The Effect of Chalazia & Styes on Dry Eyes
When the base of an eyelash or root is infected by bacteria, a stye (or small bump) will occur.
The eyelid contains tiny glands inside and under the lid. These glands can become blocked for different reasons, such as blepharitis. If this area in the blocked gland does not eventually drain, the infected gland will become larger and turn into a stye.
Styes are very painful, a chalazion is not infectious and normally painless.
Chalazion Causes
Meibomian glands are the oil glands located on the lid of the eye that keep the eye moist. These glands are located on both the upper and lower lids.
When these glands become blocked, a stye or chalazion can form. There are several different reasons that a stye or chalazion will form:
- Dirty hands
- Past history of chalazia
- Skin conditions such as rosacea and seborrheic dermatitis
- Tuberculosis
- Viral infections
People who are in the habit of touching their eyes with unclean hands are at higher risk..
Dirt transferred from the hands to the eyes can block oil glands. Block oil glands result in dry eyes.
Also, once a person develops a chalazion, they are at a higher risk for developing another one. If the eye is not properly lubricated due to a blocked oil gland, the risk of developing dry eyes also increases.
Chalazion Symptoms
They are very similar, but they have differences: mainly, a stye is painful while a chalazion is not. Some common symptoms include:
- A hard lump located on the eyelid
- Increased tearing
- Blurry vision
- Blocked vision
- Light sensitivity
Chalazion Diagnosis
Since both are similar, in order to determine the difference, a doctor will ask about the patients’ symptoms. Often the size and pain level are used as determination factors. Through the use of medical equipment, a closer look at the infected area may be needed.
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Lipogranuloma (empty spaces surrounded by epithelioid and foamy histiocytes with multinucleated foreign body and or Touton type giant cells)
- Some lesions have granulation tissue, fibrosis or suppurative inflammation
- Early lesions can have necrotizing (neutrophilic) granulomas
- Conchoidal bodies and asteroid bodies can be observed
Chalazion reatment
Antibiotics is used in all cases for a stye. But, there are some natural solutions.. Both require hot compresses and gentle massages.
- Hot compress – a hot wash cloth may not be good enough. We recommend either a gel type or a rice baggy that can be heated in the microwave oven for 30 seconds.
- Gentle massage of the area with clean hands
- Surgery
Very occasionally the chalazion may require specialist treatment by an Ophthalmologist. This may even involve a small operation to drain the chalazion. Further information will be provided to you at the eye clinic appointment.
Prevention
Prevention is always best, especially if a person has developed them before.
Keeping dirt off the eyelids, using a gentle cleanser to clean the eyes, apply a warm compress at bedtime to loosen any dry skin and help the flow of oils from glands, and allowing the eyes the ability to produce their own natural tears are all important steps in prevention of a stye or chalazion.
TheraLife can help with prevention of many eye problems with their complete line of natural products.
Care at home
Most will spontaneously get better without medical intervention within a few months. Below are some treatments you can do at home to assist this process and possibly prevent them from coming back.
Warm Compresses and Eyelid Massage:
- The purpose of eyelid massage is to help open the blocked oil gland.
- Put a warm wet cloth on the eyelid to soften up the lump. Leave it on for 5 minutes. Always do this first.
- Then, using your clean finger or a cotton swab, gently massage the lump. Massage downward towards the edge of the eyelid.
- Do this for about 1 minute. Repeat this process twice a day.
- Continue this treatment for 1 month.
Eyelid Washes:
- Do this only if there is crusting of the eyelid margins.
- Put 2 drops of baby shampoo into a glass of warm water.
- Wet some cotton balls in the solution. Use them to scrub the lid margins with the eyes closed. Do this for 2 minutes once a day.
- Your goal is to remove the crusts.
Caution- Do Not Squeeze:
- Do not try to open the lump. Reason: this will make it worse.
- Avoid squeezing the lump. Massage is different than squeezing.
What to Expect:
- If eyelid massage is started within the first month, it can be very helpful.
- After the first month, it is less helpful. However, the lump will slowly go away on its own over 2 months.
- Sometimes, the blocked gland will open through the inner lining of the eyelid. It then drains a little pus for a day or so and heals over.
- If the lump is large and lasts over 2 months, it needs special treatment. It usually needs to be opened and drained by an eye surgeon. They drain it through the inside of the eyelid.
TheraLife Eye Enhanced
The prevention and treatment of dry eye syndrome is vital in prevention. When the eyes are not producing natural tears and protective oils, inflammation can cause the glands that secrete these vital oils and tears to shut down leading to dry eyes.
By using TheraLife Eye Enhanced, inflammation is reduced and the meibomian glands located on the eyelids are restored to allow for the healthy production of lubricants that bring dry eye relief.
The All-In-One Starter Kit from TheraLife includes everything needed to treat Chalazia, dry eyes, or crusty eye relief.
Find fast relief with TheraLIfe
- 4 bottles of TheraLife Eye Enhanced
- 1 bottle of Omega-3 fish oil
- 1bottle of Hypochlor eye lid cleanser
- 1 Hot compress for the eyes
This dry eye relief kit includes all of the essential elements needed to find lasting pain relief, contained in one convenient packaged solution.
When TheraLife Eye is used in conjunction with a daily routine of eyelid cleaning and hot compress application, relief is just around the corner.
Stop the constant use of eye drops for dry eyes and turn to TheraLife natural treatment for relief.
TheraLife goes directly to the source of the problem and provides an all-natural dry eye remedy with their complete line of products created specifically for all related dry eye relief.
TheraLife can end eye pain and discomfort naturally and effectively leading to restoration of comfortable vision.
Pathophysiology
- Probably due to obstruction or nonspecific inflammation (blepharitis) surrounding sebaceous gland ducts, leading to discharge of sebaceous material into surrounding tissue and resulting in intense foreign body granulomatous inflammatory reaction
- Superficial chalazion from Zeis gland
- Deep chalazion from Meibomian gland
- May erupt through conjunctival surface of eyelid (internal)
Etiology
- More significant: history of chalazion and blepharitis
- Less significant: rosacea, gastritis, anxiety and smoking
- There is no evidence that cosmetics in the eyelid causes, aggravates or protects from this condition
Clinical features
- Upper eyelid > lower eyelid
- Slowly growing mass with variability in size on a day to day basis
- Solitary, nontender nodule; eversion helps to identify the lesion
- Clinically may masquerade as sebaceous carcinoma and other neoplasms
References
Cioffi GA, Liebmann JM. Diseases of the visual system. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 395.
Durand ML. Periocular infections. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 116.
Neff AG, Chahal HS, Carter KD. Benign eyelid lesions. In: Yanoff M, Duker JS, eds. Ophthalmology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 12.7.
