Introduction
One of the most important human senses is the visual sense. It helps you see the surroundings, so you can overcome dangers, view your food (especially the comestible ones) and for many other life situations. The main organ in seeing is the eye. Each human being is born with two eyes protected by eyelids. The eyelids are thin folds of skin which cover the eyes. One of the thinnest skins of the whole body, the eyelid has another purpose, to regularly spread over the eye’s surface tears and other secretions that keep the eyes moisturized. But like any other human body part, the eyelid is vulnerable to eyelid diseases. The eyelid diseases have many types of eyelid afflictions, most of them regarding the moistening aspect of the eyelid.
Blepharospasm
Blepharospasm makes part of the eyelid diseases. Also known as benign essential blepharospasm, this condition represents a neurological movement disorder of the eyelid, by involving involuntary movement of the eyelid’s muscles. The cause is yet unknown, but most of the cases appear when people are fatigued, stressed or if they are under the action of an irritant substance. In most of the cases the movement impairment lasts for several days but is healed by itself. The eyelid diseases symptoms are quite common when it comes to fatigue, the eyelids feel like closing shut and cannot be opened except with great effort.
Stye
Another condition of the eyelid diseases is called a stye. This is a common disease that can be found on a lot of people. It represents an infection of the sebaceous glands of Zeis at the base of the eyelashes, or an infection of the apocrine glands. Usually it appears as a small abscess formed at the base of the eyelash, looking like a small yellow spot filled with pus. The patient’s vision is unaffected and in general, the patients get better on their own and do not need any treatment. Hot compresses can ease the pain and encourage the stye to burst. Styes usually develop quite quickly, over a few days. Usually only one eye is affected, but there are cases when you can get more styes, on the same lid.
Chalazion
Chalazion is also known as meibomian gland lipogranuloma. This affection is represented by a cyst in the eyelid. The cyst is usually caused by the inflammation of the meibomian gland when it is obstructed. This cyst usually appears on the upper lid rather the lower one. Although it resembles in appearance the stye, chalazia differs in that they are usually painless nodules. They may become acutely inflamed, but unlike a stye, it will point inside the lid. The signs and symptoms are similar to the stye’s (swelling of the eyelid, tenderness of the eyelid, sensitivity to light, increased tearing and heaviness of the eyelid). As treatment, in its early phases, the topical antibiotic eye drops may help, but further it will heal itself. Chalazia will disappear without treatment within a few months and will all be absorbed in about two years.
