Treatment For Chalazion On Eyelid
Chalazions occurs on our eyelids and can be mistaken for a sty. They are caused by oil glands getting blocked in the eyelid. There are nearly a hundred of these glands that are located near the eyelashes. They usually appear on the upper eyelid, but can appear on the bottom. They tend to be more towards the center of the eyelid and point toward the inside or nose side of the eyelid.
These chalazions are usually painless with a hard lump. An eversion of the lid appears as a red elevated area on the surface. If it gets worse it can affect the eyesight causing blurry vision. This is due to the swelling on the eyelid as the chalazion grows.
Some of the ways in which a chalazion can be treated are:
- Warm compresses can be applied in the early stages. The easiest method is to get a clean washcloth soaked in hot water and hold it against the eyelid for five to ten minutes, three to four times a day. Keep the washcloth hot by repeatedly soaking it in hot water.
- Warm and place guava leaves on a warm damp cloth then use the compress to reduce the redness, pain, and swelling.
- A handful of acacia leaves can be boiled in two cups of water. Make a decoction and use it as a compress on the eyelid. This reduces the swelling and pain and also helps with the removal of the chalazion.
- If the home remedies fail or the chalazion starts to press on the eyeball, or causes severe cosmetic problems, you will need steroid injections or incision and curettage under local anesthetic.
- If surgery is needed, a pressure eye patch is applied for eight to twenty four hours to control the bleeding and swelling. When the eye patch is removed treatment will again consist of warm compresses which are applied for ten to fifteen minutes, two to four times a day along with antimicrobial eye drops or an ointment to prevent any other secondary infections.
Additional tips for prevention:
- Patients will need to be instructed on how to properly apply the warm compresses. They will need to be instructed to take special care to avoid burning the skin and to always ensure that a clean washcloth is used. The dirty compresses should be discarded.
- Properly cleaning the eyelid may prevent any recurrences with people who are prone to getting chalazion.
