General information
Everyone of us surely knows it: a thick and swollen eyelid. Sometimes it itches, scales, is somehow weeping. Sometimes an eyelid can swell so much that the affected eye cannot be opened properly.
And of course, it is immediately noticeable to a person opposite, because it sits in the middle of the face and can therefore be quite disfiguring. The causes for such a swollen eyelid are extremely diverse. Fortunately, most of them are harmless and the eye itself is usually not directly affected and therefore out of danger. In cases of doubt, however, an inflammation of the lower eyelid should still be clarified by a specialist doctor, such as a dermatologist or an ophthalmologist.
Diagnosis
In the case of a swollen lower eyelid, the primary question is whether it is an inflammatory or non-inflammatory process. Furthermore, the following questions can facilitate the exact diagnosis:
- Is only one of the two eyes affected or are both swollen?
- Where is the exact location of the swelling? (upper lid / lower lid, inside of the lid / outside / only at the edge of the lid)
- Is the inflammation limited to a small area (localized) or is the entire eyelid affected?
- How long has it existed?
(acute/chronic)
- Are there any other noticeable changes on the skin surface? (redness etc. )
- Does it feel overall rather soft or hard and rough?
Depending on the reason for the swelling of the eyelid, it is also possible that the closely adjacent parts of the eye are affected, such as the cornea or the conjunctiva.
The affected eye may itch and burn, suffer from dryness or even have impaired vision. There are also swellings in the area of the eyes and the eyelids that have been present since birth, for example a small haemangioma (known as a capillary hemangioma in technical terminology), or a colloquial liver spot (which does not necessarily have to have the typical brown color, but can be slightly raised, like a pimple), also known as a nevus cell nevus. Fortunately, however, all the above-mentioned clinical pictures are usually harmless and are of cosmetic rather than medical relevance.
Swollen eyelids also play a significant role in cosmetic surgery/plastic surgery. Frequently, the drooping lower eyelids, popularly known as “drooping eyelid” or “tear sacs”, are perceived as disturbing and unaesthetic and those affected wish to have them removed. However, this is an exclusively beauty-cosmetic issue and is of no medical interest whatsoever.
However, where caution is required, swelling of the eyelids caused by a severe inflammation of the eye or the eye socket may be the cause. One should also be alert if not only the eyelids swell, but also other parts of the body swelling or changes of any kind are noticed. This could be an indication of acute shock, angioedema or “hives”.
If swollen eyelids occur in pregnant women, this could be the first sign of pre-eclampsia (a pregnancy-related disease, a so-called gestosis). In rare cases, the swelling is also a tumorous process. Fortunately, however, the most common is hailstone, a typical and widespread form of chronic eyelid inflammation.
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