Since you blink about 15 times in a minute, your eye lids get a constant workout. Bumps on your eye lids, especially painful ones, can irritate your eye area and make you uncomfortable. They can also appear unsightly, which can harm your self-confidence. Although many benign conditions cause bumps in the eye area, they can also have potentially serious causes that might interfere with your vision. Schedule an appointment with an eye care professional for a complete examination so that he can evaluate and treat your eye lid bumps.
Causes
The most common causes of bumps on the eye lids are styes that result from blocked oil glands, according to the Medline Plus health database, but other possible causes include xanthelasma, papillomas, millia, cysts and seborrheic keratosis. Styes look like red, swollen pimples and might be sore to the touch. If the gland becomes fully blocked, the stye can turn into a chalazion -- a firm nodule that might interfere with your vision if it becomes large enough.
Symptoms
In addition to the bump, you might experience sensitivity to light, eye lid tenderness, tearing of the eye and a gritty sensation as if there is something in your eye. Dr. William Trattler, an opthamologist and assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Miami's Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, says that chalazions can be uncomfortable, but they can also be painless and asymptomatic.
Identification
Doctors can usually diagnose styes and chalazions by examining your eye lid. If your doctor suspects xanthelasma as the cause of your bumps, he might check your blood cholesterol and lipid levels since the raised yellow eye lid bumps of xanthelasma can indicate high blood pressure. If he cannot determine the cause of the bumps, he might conduct a biopsy -- a procedure in which he removes part of the bump and examines it under a microscope.
Prevention/Solution
Although lid bumps caused by styes usually disappear on their own within two to three days, they can recur if you do not practice good eye lid hygiene. You might be able to prevent recurrent styes, according to MayoClinic.com, by keeping your hands away from your eye area. If you need to insert contact lenses, wash your hands thoroughly before touching the eye area and keep your lenses clean and disinfected. Refrain from sharing cosmetics, such as mascara or eye liners, and throw out old cosmetics.
Warning
Although eye lid bumps rarely pose serious complications, Medline Plus recommends contacting your doctor promptly if you experience problems with your vision, if the bumps become large or painful, if your eye lids become crusted or if the bump bleeds. Schedule an evaluation if a new bump appears shortly after successful treatment of another one or if you experience recurrent styes or infections.
