Most often, the cause of swollen eyelids is the inflammatory process or excess fluid in the tissue surrounding the eye. The people call this symptom quite simply. When it occurs, it is said that a person has swollen eyes, although this refers to precisely the tissues that surround him.
Swelling of the eyelids is painful and not. It can develop near one eye or near two at the same time. Also, a similar pathology is observed on the upper or lower eyelid, and maybe immediately on both.
The causes of swollen eyes can be many. Most often, various infections and allergic reactions occur. But sometimes the causes of edema of the eyelid become more serious ailments, which sometimes threaten vision, and sometimes even life. These include ocular herpes, which affects nerve endings, orbital cellulitis, which is a strong inflammatory process, as well as Graves' disease, which is a hereditary immune disease.
If the swelling of the eyelids above or below the eyes does not go away for a long time, and their symptoms are constantly intensifying, then you need to contact an ophthalmologist to conduct a thorough examination.
Associated symptoms
Swelling of the eyelids under the eyes and above them is only one of the signs of the main cause of pathology. In this case, the patient may observe one or more symptoms from the list below:
- eye irritation in the form of tingling sensations or itching;
- increased tearing;
- difficulty in the process of vision, the degree of which depends on the swelling of the tissues;
- redness of the eyelids;
- conjunctival inflammation and red eyes;
- peeling or dryness of the skin of the eyelids;
- pain, which is most often present when swelling is caused by infection.
Types of edema
Based on the cause of the appearance, swelling of the eyelids can be:
- Inflammatory. Such swelling is accompanied by fever, redness, as well as painful sensations when touching the skin of the eyelids.
- Non-inflammatory. With this type of swelling, the skin color of the eyelid remains normal. In this case, there are no pain signs. Non-inflammatory edema most often appears in the mornings on the lower eyelid. Their causes, as a rule, are diseases of the urinary or cardiovascular system.
- Allergic (Quincke's edema). A similar type of pathology occurs suddenly and, as a rule, on one upper eyelid. Such edema is significant, sometimes accompanied by itching and pallor of the skin. Factors that provoke an allergic reaction are cosmetic or medicinal products, flowering plants, food, dust, insect bites, animal hair and other irritants.
Causes of swelling
Why do eyelids swell? Sometimes such swelling occurs due to factors that do not pose any health hazard. This can be, for example, a large amount of liquid drunk at night, excessive consumption of canned or salty foods, eye fatigue. Such reasons cause both a bilateral and a one-sided process. The development of one or another option will depend on the anatomical features of the structure of the area of skin located around the eyes.
In addition, there is swelling of the eyelid of the eye for reasons:
- The development of inflammatory diseases of an infectious and viral nature. This may be influenza, acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections, conjunctivitis.
- The occurrence of diseases of the digestive, genitourinary, endocrine, cardiovascular systems.
- Injuries caused by temperature, chemical or mechanical damage.
- Not enough rest.
- Violations of sanitary standards.
- Unbalanced diet.
- Lack of vitamins and excess salts.
- Intracranial pressure.
- Improper head position during sleep.
Why does eyelid edema occur in one eye? Consider diseases of the organs of vision, for which this symptom is characteristic.
Barley
Edema of the eyelid in one eye with such a disease looks like a reddish swollen bump in the place where the ciliary follicle is located. This pathology is caused by the penetration of a bacterial infection, which leads to blockage of the meibomian glands and their subsequent inflammation.
Swelling of the eyelid in one eye is a typical symptom of blockage of these sebaceous glands. In such situations, patients complain of the presence of pain. They have redness of the skin near the eye, body temperature rises, which is accompanied by a febrile state. Barley can be localized at one point or cause swelling of the entire eyelid. In this case, the painful area is soft to the touch. Swelling subsides after an already matured abscess opens and purulent contents come out of it.
Conjunctivitis
Swelling of the eyelid in one eye can be caused by one of the most common problems. This disease is called conjunctivitis. It can develop for various reasons, but its main symptom invariably becomes a mild or severe swelling of the eyelid.
Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the mucous surface of the eyes and is allergic, viral, or bacterial. In addition to eyelid edema, it is accompanied by symptoms such as itching, redness, and discharge. Sometimes a disease develops in one eye. But, as a rule, both visual organs are affected either simultaneously or with a slight difference of one or two days.
Dacryocystitis
The cause of the swelling of the eyelid of one eye may be obstruction of the lacrimal canal. Such a disease almost always develops in only one eye.
The disease proceeds in acute or chronic form. In the first case, puffiness of the eyelid is quite impressive. In its chronic form, they are moderate. In addition to swelling, dacryocystitis is accompanied by the release of purulent masses from the affected canal.
Blepharitis
A one-sided form of such a disease is quite common. It manifests itself in the form of lesions of the ciliary part of the eyelid with bacterial infections (Staphylococcus aureus). In addition to the swelling, the patient complains of redness of the eye and the occurrence of pain in it. Eyelash loss occurs on the affected eyelid.
Allergy
Sometimes the human immune system shows an overly acute reaction to a foreign substance called an allergen. Such an element can be animal hair, pollen, some types of eye drops, contact lenses and solutions for them.
Sometimes allergies cause poor-quality cosmetics. The body manifests its reaction in connection with the development of the so-called mediators. They must protect him from those substances to which he is sensitive. The most common among mediators is histamine. It makes the blood vessels in the eye swell and expand, causes itching on the mucous membranes, and makes the eyelids swollen and red.
Halazion
A similar type of inflammation, like barley, is caused by blockage of the meibomian glands. Its main symptom is a swelling of the eyelid. At the first stage of its development, the disease is very similar to barley. However, subsequently, if untreated, the tumor develops into sebaceous stiff cysts. Another difference from barley is that halazion initially develops far from the edge of the eyelid, and only after it approaches it. Pathology is accompanied by edema of the eyelid, as well as pain in the affected area.
Swelling above the eyes
In the absence of inflammatory processes, swelling of the eyelids can cause the following pathologies:
- diseases of the digestive tract, blood vessels, heart, as well as kidneys, which are acute or chronic in nature;
- neoplasms of malignant and benign type.
Swelling of the upper eyelid of one eye is possible due to an allergic reaction. The causes of its occurrence may be food products or external irritants.
The cause of edema of the eyelid above the eye can also be the accumulation of adipose tissue in the subcutaneous layer. Treatment in this case is possible only by surgical intervention.
Swelling under the eyes
Most often, the cause of such a pathology is an ailment of the internal organs. To a greater extent, such swelling of the eyelids in the morning occurs. It is caused by a disease of the cardiovascular system or kidneys, impaired lymphatic flow or severe hypothyroidism, as well as thyroid ailments. Sometimes the causes of puffiness under the eyes are bad habits, poor nutrition or the use of poor-quality cosmetics.
In most cases, such manifestations are bilateral in nature, but sometimes they appear on the same eyelid.
Puffiness in the morning
Swelling of the eyes after waking up can occur only occasionally or be systematic. The causes of rare edema are most often:
- Non-observance of fluid intake and nutrition. This includes the excessive consumption of spicy, spicy and salty foods. Swelling of the eyelids in the morning occurs when alcoholic beverages or a large amount of liquid is taken in the evening.
- Insomnia and overwork.
- Improper body position during night rest.
- Apply oily creams to the area around the eyes.
In order to alleviate the condition, it is recommended to take a diuretic and apply a cold compress to the eyes.
If swelling of the eyelids in the morning is constant, then their cause is probably a disease of the genitourinary, digestive, cardiovascular or endocrine systems. An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a doctor, who should consult for advice.
Swelling after tattooing
Any cosmetics that are applied to the eyelid are applied to the surface layer of the skin. And if it is selected correctly and is of high quality, then no inflammatory processes in the area around the eyes will cause.
As for tattooing, it is a microinjection containing a permanent dye. They injure the surface of the skin, violating its integrity. The affected area sometimes swells and turns red. Damaged skin becomes easily accessible for various infections. That is why after the procedure, it needs careful care in the form of treatment with restorative and antibacterial agents.
After tattooing, edema sometimes develops over the eyelids, the causes of which can serve as:
- allergic reactions to the administered composition;
- poor pigment quality;
- individual intolerance to the administered substance;
- violation of sanitary standards during the procedure.
If swelling of the eyelids persists for more than a day, then a similar reaction may indicate the development of complications and the onset of inflammation.
Treatment
How to eliminate eyelid edema? Treatment in each case will depend on the causes of the pathology. Most often, conservative therapy, cosmetic, as well as folk remedies are used to eliminate edema.
Treatment of pathology with the help of pharmaceuticals is carried out:
- in case of infectious processes - with antiviral agents and antibiotics in the form of ointments, drops or tablets;
- with allergic edema - anti-inflammatory and antihistamines;
- with non-inflammatory edema, their elimination will be facilitated by a full sleep, reduced intake of salt and liquid, as well as abandonment of bad habits, but if the disease does not recede, then its cause is most likely an internal disease that will require treatment.
In cases where swelling of the eyelids is only a cosmetic problem, it is recommended to use special masks and creams.
A good effect will be obtained during physiotherapy procedures. Among them are mesotherapy, electrical stimulation, various types of massage. Such procedures will remove excess fluid from the area around the eyes and enhance the outflow of lymph. This will reduce tissue swelling.
Traditional medicine recommends quickly removing puffiness of the eyelids, applying to them heaps of ice, a mug of fresh cucumber, as well as raw potatoes. You can also put ordinary spoons on your eyes by holding them for 10 minutes in the freezer.
Prevention
In order to prevent swelling of the eyelids, a person should stop drinking alcohol and smoking, not consume a large amount of pickled, spicy and salty dishes, especially in the evening. It is important for women to be choosy when choosing decorative cosmetics and always wash off the makeup applied on the day before going to bed.
It is also necessary to protect the eyes from mechanical damage and ultraviolet radiation, monitor the work of the heart, blood vessels and kidneys, and treat infectious diseases on time.