What determines how young we look? Oddly enough, the condition of the skin on the eyelids plays a primary role. If it is healthy and elastic, we perceive the gaze as open, and the face and person as young. Alas, bruises, swelling and bags under the eyes age the faces of even very young people.
Swelling under the eyes is a very common problem, regardless of age and gender, especially relevant in our time - a time of time pressure, lack of movement and fresh air. If your eyelids are swollen, neither an Armani suit nor respectable Mont Blanc accessories will save your look.
Symptoms of puffy eyes
Experts consider two options for swelling: when the eyelids, conjunctiva, orbits or subcutaneous tissue under the eyes swell. Both or one eye may swell, most often without additional symptoms. Unilateral swelling in the absence of other symptoms is usually not a cause for concern. But if there is severe swelling of the upper and lower eyelids (on one or both sides), it is worth checking your health. Along with swelling, the following symptoms may appear:
- limited vision (especially due to severe swelling);
- profuse lacrimation;
- photophobia;
- feeling of dryness;
- peeling of the skin.
Sometimes, with severe swelling, mucous discharge appears. They may have a sticky consistency, be wet or dried out. Swelling of the eyelids can also be accompanied by pain, redness, and irritation of the mucous membrane.
What is local therapy?
Local therapy is symptomatic treatment. It includes hygiene procedures, eyelid massage, etc. For scaly blepharitis of the upper eyelid, it is imperative to wash the eyelids once a day and treat them with ointments at least 5-6 times. To do this, you can use tetracycline or albucid ointment, which your doctor will recommend. The medicine should be carefully applied with your finger to the front edge of the eye.
If a patient is diagnosed with ulcerative blepharitis of the upper eyelid, then the crusts that form on the eyelids must be removed. The easiest way to do this is after they have dried. The exposed skin surface, which has a pink tint, should be lubricated with a solution of brilliant green. Upon completion of the manipulation, it is necessary to instill any disinfectant drops.
If blepharitis of the upper eyelid occurs due to demodicosis, then massage sessions should be performed. They are performed with special sticks and only on an outpatient basis. This method of treatment is considered traumatic. Therefore, this procedure must be carried out only in a hospital. The massage is performed by a specialist. Self-sessions can be dangerous to the eyes.
Causes leading to swelling of the eyes
Short-term swelling, which goes away quickly and independently, is usually not associated with external factors, diseases, or physiology. More often it is caused by the following factors:
- poor nutrition (drinking large amounts of liquid before bed, drinking alcohol, addiction to smoked meats, spicy, salty foods);
- stress;
- cry;
- violation of wearing contact lenses;
- visual stress;
- individual characteristics of the body;
- violation of the work and rest schedule;
- bad habits;
- constant lack of sleep.
Other subjective symptoms of eyelid swelling include a burning sensation, blurred vision, and redness of the sclera. Usually they are persistent and pronounced, which once again confirms the presence of ocular or systemic diseases.
Hygiene procedures for blepharitis of the upper eyelid
Blepharitis is difficult to cure if hygiene procedures are not followed. Their implementation plays an important role in the treatment and prevention of this ophthalmological disease. The main hygienic procedure is daily eye washing. It is best to use sterile dressings and exclusively boiled water for this. Medicinal infusions of chamomile, marshmallow, rose hips, thyme or calendula, which have an anti-inflammatory effect, will have a good effect.
The prepared solution should be at room temperature. This will avoid damaging the damaged skin of the eyelids. It is necessary to rinse both eyes at once, even if only the eyelid is inflamed. Individual cotton swabs or bandages should be used for each. Reuse of hygiene products is prohibited. This can lead to infection of the visual organs and cause serious complications.
Could swelling be a symptom of an allergy?
An allergic reaction is one of the common causes of swelling. This happens because mast cells release biologically active proteins to neutralize allergens. But when combined with irritants, they cause a reaction that is similar to inflammation. Hence the swelling and redness of the eyelids. Among the ophthalmological causes of eyelid swelling, the most common are:
- glaucoma;
- conjunctivitis;
- periorbital cellulitis;
- eyelid tumors;
- injuries;
- insect bites;
- thermal, chemical burns.
Often the appearance of swelling is the body’s reaction to smoke, dust and other irritants from the external environment.
List of sources
- Kucherova A.A., Osidach N.V., Pobedennaya G.P. On the issue of differential diagnosis of conjunctivitis / Clinical immunology. Allergology. Infectology. 2015.— No. 1 (80), p. 49-51.
- Zaikov S.V. Allergic conjunctivitis: clinical picture, diagnosis, treatment/ Clinical immunology. Allergology. Infectology. – 2011. – No. 1. – P. 38–43.
- Avetisov S. E. Ophthalmology. National leadership. Brief edition 2021, 736 pp.
- Sidorenko E. I., Dubovskaya L. A. Eye diseases 2010.
Why does swelling occur in dry eye syndrome?
Dry eye syndrome (DES) is a pathological condition that is based on a violation of the stability of the tear film.
It provides nutrition, hydration and protection to the cornea. But when few tears are produced or their composition changes, the tear film quickly begins to evaporate. Because of this, the mucous membrane dries out, a burning sensation, itching, redness, and swelling appears.
Various reasons contribute to the development of dry eye syndrome. This could be taking antidepressants, antihistamines, working at a computer for a long time, or staying in a room with dry air. Dry eye syndrome may progress during sun exposure (summer) because too much air temperature causes tears to evaporate.
You can compensate for moisture deficiency with the help of tear substitutes. These are special drops that contain moisturizing components. But, despite the fact that they have a composition close to tears, they do not contain mucins and lipids, which help the tear film to adhere to the surface of the eyeball and maintain stability.
One of the effective ways to restore the tear film is the use of Delfanto® in capsules. They contain a record amount of antioxidants (at least 35%), which help stimulate the production of your own tears.
Treatment
Pre-hospital assistance
In case of burns, rinse the eye with running water. The use of alkalis and acids to neutralize the effects of chemicals is prohibited. For trauma patients, a bandage should be applied to provide rest and eliminate eye movements and visual strain. You cannot remove foreign bodies yourself, so as not to aggravate the damage. For all eye diseases, it is important to observe the rules of personal hygiene.
Conservative therapy
Conservative treatment tactics are determined by the cause of swelling under the eyes. The following drugs can be used:
- Painkillers
. Analgesics in drops are administered to reduce pain during the examination. Subsequently, tablet forms are prescribed. - Antibiotics
. In the first days, broad-spectrum antibacterial agents are used. After receiving the result of the microbiological study, the treatment regimen is adjusted taking into account antibiotic sensitivity. - Antiseptics
. Indicated for conjunctivitis, after removal of superficial foreign bodies. - Reparation stimulants
. Necessary for corneal damage due to wounds, erosions, post-traumatic defects. - Antihistamines
. Recommended for allergic diseases.
According to indications, parabulbar, retrobulbar, subconjunctival injections are performed. Physiotherapeutic techniques are used and eyelid massage is performed.
Surgery
Taking into account the nature of the pathology, the following surgical interventions can be performed:
- Traumatic injuries
: suturing the eyelid, conjunctiva or cornea, removal of foreign bodies of the conjunctiva and cornea, necrectomy and keratoplasty for burns. - Purulent processes
: opening of barley, dacryocystorhinostomy, vitrectomy, evisceration, enucleation of the eyeball. - Other eye diseases
: penetrating keratoplasty, corneal transplantation.
In the long-term period after injuries and purulent diseases, some patients require elimination of ptosis, correction of eversion or entropion of the eyelid, antiglaucomatous operations for secondary glaucoma, and other interventions.
What diseases can cause swollen eyes?
This symptom accompanies not only ophthalmological pathologies. It may be associated with systemic diseases. For example:
- gastrointestinal diseases;
- pathologies of the pituitary gland, thyroid gland;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- infectious, viral diseases;
- liver and kidney diseases.
The list goes on, because there are more than 70 diseases that are accompanied by swelling of the eyelids. This could indicate problems with almost any organ.
How to remove puffiness under the eyes?
It is difficult to immediately determine the cause of swelling. But you can try to eliminate provoking factors, for example, normalize your daily routine, diet, and get rid of bad habits.
If swelling is persistent, you need to seek medical help. Only a specialist can determine the reason why the eyelids are swollen and prescribe therapy.
If there is reason to believe that swelling of the eyelids is associated with everyday factors (crying, working at the computer, sleep disturbances, etc.), you can try to cope with this problem yourself. For example, using cold compresses. Cold causes blood vessels to contract, which reduces swelling.
Sometimes chilled tea bags can help relieve swelling quickly. Tea contains caffeine, which helps remove excess fluid from tissues. Tea bags must be applied for 15-20 minutes.
You can also try to remove swelling with massage (10-15 minutes a day). You also need to get good rest. Sleep should last at least 7 hours a day, and it is advisable to go to bed at the same time.
If swelling still periodically reminds itself, then you need to seek help from a specialist. Early detection of pathologies that cause swelling of the eyelids helps prevent serious complications.
If swelling is accompanied by a burning sensation, dry eyes, itching, irritation, you should take Delfanto® capsules regularly. They help increase the production of tear fluid by 89%, due to which the cornea and conjunctiva receive natural hydration.
What is the difficulty in diagnosing blepharitis of the upper eyelid?
Blepharitis in the upper eyelid is more difficult to diagnose than in the lower eyelid. The difficulty in recognizing this eye disease lies in the likelihood of relapse. Some patients are confident that if they were previously diagnosed with blepharitis, then there is nothing to worry about. Therefore, many of them turn to the ophthalmologist too late and begin treatment.
Treatment for blepharitis done at home usually does not produce positive results. This is only possible in cases where treatment was started immediately when the first signs of the disease appeared. In all other cases, postponing a visit to the ophthalmologist delays treatment for blepharitis and contributes to the spread of infection throughout the body.
In extreme cases, serious complications can occur. In such situations, the patient will have to visit not only an ophthalmologist, but also a dermatologist or allergist. In later stages of the disease, cell scrapings of the eyelash epithelium may be necessary. Inflammation of the upper eyelid requires an integrated approach to treatment. It is recommended to “resort” to three leading directions: local, etiological and restorative therapy.
