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Eyelashes swollen eyes (eyelid edema)
contents
- The most important facts:
- Most common causes of eyelid edema
- symptoms
- Swollen eyes due to injury
- Insect bite
- Inflammation as the cause of eyelid edema
- Lid edema causes outside the eye
- How to prevent eye swelling?
- Measures for allergies
- nutritional intervention
- therapy
- Home remedy for swollen eyes
The most important facts:
- Swelling of the eye is a common condition in practice that can be either acute or chronic.
- A distinction is made between unilateral and bilateral swelling of the eyelids.
- Swelling of the eyes can be caused by injury, inflammation of the eyes, or dysfunction of other organ systems.
- Additional symptoms can be an indication of the multiple causes of the swelling.
- Since most people have eye swelling as a result of a sleepless night or high alcohol consumption, it is easy to downplay the symptoms.
- For prolonged eyelid swelling, medical attention should be sought to rule out serious conditions and prevent inflammatory processes from spreading to more sensitive areas of the eye.
Lid edema may be unilateral or bilateral, depending on the cause of the swelling. (Image: milkovasa / fotolia.com) Most common causes of eyelid edema
Swelling of the eyelid has a variety of causes. The most common ones include:
- Allergies such as pollen allergy and house dust allergy,
- mechanical injuries,
- Inflammations such as conjunctivitis,
- a barley grain or hailstone,
- cry,
- a sinusitis,
- cold,
- thyroid disease,
- kidney disease,
- Cardiovascular disorders,
- and hormonal fluctuations in menstruation.
symptoms
In eyelid edema, there are several accompanying symptoms. These symptoms do not always occur at the same time, it is also possible that only one of the following symptoms is added to the eyelid swelling:
- itch,
- pain,
- tears,
- reddening,
- Burn
- or tension of the skin.
For example, a mechanical injury to the eye area can be caused by a sports accident. (Image: Callozzo / fotolia.com) Swollen eyes due to injury
If an injury is due to pressure or shock behind the eye swelling, a bruise is usually visible on the affected eye. A hematoma around both eyes indicates a skull base fracture (so-called "eyeglasses hematoma"). In such cases, the person should urgently seek medical attention to the injury to avoid serious harm.
Insect bite
An eyelid swelling can also be an insect bite, and it is important to rule out an insect bite allergy. The very fine-layered skin of the upper lid must not be rubbed or scratched, even if there is severe itching, as this could cause inflammation.
Inflammation as the cause of eyelid edema
Eyelid swelling in inflamed eye tissue is usually painful. If an eyelid suddenly swells in the form of a reddened and painful protrusion of the eyelid skin near the edge of the eyelash, and perhaps even a pus corpus becomes visible, it is probably an inflammation of the lungs or a barley grain.
Swelling of the eyelid can be an acute complaint, for example, in injuries but also in various inflammatory diseases. (Image: geargodz / fotolia.com) If the painful swelling of the eye swells even in the case of severe redness and the eyelid gap narrows, an abscess may be considered. Typical of a lacrimal inflammation, however, is a painful swollen outer upper lid, which can occur on one or both sides. Mostly without pain, but with a feeling of pressure goes against the knot-like hailstone, at a point where the sebaceous gland is blocked. The hailstones should be removed by the doctor, but a malignant tumor of the eye socket should be excluded beforehand.
Also, contact lenses can introduce into the eye germs that cause inflammation, which in turn can cause eye swelling.
Lid edema causes outside the eye
An inflammation of the paranasal sinuses can lead to - sometimes painful - eye swelling.
Frequently one meets in case of an allergy (for example hay fever) on swollen eyes. This can also occur within a short time (Quincke edema). In case of an allergy sufferers almost always additionally suffer from reddening, tearing and itching.
Other causes that are localized outside of the eyes and that arise as a result of fluid retention in the subcutaneous tissue (eyelid edema) still exist
- hypothyroidism (with myxedema),
- blocked lymphatic fluid,
- Kidney disease (for example, glomerulonephritis, kidney failure)
- or heart failure (with difficulty breathing, coughing and weakness).
Lymphatic dysplasia and myxedema are more likely to be found above the eyes, edema due to dysfunction of the heart and kidney rather under the eyes ("eye sacs").
As the name implies, Eyebright relieves many ailments that have to do with the eye condition. (Image: Ulrich / fotolia.com)How to prevent eye swelling?
Daily hygiene is a matter of course. The eyes must not be touched with dirty hands, which is often difficult to keep in mind, especially for small children. The towels should be washed frequently and not shared with other people.
If it is a purely cosmetic problem that occurs after a long party or after a sleepless night, the eye swelling is usually over in just a few hours. It is advisable to think about the possible consequences beforehand and not overdo it with the consumption of alcohol, especially if the alcoholic pleasure takes place in rooms full of cigarette smoke. A "hygienic" lifestyle can significantly reduce the surprise in front of the mirror the next morning. It is helpful to drink enough water, which stimulates the lymphatic system.
Measures for allergies
Allergy sufferers know this very well: If you want to enjoy a spring walk, must expect side effects. It takes a lot of discipline to limit the contact with pollen. Pollen schedules and up-to-date information on the flowering plants can help with proper planning of activities. Additional measures are advisable: frequent change of bed linen, daily washed hair, separation of clothes worn outside, of the rest of the wardrobe are just a few of them. Because of the swelling of the eyes, it is recommended to wear glasses outside to protect the eyes from the wind. Even a house dust allergy can cause eye swelling. It is especially important to free the environment from the dust.
If eyelid swelling follows when cosmetic products are used, it may be an allergic reaction to some ingredients of the cosmetic preparations. In such cases, the products should no longer be used.
nutritional intervention
Saline foods contribute to water retention in the body. Especially with kidney diseases, it is important to take salt- and low-protein diet. This also has a positive effect on the swelling of the eyelids.
therapy
The therapy depends on the cause, in any case, serious illnesses are excluded, as well as inflammation, which could endanger the optic nerve and eyesight untreated. Naturopathic concepts and natural remedies are available for most of the mentioned disorders, which can be used alternatively or supportively. In bacterial infections, antibiotics are often prescribed to prevent transmission to other people and to prevent worse eye diseases.
Home remedy for swollen eyes
Some remedies used as a first aid for eye swelling are:
- Cool,
- eye compresses,
- eyewash
- and herbal teas to invigorate the lymphatic flow.
Herbal teas often help with eye swelling, both as a drink and cooled in the form of eye compresses. (Image: Studio KIVI / fotolia.com)The first relief of the discomfort can bring clean cold water. Cooling with the gel pads designed for the eye area is also a method. It should be exaggerated by no means with the cold. A popular method is the use of cotton pads, which are soaked in cooled tea. For example, a tea from eyebright is excellent, but also from sage or chamomile. Eyebright, also known as Euphrasia, is helpful as an active ingredient in eye drops in many conditions such as dry eyes. Euphrasia is also suitable for eye baths.
As a quick help, brewed and then cooled tea bags with black tea can be used directly. The black tea must not be flavored. One of the home remedies is the tried and tested method of applying freshly sliced cucumber slices to the eyes. Especially when it comes to a cold, fresh sage leaves, placed on the root of the nose, should have a good influence on the swelling of the eyes. Helping to reduce the swelling of the eyelids, herbal teas, which are drunk throughout the day, act as they stimulate the flow of lymphatic fluid.
If eye swelling persists, medical advice should be sought immediately to exclude or treat a serious cause of the swelling. (jvs, mj; Updated on 14.12.2018)