Your eyelids play an essential part in maintaining clear vision; unfortunately, however, they are also susceptible to many different kinds of problems which can cause pain, discomfort and even vision loss.

Blepharitis is a chronic inflammation of the lids, typically leading to itching, red eyes, gritty sensation, crusty eyelids and sometimes even styes or chalazia. Usually caused by poor eyelid hygiene but could also result from allergies or conditions like rosacea.

Blepharitis

Blepharitis is a noncontagious, treatable condition characterized by red, swollen eyelids and flaky skin around your eyes. While it can affect people of all ages, its impact isn’t contagious and its treatment highly effective.

Blephritis typically stems from issues with your eyelid oil glands (meibomian), which produce natural oils for your lashes. It can also be brought on by seborrheic dermatitis, dandruff or any skin conditions which make eyelashes itchy or flaky.

Swelling of the eyelid is a very common condition and may lead to other eyelid conditions like styes (hordeolum) or chalazia, contributing to dry eye syndrome as well as making eyelashes fall out or become brittle and falling out prematurely. Furthermore, itching of the lid may occur along with burning sensations in some instances.

Your eyelids contain oil glands which help keep the cornea (the clear covering over your front eyeball) hydrated and healthy, but sometimes these oil glands become blocked, leading to redness and inflammation in your eyelids. Blepharitis can typically be treated by gently washing face and eyelids with no-tears baby shampoo, over-the-counter dandruff shampoo, applying warm compresses to loosen crust and treating any other underlying conditions that may be contributing to symptoms.

An effective strategy to combat blepharitis involves regularly using an OTC eyelid wipe that targets Demodex mites – one of the main sources of inflammation for many. Once removed, these parasitic mites will significantly decrease swollen eyelids and itching. Furthermore, avoiding products which might irritate ocular surfaces will further aid management of your symptoms.

Entropion

Entropion, in which the lower eyelid (and sometimes, upper) turns inward and rubs against the cornea surface, causing irritation, itching and light sensitivity. It may even result in corneal damage and vision loss. Causes include congenital factors, muscle weakness, chronic use of topical medications or burns to the eye.

This condition is more prevalent among older patients due to natural aging processes that weaken muscles and ligaments surrounding their eyes, or from injuries or scarring caused by conditions like Stevens – Johnson Syndrome, burn scarring from trachoma or other diseases, scarring due to burns, or scars from burn injuries.

Importantly, it is critical that this problem be properly diagnosed and treated to avoid further damage to the corneal surface and alleviate discomfort caused by itching, scratching or foreign material in the eye. Eye drops or ointments that lubricate corneal surfaces and conjunctiva often provide temporary relief of symptoms.

Surgery to reposition lids to their normal positions is the preferred treatment, typically performed under local anesthesia and monitored sedation. Tightening muscle may be needed in order to correct turning in of lower eyelids and protect cornea from further injury; for some patients temporarily fixing this problem may involve applying skin friendly tape or Botulinum Toxin temporarily relieving symptoms by relaxing eyelid muscles temporarily; these treatments can be combined for long-term relief.

Ectropion

Ectropion is a condition in which your eyelid turns outward, more commonly in the lower lid and often causing significant irritation. This condition occurs due to lack of tone in delicate muscles that hold your lid taut against your eyeball, leading to its outward rotation, leading to excessive tearing, dust, dirt and other substances irritating the cornea and leading to red eyes as a result. Left untreated it can damage vision permanently.

Ectropion can usually be detected with a comprehensive eye and eyelid exam, usually without special tests being necessary; however, sometimes a Schirmer test may be administered in order to measure how many tears drain off from your eyelids.

Ectropion comes in three forms; involutional (natural), scarring and paralytic. Of these types, involutional is most prevalent and usually results from natural age-related changes, leading to loosening of your lower eyelid. Other causes may include injury, burns or skin disease causing scarring as well as facial nerve palsy like Bell’s Palsy which leads to paralytic ectropion.

Ectropion can be corrected through a simple outpatient procedure to tighten your lower eyelids, using local anesthesia if necessary. Recurrences will need to be monitored, though often just one procedure will correct the condition. If your lower eyelids are causing tearful, sagging and other symptoms then contact an eye care provider immediately for treatment options.

Hordeola/Styes

A stye is an eyelid infection caused by bacteria. External and internal styes differ significantly – an external is an infection at the base of an eyelash hair follicle and might look similar to a pimple, while an internal is found within meibomian glands located beneath and inside of lid.

Styes are generally benign and will usually clear on their own; in more serious cases, however, a physician may need to drain it in order to clear it away. If you suspect you have one, avoid touching it with your fingers and use warm compresses as a pain relief method while encouraging drainage of any pus that accumulates beneath. As part of good hand hygiene practices, such as regularly washing hands with soap and using alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and not sharing eye makeup or tools among family or friends. Certain people are more prone to getting styes than others. Children, people who wear contact lenses without proper washing and disinfection practices, or sharing eye makeup are particularly at risk for developing styes. People living with HIV or chronic illnesses also increase their odds.

If you continue to experience styes, speak with your physician about prescribing antibiotic ointments or draining at their office or clinic as treatment options. A stye left untreated could worsen and progress into orbital cellulitis – a potentially life-threatening infection which spreads around the eyeball causing blurry vision or loss of sight if untreated.

Chalazia

A chalazion is an enlarged bump on your eyelid. It typically forms when one or more meibomian glands become blocked up, producing oil which forms part of the outer layer of tears. While resembling a stye, chalazion is not infectious as it’s actually a slow-growing cyst without live bacteria and should generally not cause pain; however, large ones may lead to blurred vision if left unchecked for too long and should never be touched as this could potentially lead to internal hordeolum or cellulitis which could even more serious consequences such as internal hordeolum or cellulitis!

If your chalazion doesn’t respond to home care, call or schedule an appointment online with Beraja Medical Institute of Coral Gables immediately – our staff has extensive experience diagnosing and treating eyelid bumps.

Chalazion symptoms vary among patients, with most people reporting painless lumps on either their upper or lower eyelid. They’re not caused by infection but instead result from one or more meibomian oil glands becoming blocked and failing to release an oily substance to keep tears from evaporating too quickly; when this process stops working correctly they stop doing their job effectively and create lumps that remain.

Though chalazion does not contain living bacteria, it can attract it and lead to further blockages. To reduce further complications and keep rubbing your eyes clear of debris and washing your hands frequently can help. Warm compresses may help soften hardened oils blocking ducts so they can drain freely again while in more serious cases antibiotics or minor surgery may be required for removal of growths.