The lower eyelid protects and nourishes your eye, and the skin of the lid is thinner and more pliable than almost anywhere else on the body. It contains glands to nourish the lashes, sweat glands to keep your eyes cool, and tarsal or meibomian glands which secrete a fatty substance to coat your eye and prevent it from drying out. Bumps may appear in or on the eyelid for many reasons.
Stye
A stye, or external hordeolum, is the bacterial infection of a lash follicle caused by staphylococcus aureus. It is painful, red, raised and up to half an inch in diameter. The National Health Service website advises that most styes get better without treatment in one to three weeks. If treatment is necessary, then apply a warm cloth until the stye comes to a point. It should then be lanced by a health care professional. You should not squeeze or lance your own stye, which carries the risk of infection spreading through your eyelid. You may be prescribed antibiotic tablets or eye drops to clear any remaining infection.
Internal Hordeolum
An internal hordeolum is similar to a stye, but the infection is in a tarsal gland rather than a follicle. Again it is usually due to staphylococcus aureus infection and the subsequent treatment the same as for a stye.
Chalazion
A chalazion, or meibomian cyst, is an enlargement of a tarsal gland caused by a blocked duct. The secretion is trapped in the gland and dries. The lump is painless, yellow in color, hard to the touch and does not grow in size. They may rupture into the lid causing a small tumor-like mass. Both chalazia and granulomas are usually removed under local or general anaesthetic by an opthalmologist, though research by Drs Goawalla and Lee in 2007 demonstrated that injection and massage of the chalazion may resolve it without surgery.
Abscesses
Abscesses usually occur following trauma to the eyelid, and are again frequently due to staphylococcus aureus infection. The lid is painful, reddened, swollen, itchy and often accompanied by discharge. Antibiotics are required to clear the infection and promote healing.
Insect Bites
Insect bites are temporary, itchy red bumps that appear rapidly following a bite or sting. You body reacts to the venom or anticoagulant which is injected by the insect, creating a small mass which will subside over a few hours or days. You can use an antihistamine or cortisone cream to reduce itchiness and speed up healing.
Warts
Warts are more common in the elderly and arise as a result of infection with a papilloma virus. They may grow inward so that your eyelid is lifted away from the surface of your eye causing dryness and irritation. As a result, you may develop frequent eye infections necessitating surgical removal of the wart.
Tumors
There are several types of tumors which may grow on or within the lower eyelid. The bump is usually red or yellow, sometimes itchy or painful and grows continuously. According to The Merck Manual one of the most common benign tumors is a xanthelasma, which manifests as a yellow-white, flat growth. If you have a lump in your eyelid that continues to grow and does not resolve, seek the advice of a health care professional as soon as possible. Tumors found on the lower eyelid can include melanomas, squamous cell carcinomas, tarsal adenomas and tarsal adenocarcinomas.
References
- NHS Direct:Stye
- "A prospective randomized treatment study comparing three treatment options for chalazia" Clin Exp Ophthalmology; A. Goawalla, V.Lee; 2007
- Merck Manual: Eyelid tumors
