What To Do If Your Eyelid Is Swollen

If you have woken up with a swollen eyelid, it can be really scary, especially if you’re not sure what’s caused it, or how to treat it. You may be wondering what causes swollen bottom eyelid, or swollen lumps on top eyelids and what you can do about it. A lot of reasons for a swollen eyelid are pretty harmless and many do heal on their own, but of course, it’s important to be aware of any changes in your body, especially your eyes as they are so precious.

There are many different reasons that your eyelid may be swollen. For example, you may have a stye, an eye infection, a bite from an insect, or simply allergies. It’s important to be aware of any other symptoms you may be experiencing at the same time as these could mean different things. For example, are your eyes sensitive to light? Are they itchy, or do they feel as though they have been scratched? Are they leaking discharge, or is the eyelid dry and flaky? Is it a painful lump causing the swelling, or is it just swollen across the whole lid? Is it one eye, or both of them? These questions will help you determine what the issue is and what the best cause of action is going forward.

If you have a swollen, painful lump on your eyelid (it may also have a pus-filled head like a pimple), this could be a stye, however, if there is no lump but your eyelid is swollen, you might have a Chalazion. Other reasons for a swollen eyelid include allergies, or if it is hot and painful as well as swollen, it could be cellulitis. You may have been bitten by a bug that could have caused the swelling in the eyelid, or you may remember having injured your eyelid in some way in the past 24 hours that has come out in swelling.

A warm compress can help with swelling, especially if the issue is a stye, or a blocked tear duct for example. Use a warm, clean washcloth and hold it onto the eye for around 5-10 minutes and repeat a few times throughout the day as needed. Make sure you use a fresh cloth each time to avoid spreading any potential infections.

Make sure you avoid makeup on your eyes, and contact lenses until your eyelid is entirely healed as this can make things worse. If your swollen eyelid is due to allergies, you could use something like an antihistamine drop to give some quick relief.

When it comes to our eyes, we have to be really careful as infections can be really dangerous and can cause long-term issues, so it’s important to see an eye doctor if your swelling gets worse, or doesn’t recede with some simple at-home care. If it becomes really painful or affects your vision, it is better to get checked and make sure that everything is okay.