Swollen Eyelid – Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Home Remedies

Having problems seeing due to an annoying swelling on your upper or lower eyelid? You may be suffering from a Swollen Eyelid. Know about Swollen Eyelid cause, its symptoms, remedies and treatment.

What is a Puffy Eyelid?

Picture 1 – Swollen Upper Eyelid
Source – distractible

A Swollen Eyelid refers to an abnormally swollen or puffy eyelid. It is a very common symptom of many conditions such as Conjunctivitis. The condition can be of two types, painful and non-painful.

Swollen Eyes are also known as “puffy eyes”. The medical term for this syndrome is “Periorbital Puffiness”.

Causes of Swollen Eyelid

The main causes for the appearance of swollen eyelids are :

Conjunctivitis

This disease is marked by an inflammation of the conjunctiva or mucous membrane covering the eyeball. It is also known as “Pink Eye”. A person with Conjunctivitis or “Swollen Eyelid Pink Eye Syndrome” experiences pain in his or her eyes.

Blepharitis

This disorder of the eyelids is characterized by a swelling of the eyelids. The eye becomes red because of Swollen Eyelid Blepharitis and the affected person experiences pain in the eyelids.

Stye

The condition is caused by an infection of the Meibomian gland, a long sebaceous gland of the eyelid. As a causative agent of Swollen Eyelid Stye is a major one. Swollen Eyelid infection causes much pain in the sufferer.

Orbital Cellulitis

It is caused by a painful infection of eye tissues behind the Orbital Septum, which forms the fibrous part of the eyelids. When the disease affects the back end of the eye, it is called “Retro-orbital Cellulitis”.

Chalazion

This condition arises when a Meibomian gland of the eye suffers a blockage. It gives rise to a small sebaceous cyst on the eyelid resulting in a swelling. A swollen eyelid Chalazion can be quite painful.

Allergies

In case of a non-painful swollen eyelid allergies are the most notable cause. An allergenic reaction in the body causes a blockage in the glands of the eyelid. In people with Swollen Eyelid allergic reaction leads to a leakage of the capillary beds located below the skin. This results in swollen eyelid and face.

Fluid Retention

If you have Swollen Eyelid fluid retention may be a major cause. Retention of fluid in the subcutaneous tissues (tissues under outer skin layer) can arise due to pregnancy, excess sodium intake or varying hormone levels during menstruation. People who suffer from fluid retention wake up with Swollen Eyelid in the morning.

Tumors

In some people with Swollen Eyelid lumps are seen to appear on the eyelid skin. This is caused by the development of tumors. These happen in rare cases of eyelid swelling.

Symptoms of Swollen Eyelid

Some of the most notable symptoms of Swollen Eyelid are :

Swollen Eyelids

True to the name of the condition, a person having this disorder suffers from an inflammation in the eyelids.

Pain in the Eyelids

In case of a painful eyelid inflammation, the sufferer experiences pain in the lids over the eyes. Swollen Eyelid and pain are very common.

Redness

In sufferers of Swollen Eyelid redness is a common symptom.

Headache

Pain causes much discomfort in people with Swollen Eyelid and headaches further add to the suffering. In sufferers with Swollen Eyelid headache arises due to the inflammation in the skin flap over the eyes.

Blurred Vision

In sufferers of Swollen Eyelid blurry vision is common. Normal eyesight is hindered and the person has trouble seeing things clearly.

Fever

If the reason for inflamed eyelids is Orbital Cellulitis, an affected person can suffer from high body temperatures. Swollen Eyelid and flu is very common. In many people with Swollen Eyelid flu arises in a day or two.

Nephrotic Syndrome

In a few cases of Swollen Eyelid kidney diseases like Nephrotic Syndrome are found to be the cause. A high percentage of protein in urine causes this disease.

Swollen Eyelid Diagnosis

The diagnosis of Swollen Eyelid is mainly done with the help of physical observation. Laboratory tests and medical examinations may be necessary if the doctor finds it difficult to understand the exact cause of the condition.

If the physician suspects a kidney disease to be the causative condition, he may carry out a Urinalysis. This helps determine if there is excess protein in the urine.

In suspected infectious cases of Swollen Eyelid bacterial or viral presence in the bloodstream can be determined with the help of blood tests and other relevant medical examinations.

Vision tests are also often carried out to check the extent of eyesight problems experienced by the sufferer.

Swollen Eyelid Treatment

The treatment for Swollen Eyelid mainly aims at reducing the inflammation and curing the pain and other symptoms associated with the condition. The cure actually depends on the causative condition behind the syndrome. Treatment differs with the cause.

If Swollen Eyelid is caused by a Stye, antibiotic treatment should be used to cure it. To reduce a Swollen Eyelid gland hot compresses are found to be an effective home remedy. Applying warm compression with a damp cloth for some days can cause the stye to burst and release the pus contained inside it. This reduces the inflammation within a little time.

If the swelling is found to be the result of Conjunctivitis, artificial tear drops and cold compression can lower the symptoms. For mild cases of Swollen Eyelid hot or cold compress can be very effective. A viral conjunctivitis infection is treated with steroid drops.

In case of eyelid tumors, a surgical operation is highly necessary. This is performed in a little time and immediately removes the Swollen Eyelid bump.

Swollen Eyelid Home Treatment

How to make a Swollen Eyelid go down fast? A rapid recovery from this disorder is possible with the help of Swollen Eyelid home remedies. Some of the common Swollen Eyelid remedies are :

Cold Water

Washing face with ice cold water from time to time can be an effective Swollen Eyelid cure.

Low Sodium Intake

Limiting sodium consumption can be very helpful in reducing the symptoms of eyelid swelling.

Water

Drinking lots of water can flush out the germs from the system and also prevent dehydration, thus helping the treatment of the disease.

Cucumber

Applying cucumber slices over the eyes for several minutes can be a highly effective Swollen Eyelid natural treatment for eyelid inflammation.

Avoidance of Allergen

In some cases, the use of a certain product may produce an allergic reaction in the body, causing an inflammation of the eyelids. In such cases, it is necessary to avoid using the substance. Non-use of the substance can make the Swollen Eyelid painful symptoms go away more rapidly.

Eye Creams

In some cases, doctors provide an eye cream rich in Vitamin E and Aloe Vera to bring about relief to the affected area.

Warm Compress

Applying heat over the swollen area with a damp, warm cloth for 2-3 times daily can lower the swelling and make the symptoms go away. In people with Swollen Eyelid blurred vision is cured after swelling reduces due to warm compression.

If you are having swollen eyelids, try out the aforementioned home remedies to subside the inflammation. If the swelling refuses to lessen despite remedies, it is better to seek help from an expert medical practitioner. Timely medical assistance can give you faster recovery from infectious conditions and provide you with relief from pain and other discomforting symptoms.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periorbital_puffiness

http://www.acneatoz.org/rare-skin-disorders/puffy-eyes.htm

http://www.ohiolionseyeresearch.com/swollen_eye_lids.htm

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-most-common-causes-of-swollen-itchy-eyelids.htm