease the discomfort, as can 'plucking' out any associated eyelashes. They rarely need drainage, but your GP may prescribe some antibiotic ointment to help settle any infection. Look out for redness around the eye as that could be a sign of spreading infection - but more on that later.
ChalazionA chalazion is a lump that forms on the eyelid when the glands that produce tears block up. Located underneath the eyelid they can be felt as a firm little lump, that becomes more red and inflamed as they swell.
Sitting right on the eyeball they can be very annoying, giving the sensation that there's always something caught under the eyelid. The gland ducts become blocked with hardened oil, so warm compresses and massage are the best treatment. This helps the ducts to drain and reduce in size.
It's an oily substance in the gland, warm compresses and gentle massage will soften and release the blockage. Occasionally they get infected and need antibiotic ointments, and if they persist or become very painful an ophthalmologist may need to cut them out. They're more common in people with other inflammatory conditions like blepharitis, rosacea, or seborrhoeic dermatitis 'cradle cap'.
How to make a warm compress:
RELATED: The eyes have it: all about your baby's eyes and how they develop
BlepharitisBlepharitis is a condition that arises from inflammation of the eyelid margin, leading to dryness, clumping, or stickiness. The edge of the eyelid around the base of the eyelashes often looks crusty, and inflamed, and is invariably itchy and irritated. Patients often complain of their eyes feeling dry, and a sensation something is caught under the eyelid. Whilst it can effect your kids, it's mums and dads that suffer the most.
The inflammation in blepharitis is not always identified, but there are a few underlying linked issues:
Blepharitis is managed with lubricating eye drops to ease the dryness; plus regular warm compresses, and gentle washing with baby shampoo to break down the crusts (and to clear any mites). It's important to practice good eyelid care in blepharitis, as it can lead to corneal damage, plus it can increase your susceptibility to styes and chalazions. For stubborn and chronic cases antibiotic or other medicated drops are needed – your GP will help get you off to an ophthalmologist.
So if an issue pops up with your eyes, jump straight into some flushing and warm compresses – because that's likely to manage many conditions. But if symptoms progress, see your doctor for a check-up, as we don't want to miss anything serious.
Originally published as How to diagnose and treat the most common eye conditions in children
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