Pain, burning and discomfort in the lower eyelid often indicates inflammation in the tissues. Most often it is barley, but even it is not a harmless inflammation and requires special treatment. If the lower eyelid of the eye hurts, you should definitely come for an examination and consultation with an ophthalmologist. In some cases, this symptom can cause vision loss.
Anatomy of the eye and eyelids
The eyelids provide protection to the eyeball. As soon as a threat appears, a person blinks involuntarily. This is an instinctive movement that has saved the eyeballs and cornea from damage more than once.
The structure of the eyelid:
- mucosa, which is adjacent to the eyeball and performs the function of moisturizing and reducing the dryness of its surface;
- The cartilaginous tissue of the upper and lower eyelids provides a frame, it houses the meibomian glands. They produce a special secret, thanks to which the eyeball is moistened;
- epidermis that covers the outside of the eyelid.
He althy motor activity of the eyeball is provided by the muscles. If we talk about raising the upper eyelid, then it will be associated with a motor spasm of a small muscle. The activity of the lower eyelid is more simple - due to its own gravity and the absence of muscles that could resist. A person can close his eyes tightly with the help of a circular muscle. Thus, any movement of the eyes and eyelids is due to the muscles.
Why does the lower eyelid hurt
The exact cause can only be reported by an ophthalmologist after examination. List of common causes of lower eyelid pain:
- Style is an inflammation of the eyelid, which is characterized by severe soreness, redness and punctate swelling.
- Furuncle - in some cases, a painless formation, which is characterized by the presence of a purulent rod inside the abscess.
- Abscess, which most often occurs due to infection or complication of the carbuncle.
- Phlegmon is a formation that often affects areas of the face adjacent to the eyelid.
- Erysipelas, which not only hurts the lower eyelid, but also inflames part of the face.
- Conjunctivitis with formation and release of exudate.
Barley - an inflammatory process in the tissues of the eyelid
This is a very common pathology that occurs in both men and women. Barley - commonthe reason that the lower eyelid is swollen and sore. First, a small red bump forms, which almost does not cause pain.
As it grows, the patient experiences more and more discomfort - a white dot may form in the center of the tubercle. It's a rod that intends to come out. In no case should you squeeze barley yourself! The red tubercle will grow larger as it matures and eventually break through, the contents will come out.
If for a long time the barley does not break through, and the pain is getting worse, you should contact an ophthalmologist, he will write out a referral for surgery. In a hospital, in complete sterility, the barley will be dissected using a special surgical instrument. As a result, the doctor will remove the purulent root and ichor, which can become a source of re-inflammation.
Furuncle in the tissue of the lower eyelid
The furuncle is visually very similar to barley. The difference is that in barley the root usually does not exceed a size of a few mm, and in a boil it can even reach two centimeters. Of course, such a huge root rarely forms in the lower eyelid area. But about one centimeter - it may well. If the eye hurts and the lower eyelid is swollen, while a formation resembling a pimple is observed, then this may be a furuncle.
You can try to cure a boil at home, without going to a surgeon. If you try to squeeze out the boil on your eyelid on your own, then the purulent rod will most likely go inside, as a resultinfection will develop, which will entail furunculosis, streptoderma and other dermatological diseases. The furuncle should mature and break out on its own. If the abscess does not go away and causes severe pain, then, as in the case of a stye on the lower eyelid, it is best to seek professional medical help.
Methods of treating a boil at home
List of effective methods, the use of which will help cure a boil on the lower eyelid at home:
- Prepare a square bag of dense natural cotton fabric. Heat s alt in a pan. Pour into a bag. Check that it does not burn the skin too much - barely bearable heat is enough. Apply a bag of s alt to the affected eye. This will accelerate the maturation of the boil and the rod will break through within a day. Use this method three to four times a day for half an hour.
- Baked onion is an excellent remedy for boils. In order not to damage the mucous membrane of the eye, you should use a piece of onion baked on fire as carefully as possible, which should be applied directly to the boil. Touching the mucous membrane of the eye may cause a burn.
- Heparin ointment is an excellent remedy for boils. You can buy this remedy at any pharmacy, it costs about fifty rubles. Relieves pain, relieves swelling, promotes the rapid discharge of purulent contents.
- "Levomekol" is another popular ointment for boils. If the lower eyelid hurts and there is a suspicion of furunculosis, you should be as careful as possible andApply a thin layer to the surface of the skin. If there is a possibility of getting the ointment on the mucous membrane of the eyeball, it is better to refuse to use it.
Phlegmon: what it is and how it manifests
If the lower eyelid hurts when blinking, then there is a possibility that the cause is phlegmon.
One of the dangerous skin diseases is phlegmon, most often occurring in an acute form. This is either a complication of inflammatory and purulent diseases, such as abscess, sepsis, pneumonia, and others, or an independent disease.
Medicine distinguishes phlegmon of the orbit, neck, mouth, etc. Depending on the location of bacteria, the intensity of symptoms and the patient's well-being differ. If the lower eyelid swells and hurts, while the person feels weak, the temperature rises, it may be phlegmon.
Phlegmon is most often provoked by the activity of pathogenic staphylococcus aureus. It can enter the skin tissues of the face and eyelids in many ways:
- with the flow of lymph and blood from other inflamed organs;
- when a carbuncle breaks, abscess;
- through damage to the skin and mucous membranes.
Methods of treating phlegmon
When moving to the stage of exacerbation (in medicine it is called purulent), phlegmon gives the following symptoms:
- raising the temperature to forty degrees;
- severe chills, fever;
- delusions and hallucinations;
- tachycardia, arrhythmia;
- headache, loss of consciousness.
To prevent this, treatment should be started as early as possible. It consists, as a rule, in taking anti-infective drugs. In some cases, you may need to take a course of antibiotics. The exact dosage and the name of the drug can be reported by a dermatologist, ophthalmologist or surgeon. If the purulent stage of the disease has already begun, it is better to call an ambulance.
Erysipelas with signs of general intoxication
This is a common disease of an infectious-allergic nature. It occurs in both children and adults. It is a common cause of pain in the lower eyelid and the area below it. Accompanied by fever, chills, weakness. If it hurts under the lower eyelid, while the skin turns red, it may be erysipelas.
In most cases, the disease occurs with symptoms of general intoxication. A person not only suffers from pain and swelling of the eyelids, but also feels chills, nausea, aching joints, indomitable vomiting may begin. If the disease has taken an acute form, you should contact an ambulance. If you have time to get a doctor's consultation at the very beginning of the development of the disease, then an exacerbation may not occur. For treatment, hormonal ointments are most often prescribed to remove swelling and redness from the face and eyelids. Often a course of antibiotics is also required.
Conjunctivitis: causes and symptoms
This is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye. It occurs most often due to an infection that can get on the eyeball due todirty hands, contact lenses, cosmetic accessories. The symptoms of the disease are:
- severe puffiness, swollen and sore eyes;
- lower eyelid is inflamed - it is red and painful when touched;
- pus is secreted from the lacrimal ducts - after sleep, the eyelids cannot be unstuck, as they stuck together from secretions;
- impaired visual clarity;
- on the eyes as if a veil - in fact, this is only a subjective feeling of the patient.
If left untreated, conjunctivitis can lead to permanent vision loss and serious corneal disease over time.
Methods of treating conjunctivitis
Depending on the type of disease - viral, bacterial or allergic - the treatment will differ. The most commonly prescribed drugs are:
- drops "Levomycetin" - the cheapest local antibiotic that will help with any kind of conjunctivitis;
- tablets "Acyclovir" are effective if the pathology is caused by the manifestation of a herpes infection;
- drops "Artificial tear" will help relieve symptoms and have a local vasoconstrictor effect, which will reduce swelling and itching;
- Antibiotic drops are used when the patient has already experienced serious complications.
The exact dosage and name of the drug can only be reported by an ophthalmologist after an internal examination. In some casesadditional tests will also be required.
