| There are various types of bumps and swellings that | | | | keeping the margin of the eyelid properly lubricated. |
| appear on the eyelids. Some of these can be painful. | | | | Chalazions usually go away on their own in a month |
| Others are merely unattractive and some are hardly | | | | or two. However it is possible to get rid of them |
| noticeable. | | | | sooner by gently massaging the lid in the direction of |
| Hairs grow from follicles and eyelashes grow the | | | | the edge. This helps break up the blockage. But, |
| same way. It is not unusual for a follicle to become | | | | sometimes large chalazions, about the size of a pea, |
| infected. When it does, a red swelling appears on the | | | | appear. These will not go away naturally but need to |
| edge of the lid at the base of the eyelash. The | | | | be removed surgically. However, it is not a |
| swelling contains a white head of pus. This is called a | | | | complicated procedure. The physician simply applies a |
| sty. Styes are extremely painful until they burst. | | | | local anesthetic and then makes an incision and |
| They will burst within a few days. At this time the | | | | removes the contents of the chalazion. A chalazion |
| pain subsides and the eyelash is lost. This usually | | | | can become infected. In this case it will swell and be |
| takes about seven days. However, it is possible to | | | | extremely painful. When this happens, you need to |
| relieve the pain by making the sty burst early. When | | | | see your physician as soon as possible. Again, the |
| the inflammation first appears, apply hot compresses | | | | treatment will begin with an incision in the eyelid. But |
| until the pus draws to a head. Then simply pull out | | | | this time the purpose of the incision is to drain off |
| the eyelash. This action will release the pus. Be sure | | | | the pus. |
| not to squeeze the sty. Once you have pulled out | | | | Another common lump that sometimes appears on |
| the eyelash, wash the eyelid carefully to be sure that | | | | the eyelid is a papilloma. Papillomas are growths of |
| all traces of pus are removed. Sometimes styes will | | | | skin that may appear anywhere on the lid margin or |
| recur shortly and more than one will develop on the | | | | the lid itself. They range in color from pink to black. If |
| lid at the same time. This is due to the fact that the | | | | they are unattractive, a physician can remove them |
| bacteria that caused the first sty spread to infect | | | | quite easily using a local anesthetic. However, if they |
| other follicles. When this happens you may need to | | | | are very tiny and not conspicuous, they do not need |
| visit your physician for an antibiotic to get rid of the | | | | to be removed unless one so desires. |
| infection. | | | | Yellow patches of fatty material, xanthelasma, |
| A chalazion is also a swelling that develops on the | | | | sometimes develop under the outer skin of the |
| edge of the eyelid. Unlike a sty, the chalazion is | | | | eyelids. These patches can be removed if they are |
| painless. It is due to a blockage of one of the | | | | unattractive. But even if they are removed, they |
| meibomian glands. These glands are responsible for | | | | may recur again later on. |