Causes of Swollen Eyelids and How They Are Treated
According to , almost 200-250 million people are impaired visually. Swollen eyelids are known to occur when excess fluid gets stored within the connective tissues, which surround your eyes. Swollen eyes are considered to be both painful as well as non-painful and they are responsible for affecting the lower and the upper eyelids. There are numerous reasons as to why a swollen eye is caused. The reasons may include eye injuries, trauma, or eye infections. One of the most common reasons that you cannot miss includes the allergies. When your eyelids start swelling, it is normally the sign of other health problems that include ocular herpes, orbital cellulitis, and Graves’ Disease. It is crucial that you go for a routine checkup so that it is easy to detect if there are any underlying problems.
Symptoms of the swollen eyes
The eyelid diseases can be extremely painful if they are not treated properly. Swollen eyelids are normally caused due to infection or certain kinds of allergies. They are accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Irritation of the eyes, like a scratchy or itchy sensation.
- Photophobia or sensitivity to excess light.
- Excess production of tears, which results in the watering of the eyes.
- Obstructed vision.
- Redness of your eyelids.
- Mattering all discharge from the eyes.
- Dryness of the eyelids or flaking.
- Excess pain especially when the eyelids are swollen due to infections.
Puffy eyes and swollen eyes
Swollen eyes and puffy eyes are normally interchangeable with each other, however, swollen eyes are normally caused due to infections or allergies and puffy eyes are caused as a result of no sleep or dark circles.
Causes of the swollen eyes
Given below is a list of the causes of the swollen eyelids.
Allergies: Eye allergies are known to occur when the immune system reacts to a particular foreign substance, which is known as an allergen. Some of the common allergens include pollen, solutions of the contact lens, eye drops, or pet dander. The eye allergies start developing when they release the chemical mediators for protecting the eyes from the unwanted allergens. One such chemical mediator is histamine, which is responsible for the swelling of the blood vessels in the eye.
Chalazion: This is also caused by the blocked meibomian glands. A chalazion normally develops away from your eyelid edge. This is responsible for swollen eyelids.
Eye injuries: A trauma that is caused to the area around your eye is responsible for triggering inflammation as well as swollen eyes.
Treatment
The treatment of this condition is normally dependent on the cause that is underlying. The ophthalmologist or optometrist can prescribe certain medication or over-the-counter remedies can also be recommended, which include eye drops. If the eyes are swollen as a result of allergies, doctors can recommend the antihistamine drops or oral medications. Infections like ocular herpes or conjunctivitis are known to respond perfectly well to the anti-inflammatory eye drops, antibiotics, or ointments. Doctors suggest avoiding rubbing the eyelids or they can aggravate the condition to a great extent.
Conclusion
If you feel that you have swollen eyelids, the first thing that you can do is splash cold water or cool compress even before you decide to visit your ophthalmologist. If the pain persists even after that, it is crucial that you visit the ophthalmologist as early as possible.
