What to do
If after stye you are bothered by swelling on your eyelid, the help of a specialist will help. Chalazion, left to chance, leads to a malignant tumor. There are several types of treatment for chalazion. The doctor prescribes the appropriate method depending on the degree and severity of the disease.
General recommendations
There are a number of rules that should be followed in order not to worsen the situation:
- Observe personal hygiene rules: wash and disinfect your hands.
- Do not squeeze out pus or touch the eyelid area with your hands.
- If you use contact lenses, they should be temporarily replaced with glasses.
- Stop using eye cosmetics.
Useful video
Chalazion treatment:
What medications can treat chalazion?
At the initial stage of chalazion, the doctor prescribes antiseptic drops, selecting from the available variety what is suitable for a particular patient, identifying whether the patient is allergic to any substances.
Physiotherapeutic methods
If the lump formed after barley does not pose a threat to the life and health of the patient, the doctor prescribes physical therapy: a blue lamp and dry heat. The formation resolves after 5 procedures.
Operative methods
Indications for surgical intervention may include factors such as a particularly large size of the lump or the ineffectiveness of physiotherapeutic or drug treatment. Surgical intervention is rarely resorted to. Doctors use local anesthesia.
Treatment of lumps
If a lump remains after stye, you should immediately contact an ophthalmologist to confirm the diagnosis and treatment. The danger of chalazion lies in its uncontrolled growth and the possibility of malignancy. A long-term chalazion can lead to the development of carcinoma (malignant tumor) in this area of the eyelid.
If chalazion recurs frequently, you should contact your doctor for a number of additional studies. Very often, recurrent chalazions are the first sign of the development of diabetes mellitus, blood diseases and a malignant tumor.
Physiotherapeutic
If the chalazion is not inflamed, physical therapy treatment may be used, including:
- dry warm compresses;
- UHF therapy (exposure to high-frequency electromagnetic field);
- massage the eyelids in the direction from the outer to the inner corner of the eye.
Read in a separate article: Is it possible to open and squeeze out a stye on the eye?
Physiotherapeutic methods are not used in the presence of inflammation, since the infectious process can spread to healthy tissues of the eyelid and cause complications.
Medication
At the initial stages of the disease, drug treatment is used. Are used:
- Antiseptic drops. They have a local disinfecting effect.
- Antibacterial drops and ointments . Affects bacteria that cause inflammation.
- Corticosteroid ointments. They have an anti-inflammatory effect, slow down and stop the growth of the cone. The ointment is placed behind the eyelid before going to bed at night.
- Injections (shots) of corticosteroids into the chalazion area. An injection into the eyelid tissue can only be performed by an ophthalmologist. The injection is carried out in a treatment room with a thin needle under local anesthesia drops.
Operational
If drug and physiotherapeutic treatment is ineffective, as well as if the chalazion is large, surgical removal is performed.
The operation is performed under local anesthesia. Special forceps are applied to the upper or lower eyelid, and the lump is cut out along with the capsule from the inside or outside. After this, a small suture is placed on the skin or mucous membrane of the eyelid and treated with an antiseptic. The operation is performed without hospitalization in a hospital inpatient unit.
If the lump is small, it can be removed with a laser. The advantages of the operation are less trauma and the absence of stitches.
Folk remedies
To treat a lump on the eye after stye, compresses with aloe juice can be used. The plant has an antiseptic and weak antibacterial effect. Aloe juice is diluted with warm water, after which a cotton pad is dipped into the resulting solution. Compresses are applied to the eyelid area for 10 minutes, 2 times a day.
It is possible to use compresses with a decoction of raspberry, chamomile and calendula leaves. The decoction is infused for 10 minutes.
Prevention of complications
Prevention is very important because it can prevent the appearance of eyelid chalazion. Here are a few simple rules that you can follow to protect yourself and prevent eyelid chalazion:
Maintain personal hygiene. Avoid touching your eyes and the area around them with unwashed hands to avoid infection.
Keep an eye on your eyes. At the slightest manifestation of inflammation and other diseases, consult a doctor!
If you wear contact lenses, take good care of them. Disinfect your hands when putting them on and taking them off, change the solution on time and rinse your lenses.
Important! Always remove makeup from your eyes at night.
How is it formed
Barley is an acute purulent lesion of the hair follicle of the eyelash or sebaceous gland. During its development it goes through 3 stages:
- Active inflammation, accompanied by swelling along the edge of the eyelid, swelling of the conjunctiva and pain. Its duration is 2-3 days.
- Formation of a pustule (cavity) with purulent contents. Around it, redness of the skin of the eyelid persists. This condition lasts up to 4 days.
- Opening the abscess.
A lump after barley is formed as a result of disturbances in the last stages of the formation of pathology.
With a small size of purulent formation and the absence of adequate therapy, the capsule may grow into connective tissue fibers. This results in the formation of a hardened structure. Outwardly, it looks like a red nodule on the eyelid. If the patient does not seek medical help and does nothing, then a dense lump is formed, which represents a cosmetic defect and is not amenable to drug treatment.
When an abscess is opened, its cavity is normally emptied completely. When this process is disrupted, some of the contents remain inside. This leads to an increase in local inflammation and the formation of a lump on the eyelid. Treatment in such cases is conservative.
Why does a nodule appear on the eyelid?
Barley is an acute inflammation in the cavity of the hair follicle, the capsule of which is filled with purulent secretion due to a staphylococcal infection entering the cavity. Pathology at the hordeolum stage develops according to a well-known scenario - after a phase of active inflammation and the formation of a cavity with pus, spontaneous opening of the pustule occurs. With the release of purulent contents and the attenuation of the symptoms of inflammation, the problem ends without leaving a noticeable trace.
In some cases, the course of the disease is complicated by the appearance of a small seal on the eye, and the hordeolum transforms into a chalazion (frozen barley). The problem when a lump remains on the upper eyelid after opening a stye is more often encountered by adults. The reasons may be related to the following factors:
- frequent relapses of acute eye infections;
- by squeezing out the purulent contents of the hordeolum;
- incorrect selection of antibacterial drugs.
On a note! Often the cause of the appearance of chalazion is associated with premature cessation of treatment for the acute form of barley. As a result, the capsule does not open or the purulent secretion does not completely come out.
What to do if there is a lump left after stye
Thanks to the timely diagnosis of chalazion and the prescription of adequate treatment, the painful eye problem will be solved before dangerous changes appear in the thickness of the inflamed eyelid. In addition to general recommendations on avoiding cosmetics and contact lenses while maintaining personal hygiene, the following methods are used to combat compaction:
- drug therapy;
- surgical intervention;
- methods of additional assistance.
For you: Differences between gout and rheumatoid arthritis: what the tests will tell
To avoid infection of the tissues adjacent to the site of inflammation, as well as the conjunctival membrane of the eye, it is recommended to rinse the organs of vision with antiseptic liquids. Most often, patients use solutions of Miramistin or Chlorhexedine.
Drug therapy
Based on the degree of the inflammatory process, the course of treatment can last 14 days. During this period you will have to use the following medications:
- for eye drops, the doctor prescribes drops with an antibacterial composition, the solution of which is harmful to staphylococci (Floxal, Tobrex, Levomycetin);
- antibacterial therapy is supplemented with anti-inflammatory ointments with a bactericidal effect (Tetracycline, Hydrocortisone);
- if necessary, use the combination drug Sofradex based on an antibiotic enhanced with a corticosteroid.
The medications are prescribed by an ophthalmologist, providing the patient with individual instructions on dosage and regimen. If after a 7-day course of fighting barley there is no effect, and the lump on the eye remains, the doctor adjusts the composition of the combined treatment regimen. In addition, to strengthen the immune system, the patient will need the help of vitamin complexes and brewer's yeast.
The need for surgical care
In medical practice, dangerous situations occur when conservative therapy does not bring positive results. If the tumor is large or grows, surgery will be required to get rid of the defect on the face. During the surgical procedure, the chalazion capsule along with purulent secretion is cut out from the eyelid cavity. The incision site is sutured, leaving virtually no traces of the single suture on the skin.
The most gentle way to get rid of the external manifestations of meibomitis is considered to be surgery using a laser. Thanks to the use of modern laser equipment, the surface of the skin is cut not with a scalpel, but with a laser beam. If the nodule is small, it is evaporated by radiation; a large capsule is removed after laser irradiation. The main advantage of the bloodless procedure is the absence of relapses, as well as stitches as a result of non-contact removal of the formation.
Sometimes, after surgical opening of the stylus capsule, the patient notices that a small lump remains on the eyelid, which does not cause discomfort. The reason is related to the fact of secondary infection during surgery or it is a consequence of tissue scarring.
Complementary therapy methods
If the nodule at the site of the ruptured hordeolum does not resolve on its own, the doctor may prescribe UHF procedures. Thanks to the complex treatment method, it is possible to achieve a faster recovery, but physical procedures are contraindicated for a patient with an elevated temperature. To combat meibomitis, it is also recommended to use a blue lamp and apply dry heat to the affected eye.
As an additional means of helping with the symptoms of chalazion, you can add compresses from infusions of herbs that have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects (chamomile and calendula flowers). It is preferable to make lotions from herbal infusions before using eye ointments or drops, and also use decoctions to wash the eyes on the advice of your doctor.
Therapy for bumps
If you have a noticeable lump on your upper eyelid after a stye, you need medical attention. At the first stage of treatment, the ophthalmologist may prescribe conservative therapy. The drugs of choice are ointments or drops that contain antibiotics or corticosteroids. The products are applied to the site of the bump several times during the day. The duration of such therapy usually does not exceed five days.
Warm compresses applied to the bump are very effective. Note that with barley, heating the inflamed area is not recommended, but with chalazion such a measure is justified. A warm compress (moisten a sterile cloth in warm water) should be applied to the seal and held for 5-10 minutes. This procedure must be repeated no more than three times a day. As a result of this treatment, the lump will gradually resolve. Instead of a compress, you can use UHF therapy, which also has an effective effect.
To make the illness go away faster, the procedure can be combined with the use of hydrocortisone eye ointment. After the compress, gently and lightly massage the sore eyelid and lubricate the area with hydrocortisone ointment. Under the influence of heat and the medicinal components of the ointment, the lumen of the clogged gland expands, and the seal gradually begins to disappear.
It is very important to know that hydrocortisone ointment has its contraindications and is not combined with a number of medications. Therefore, before applying the ointment on the eyelid, you need to read the instructions for the product.
Attention! It is not recommended to self-medicate to prevent possible consequences. Any treatment must be coordinated with a qualified ophthalmologist. The proper effect in the treatment of chalazion occurs when corticosteroid drugs are injected into the thickness of the cone. These medications have a decongestant and anti-inflammatory effect, so ophthalmologists often resort to them so that the seal quickly resolves.
If conservative therapy does not help the chalazion go away, then doctors perform a minor operation to release the contents of the cyst out. To do this, a small incision is made at the site of the lesion. Since the lump is located on the inside of the eyelid, there are no scars left after the operation. This intervention lasts only 30 minutes and is carried out using anesthetics. After the operation, in the first days there is swelling and bruising, but all these unpleasant phenomena disappear within a short time.
After the operation, it is necessary to strictly adhere to all the doctor’s instructions so that no undesirable consequence occurs (recurrence of chalazion, abscess, cellulitis of the eyelid, etc.). An excellent alternative to surgery is laser therapy. The technique has undeniable advantages:
- less traumatic;
- dispenses with bandages, since the therapy is bloodless;
- does not require stitches;
- does not last long and promotes rapid recovery;
- does not cause relapses.
Typically, laser treatment on the eyelid is performed quickly, after which the patient can go home. After manipulation, it is not recommended to wet your eyes. In rare cases, if the scar causes unpleasant discomfort in the cornea area, special lenses are prescribed for several days.
