Treat Dry Eyes to Prevent Chalazion Recurrence

TheraLife Protocol treats chalazion, dry eyes, blepharitis, and MGD all at the same time.  All natural remedy that works.

Relief chalazion and dry eyes with TheraLife.

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Customer Story

No more chalazion/styes

After a summer of many,large styes a few years ago, I was diagnosed w/ Blepharitis. I started to read about natural cures & found the Theralife site. I’ve been using the Enhanced Eye for a few years now & coupled with diligent lid cleansing, I have had only 2 styes in 2 years.. Dr Yang is so responsive & ready to help…. I happy to have found a natural way to deal w/ this condition to keep in check.
E S – United States

What is a chalazion?

A chalazion is a small bump in the eyelid caused by a blockage of a tiny oil gland.

A chalazion is one of the most common types of eyelid lumps. Chalazia (Plural of chalazion) is most likely to happen on your upper eyelid.

A warm compress on the eyelid will melt the oil from the meibomian oil glands so the oil can drain into the tear. Try gently massaging the eyes with your hands and avoiding pushing or pressing them.

Chalazia is also called meibomian cyst. They are small, non-infectious lumps that develop in the eyelids due to a blockage of the meibomian gland, the oil gland in the eyelid. There are just under 100 meibomian glands in the eyelid.

Chalazia often develop from an untreated stye. When the stye infection is left alone, the bacteria and debris can become a hard ball under the lid, a chalazion.

Chalazia may develop when something blocks a tiny oil gland in the eyelid. These glands help keep the eye moist. A blocked gland begins retaining oil and swells. Eventually, the fluid will drain, and you may have a hard lump on your eyelid.

In time, the inflammation resolves spontaneously, leaving a smaller but more solid pea-sized lump in the eyelid called a “chalazion” or a “meibomian cyst.” There may be two or more such cysts in a single lid, and more than one eyelid can be involved. Such lumps or cysts can resolve very slowly, but typically, they require surgical removal if they do not settle spontaneously.

Chalazion vs. Style

Chalazion vs. Stye – It can be hard to tell a chalazion from a stye, another kind of eyelid bump caused by an infection. Styes are infectious, whereas chalazia are not.

Styes happen along the edge of your eyelid, sometimes in the base of an eyelash, but chalazia are usually toward the middle of the lid. A stye is more likely to be painful. It also tends to have a yellowish spot at the center that may burst after a few days.

What are the symptoms of a chalazion?

A chalazion is a red bump on your eyelid. It is sometimes called an eyelid cyst or a meibomian cyst. It slowly forms when an oil gland (called a meibomian) becomes blocked. At first, the chalazia may be painful, but after a bit of time, it usually doesn’t hurt. Chalazia usually forms on the upper eyelids but may occasionally on the lower eyelid. They can occur in both eyes at the same time. Depending on the size and location of the chalazion, it may blur or block your vision.

Symptoms: Painless bump or lump in the upper eyelid or, less frequently, in the lower eyelid.

• Tearing and mild irritation may result in the obstructed glands not producing normal tears.
• Blurred vision – if the chalazion is large enough to press against the eyeball
• Watery and irritated.

Causes

Chalazia is caused by a thickening of the fluid in the eyelid’s oil (meibomian) glands. The eyelids contain specialized oil-producing glands (meibomian glands), which discharge their secretions onto the eyes’ surface and are essential in preventing the tear film from evaporating too quickly. If the ducts of the meibomian glands become blocked

Chalazia can appear on the upper or lower eyelid but is more common on the upper lid. Although chalazia are painless, they can cause the eye to become watery and mildly irritated. A large chalazion may press on the eyeball, leading to blurry vision.

Some additional causes of chalazia are:

• Rosacea (a skin condition that causes redness and acne).
• Chronic blepharitis, eyelid inflammation (redness, swelling, and irritation).
• Seborrheic dermatitis (red, dry, flaky, and itchy skin).
• Tuberculosis (TB).
• Viral infections

Relationship Between Dry Eyes and Chalazion.

A chalazion may be associated with dry eye syndrome, often caused by meibomian gland dysfunction.

Chalazia and dry eye can be part of the same spectrum of Meibomian gland dysfunction.

Consider “Dry eye – Chalazia – Posterior Blepharitis – Meibomian gland dysfunction” as all part of the same spectrum – this occurs mainly for those who spend many hours on-screen work each day.

While sitting hours in front of computer screens, concentrating on one fixed point and reading, our eyes blink less frequently. That is why people have the feeling of dry eyes in the evening. External factors, like hot or cold weather, wind, dust, or cigarette smoke, also increase the sense of dry eyes.

Risk Factors

What are the risk factors for developing eyelid cysts?

Blepharitis and lid cysts are more common in fair-skinned Scandinavian and Caucasian individuals and can occur anytime.

Causes and risk factors Chalazia often occur in people with underlying inflammatory conditions that affect the eyes or skin, such as chronic blepharitis, acne rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis, and meibomian gland dysfunction. Individuals with a stye or chalazion have an increased risk of developing chalazia. Less commonly, chalazia develop due to viral conjunctivitis or tuberculosis. Rarely sebaceous cell carcinoma can masquerade as recurring chalazia.

Meibomian Gland Dysfunction

The meibomian glands in your upper and lower eyelids make oil that mixes with your tears to moisten and protect your eyes. You may get a chalazion if the oil gets too thick or the glands are blocked because of inflammation.

Learn about how to unclog meibomian gland dysfunction here.

When to see an eye doctor?

Suppose the chalazion does not go away after several weeks. In that case, it may require medical treatment, including an incision to drain or an injection of steroids to reduce inflammation and swelling.

Diagnosis

Your eye doctor will evaluate the lid margins, the base of the eyelashes, and oil gland openings using bright light and magnification. Your eye doctor can advise treatment options. Necessary testing might include the following:

• Patient history to determine symptoms and the presence of any general health problems contributing to the eye problem.
• External eye examination, including lid structure, skin texture, and eyelash appearance.
• Evaluation of the lid margins, the base of the eyelashes, and oil gland openings using bright light and magnification.

Treatments

Most chalazia require minimal medical treatment and clear up independently in a few weeks to a month.

• Apply warm compresses to the eyelid for 10 to 15 minutes, 4 to 6 times daily for several days. The warm compresses may help soften the clogging.
• Don’t wear eye makeup while you have a chalazion.
• After the chalazion drains, keep the area clean.
• Follow good eye health practices, and avoid touching your eyes.

If the chalazion doesn’t go away, you should seek help from an eye specialist.

Warm compresses

The warmth of the compress can help reduce oil blockage in the gland. It also makes leaking and opening ducts easier and may ease irritation. For making a warm compress: Use clean towels for the compress and use them once—massage of the cyst after a hot compress can encourage the cyst to drain.

Gentle Massage

Gentle massage can help open the blocked oil gland. Gently massage the eyelid a few times a day. Massage for a few minutes each day, using light to medium pressure.

To do this, gently massage with a clean finger or cotton bud toward the eyelashes. Cleaning the eyelid twice daily removes grease and dead skin cells that may contribute to forming cysts. A weak solution of baby shampoo in warm water is ideal. A small operation is an option if it is troublesome or persistent.

Surgery

A small operation is an option if it is troublesome or persistent. Your GP can refer you to an eye doctor (ophthalmologist) for this. The procedure is usually done under local anesthetic, although children and some adults may not tolerate this and may require a general anesthetic. The eyelid is numbed. A small cut is then made on the eyelid’s inside to release the cyst’s contents.

Prognosis

The prognosis of a Chalazion Chalazia is typically good; it heals on its own. The prognosis with treatment is excellent.

Complications

You may lose some eyelashes or end up with a small notch in the edge of the eyelid. These problems are more common if you’ve had surgery for the chalazion. Rarely, a healed chalazion will leave a small scar on the skin of the eyelid.

Prevention And Home Treatment

Prevention The best way to prevent a chalazion is with good hygiene.

• Treat dry eyes to prevent MGD and chalazion recurrence.
• Wash hands before touching around eyes or removing contact lenses.
• Wash your face at bedtime to remove dirt and makeup.
• Remove eye makeup before going to bed.
• Replace mascara, eyeliner, and eye shadow every 3 months.
• The doctor may recommend gentle eyelid scrubs to prevent chalazion from recurring.

Hand-washing

Wash your hands thoroughly and often. Before you touch your eyes, make sure to wash your hands.

Contact lens care:

Wash your hands before removing contact lenses. Make sure to clean your contacts with a disinfectant and lens-cleaning solution thoroughly. Always throw daily and limited-time contacts away on schedule.

Face-washing

Wash your face daily to remove dirt and makeup before going to bed.

Clean Eyelids

Your healthcare provider may recommend cleaning your eyelids. We highly recommend Avenova eyelid cleanser.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you get rid of a chalazion?

Chalazion often goes away on its own. It is helpful if you do warm compresses several times a day to help resolve it faster. Sometimes your eye doctor will inject a steroid to help reduce inflammation.

What happens if a chalazion is left untreated?

Chalazion, left untreated, can leave a rather large hard lump which can impair vision, induce watery eyes, and cause eye irritations. If a chalazion becomes bothersome, your eye doctor can perform surgery for removal, which can leave a scar.

What triggers chalazion?

Dry eyes can trigger chalazion by causing the meibomian oil glands to clog, resulting in a chalazion. Other triggers include chronic blepharitis, acne, rosacea, and seborrheic dermatitis meibomian gland dysfunction. Less commonly, chalazia develop due to viral conjunctivitis or tuberculosis. Rarely sebaceous cell carcinoma can masquerade as recurring chalazia. Individuals with a stye or chalazion have an increased risk of developing chalazia.

How serious is a chalazion?

In general, chalazion is not severe. Chalazion typically will disappear after a few weeks. Some complications may happen where you lose eyelashes or a small scar on your eyelid, especially if you had surgery to remove a chalazion.

What is the best treatment for chalazion?

The best treatment for a chalazion is warm compresses and eyelid cleansing. Keep your eyelids clean, and wash your hands often. Do not wear any eye makeup, clean your contact lenses thoroughly, and treat your dry eyes to prevent a recurrence.

Conclusion

Chalazia (plural of chalazion) is the most common inflammatory lesion of the eyelid. Chalazia are typically benign and self-limiting, though they can develop chronic complications. They are usually slowly enlarging, non-tender eyelid nodules. Recurrent chalazia should be evaluated for malignancy.

Keeping your eyes healthy is essential for your vision and quality of life. Sometimes, though, things like styes and chalazia happen. While these troublesome eye problems can be unsightly, they are treatable at home. Talk to your healthcare provider about how to avoid these pesky eye problems.

References

1 Chalazion. www.guysandstthomas.nhs.uk/our-services/eye/patients/eye-patient-leaflets.aspx. Accessed July 10, 2015.

2 Goawalla A, Lee V. Clin Experiment Ophthalmol. 2007;35(8):706-712.

3 Ben Simon GJ et al. Am J Ophthalmol. 2011;151(4):714-718.

4 Ben Simon GJ et al. Ophthalmology. 2005;112(5):913-917.

5 Hayashi N et al. Virchows Arch. 1994;424(5):503-509.

6 Abboud IA et al. Exper Eye Res. 1968;7(3):383-387.

7 Chen L et al. Am J Ophthalmol. 2014;157(5):1103-1108.