Why does eyelid swollen

For severe allergic reactions, you may need prescription eye drops. Oral antihistamines can also help. If your eyelids are painful or tender to the touch, the cause is likely an infection, cyst, or stye. If your upper or lower eyelid is swollen, it could be from a cyst or chalazion. A chalazion typically swells in the middle portion of the lid.

These cysts can take a few weeks to clear and some develop into a hard bump. Treatment: For relief, hold a wet heated cloth over your eye. The warmth can help with oil secretion and blockage. You can do this four to five times a day. If the cyst continues to linger, see your doctor.

They can help drain it for you. A stye forms due to a minor infection at the base of the eyelid near the eyelash.

It can be internal or external, but it often shows as a well-defined red bump. Once the pus is released from the stye, generally your eye will get better. Treatment: You can use a warm compress to bring relief and promote healing. It usually takes a few weeks before it clears up. Avoid using makeup while you have a stye, as this can cause reinfection.

Keep reading: How to treat a stye ». Pink eye is due to a bacterial, viral, or allergic infection that causes inflammation on the surface of your eye. It can start from one eye and spread to both. Styes red, painful lumps on the eyelid. Eye injuries, like getting hit near your eye. Blepharitis inflammation near the base of the eyelashes. Chalazia healed internal styes that leave a lump on the eyelid.

Cellulitis, including orbital or periorbital cellulitis. Graves' disease overproduction of hormones from the thyroid into the body. Fluid retention, usually resulting in puffy eyes.

A swollen eyelid may be a symptom of allergies or a sign of a serious eye infection. Home remedies can treat minor bouts of swollen eyelids. Avoid rubbing your eyes, as this will only aggravate your condition.

If you have eye discharge along with your swollen eyelid, use a saline solution to rinse your eyes. Apply a cold, wet compress to your eyes to help reduce the fluid buildup. Cold tea bags can also help with swollen eyelids. Anti-inflammatory eye drops may help with discomfort from swollen eyelids caused by allergies or minor infections like viral pink eye. Swelling of the eyelids is a symptom of an underlying cause, such as allergy or infection.

You may have some of these other symptoms along with swollen eyelids:. Your swollen eyelids may be the result of allergies. Most of the time, allergies cause itchy eyes. Pollen, dust and animal dander cause the release of histamines in the tissues around the eyes. The histamine results in itching, redness and swelling around your eyes.

Your eyelids may swell as a reaction to photophobia , a sensitivity to light. Sunlight, fluorescent light and incandescent light can cause discomfort and a need to squint or close your eyes. Go to NHS or call Page last reviewed: 02 October Next review due: 02 October Eyelid problems. Most eyelid problems are harmless Many eyelid problems are not serious. People with Graves' disease or other thyroid problems often suffer from eyelid swelling.

Graves' disease can cause the eyes to bulge. Although it can affect one eye more than the other, it usually involves both eyes. Sometimes Graves' disease can limit eye motion or cause double vision.

Any type of hypothyroidism, or low levels of thyroid hormones, can cause both eyes to seem swollen or puffy. It is not uncommon for herpes to become an eye disease. The herpes virus can infect the cornea , causing inflammation. This is the clear dome that covers the front part of your eye. Eye herpes, also called ocular herpes, can cause painful sores on the eyelid or the eye surface itself. The cornea is affected as well as the eyelid.

It's normal for eyes to look a little swollen when you wake up in the morning, but severe eye swelling is not. The most common causes include allergies, pink eye, and styes, but skin infections, thyroid disease, and herpes are other possible causes. Fortunately, a case of swollen eyelids usually will pass without trouble and be forgotten. Most people will experience them at some point, and they are easy to treat in most cases.

That, however, may lead to a false sense of security. When a swollen eyelid is "no big deal," it seems like there's no reason to have the eye looked at by a doctor. But in some cases, it may be a symptom of a larger problem. If you're not sure, or if your eye doesn't get better in a few days, be sure to call your doctor for advice. Waking up with puffy eyelids—known as eyelid edema—occurs because of fluid retention. As a result, less blood circulates, which can lead to eyelid edema in the morning.

Once you are awake, upright, and begin blinking, the trapped fluid typically disperses, and the eyelids return to their normal size. Swelling under your eye—commonly known as bags under your eyes—can be caused by:. Swelling of your lower eyelid near the lash line can be due to a stye or chalazion. A stye is an infection of the oil-producing glands in the eyelid that causes a small fluid-filled bump on the eyelash line.

A chalazion, a hard, sometimes painful lump on the eyelash line, occurs when one of these glands becomes blocked.

Other causes of under-eye swelling include cellulitis, conjunctivitis, and herpes infection of the eye.

It depends on the cause. A cool eye compress such as cucumber slices or a cold washcloth can help to reduce eyelid edema. A warm compress such as a washcloth or teabag can help eyelid swelling from a stye or chalazion. If allergies are causing eyelid swelling, taking an antihistamine like Benadryl or using antihistamine eye drops can help to reduce swelling.

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