Eyelid pathology and management

Eyelid care and cleansing: essential for eye health

Maintaining proper eyelid hygiene is essential for eye health¹. The eyelids act as a protective barrier against environmental impurities, but inadequate hygiene can lead to the accumulation of secretions and residues, promoting inflammation and eye infections². Poor eyelid hygiene can lead to blepharitis, chalazions and styes, and a routine eyelid care routine can significantly reduce the risk of developing these common conditions.³⁻⁵

Blepharitis

Blepharitis

Blepharitis is an inflammation of the free edge of the eyelid that can spread to all eyelids. Blepharitis manifests itself as redness and swelling of the eyelid, with small crusts on the skin and at the root of the eyelashes. It often affects both eyes at once and is accompanied by eyelid pain or itching. 

Ocular signs are often associated: redness of the eye, gritty sensations, burning, itching and/or secretions³⁻⁶. Blepharitis is often caused by inflammation of the Meibomian glands, resulting in the accumulation of sebaceous secretions and promoting bacterial growth on the eyelid margins. 

  • If you're experiencing blepharitis for the first time, you should consult an ophthalmologist as soon as possible to establish the cause and treat it appropriately.
  • If you suffer from recurrent blepharitis, apply warm compresses to your closed eyes for 5 to 10 minutes at the first sign of symptoms³⁻⁶.
  • Massage and cleanse your eyelids using suitable products that are non-irritating for the eye and for the very fine skin of the eyelids: impregnated compress or gel. For an effective eyelid massage, ask your ophthalmologist for a demonstration. 
     

Blepharitis can be accompanied by dry eyes: in the event of blepharitis, it's important to protect the surface of the eye with a lubricating, moisturizing eye drop. If these first steps aren't enough, consult an ophthalmologist. 

Chalazion

Chalazion

Chalazion are the consequences of the inflammation of sebaseous gland such as Meibomian gland (deep chalazion) or Zeis gland (superficial chalazion)⁴. 

Chalazion appears as a red, hot, ball under or on the eyelid, occurring within a day or two. It may be the size of a lentil, a pea, or sometimes an olive. The chalazion may be on the outer side of the eyelid, and therefore easily visible, but it can also be on the inner side: seen from the outside, the eyelid is simply red and swollen, and you have to turn the eyelid inside out to see the chalazion⁴⁻⁷⁻⁸. 
Chalazion can cause impaired vision or discomfort and can become inflammated and painful. 

To alleviate symptoms, chalazion treatment involves softening and emptying secretions from the inflamed gland, using twice-daily eyelid care: 

  • Heat the eyelids with a warm, moist compress for 5 minutes.
  • Massage of closed eyelids, and cleansing with a gel or impregnated wipe designed for this purpose. 
     

Chalazion has a variety of causes. If chalazion is linked to a chronic disease (rosacea, dry eye, etc.), it is also useful to use a moisturizing and lubricating eye drop to reduce inflammation of the ocular surface. If symptoms persist despite these conservative measures, you should also consult a health professional, who may add an antibiotic or corticosteroid to your eyelid care regimen for ten days or so⁴⁻⁷⁻⁸.

Stye

Stye

A stye is an infection of the eyelash implant zone, known as the pilosebaceous follicle. It appears as a small, red, warm, painful swelling the size of a barley seed (hence the name), located on the edge of the eyelid and centered on an eyelash, the stye can be external or internal⁵⁻⁹. It appears within a day or two, then, as it matures, a pocket of yellowish-white pus forms on the surface of the stye. 

 

However, in the event of a stye, you should: 

  • Gently cleanse the affected area, e.g. with a cotton bud soaked in a cleansing gel or eyelid hygiene pad
  • Apply clean, warm compresses to help evacuate pus and relieve pain. Then massage the eyelid flush with the eyelashes using the same compress⁵⁻⁹.
  • In the case of an internal stye, it's best to consult your doctor straight away. For external styes, avoid scratching and wash your hands before and after touching the infected eye. When the stye breaks through, usually within a week, remove the pus and crusts that form, using the products listed above. 

  • Other treatment alternatives can be suggested such as antibiotics of anti-inflammatory. Antibiotics can be administrated locally or given systemically if the infection is not localized. These antibiotics can reduce the healing time of the stye. Steroids can be also applied topically or in ointment to reduce the inflammation associated to the stye; this treatment could be effective in reducing the healing time and the inflammation of the stye⁵⁻⁹.

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