Cyst in upper eyelid

[stella]

I have developed a swelling in my upper left eyelid .
I went to my GP today who said it was a cyst - I am very unsure whether to believe her
It is a red odematous area along the lid margin with a swelling in the middle and it hurts to touch it
She says it should go down on its own but gave me chloramycetin ointment to use on the lid margin - which i dare not use at the moment -with my history of allergies
I asked if it was a blocked gland and she said no - a blocked hair follicle
I DO HOPE SHE IS RIGHT
I feel very anxious about it since i need to do my eyelid hygiene and hope it is not connected with my MGD - or worse -that i hav'nt injured my glands being too rough with them
Anyone any ideas or experience anything similar??
Thanks

[Stanza]

My problems all started with a cyst, I've gotten worse since and my eye doctor is clueless. Hopefully I'm moving to a country that has more doctors later this year as I'm at a loss. I think there must be a connection with cysts and problems....

[Judy]

Hi Stella,

You may have read my story regarding my 'cyst', 'bump', 'tumor', etc. If not, here is the link. If you have plugs, you will find this of great interest...

http://www.dryeyezone.com/talk/showt...highlight=Judy

[Lucy]

Is it a sty? Not sure if there is a difference between a cyst and a sty?

[stella]

Thanks for your replies- supportive as ever !
Judy i did read your v interesing post on the plug that had migrated
I dont have plugs so that is not a possibility
As usual i have diagnosed myself from the internet
Lucy - I looked up styes and a sty is a swelling of the hair follicle
A chalazion is a swelling of one of the mebomian glands ,and that is what i think i must have ,since it is common in MGD and blepharitis
So my GP is probably wrong as she says it is a swelling of the hair follicle
I could prove it one way or the other by going to my optometrist - He does digital photography of the eyes and was able to demonstrate my blocked glands before i was diagnosed
That would cost a bit, and since the treatment is the same for both ie hot compresses and antibiotic ointment if infected, maybe i will just see if it goes away
Chalazions go away in 8 to 16 weeks - That is a long time
However i am relieved that it does not cause me very much additional discomfort and i can do my usual eyelid hygiene without problems - except it gets v red immediately after
In fact after reading about it i think i should increase my eyelid hygiene to at least twice a day
I have not dared use the chloraycetin ointment to the lid margin yet - I am sooo allergic to anything in my eyes
At the moment it itches like crazy so maybe it is healing ;(or maybe it is just an increase in the usual prickle and itch of the old blepharitis)
Who knows - I am not so panicky now i know what it is and have a plan of action if it does'nt go away
My main worry was that i had been over zealous in my eyelid care and caused trauma but i dont think that is the case
I may try a solution of sodium bicarbonate (one teaspoonful to a pint of boiled water - It keeps a week in the fridge)as that is suggested in this article www.goodhope.org.uk eyelid bumps

[dianat]

Stella,

Is your "cyst" on the outside of your lid or inside? I had a chalazion once and you could see the bump from the outside, but its origin was on the inside.

Good luck treating it, whatever it is. I'm sure it will go away...it's just one more darned thing.

D

[stella]

Hi Dianat
Mine is exactly as you describe - visible on the outside as a bump but deep inside the eye lid ,that is why i dont think it is a sty
How long did it take for yours to disappear?

[stella]

Just an update -
I thnk its starting to go down and I was able to use a tiny amount of chloramycetin ointment on the upper lid margin and outer eyelid without any bad side effects - In fact it felt good and soothing so I may continue to use this on my lid magins since we cant get erythramycin eye ointment in GB and I have always been on the lookout for something to reduce the bacterial load and to lubricate the lids which feel sooo dry
I wonder what if any are the longterm effects of using chloramycetin on the lids ? It is'nt anti inflammatory like doxy but it is antibiotic of course
Any one tried this ?

[dianat]

I know nothing of the medication you are using. I do think your bump sure sounds like a chalazion, but that's only because I've had both sties and chalazion and if there are any other similar conditions, I haven't had it yet!

Hot compresses should help if it is a chalazion. My ophthalmologist surgically removed my chalazion, but I know of no others who have had them removed. My aunt had to just wait until it went away using hot compresses. It drove her crazy and even affected her vision. I was lucky to have had mine cut out. It was extremely uncomfortable.

Best of luck with it. Anyone with MGD is probably pretty darned likely to see a chalazion at some point.

Diana

[stella]

Further update
My chalazion is almost gone ! within aweek !
Cant believe it - It must be the chloramycetin ointment i used on the lids
Dianat - You may know this as chloramphenicol It seems to classed with the tetracyclines and is described as a broad spectrum anti-microbal antibiotic and can be used for certain anaerobic infections
I would say a chalazion is anaerobic (the bugs are closed in and not open to the air )
Anyway i am posting this to encourage anyone with this problem to try chloramycetin(chloramphenicol) eye ointment on the lids and lid margins - It certaily seems to have worked big time for me
It is v commonly used here in the UK for eye infections

[dianat]

Good for you! I'm glad you are improving nicely.

[london_85]

cyst in upper eyelid

Hi,

I have a cyst in my upper eyelid- it is not painful what so ever, however it is hard and not very nice to look at it. I have had it in my upper eyelid for past 6 months. I thought it would go away on it's own but it is still there. Can anyone help with a remedy? It is wierd because it looks almost invisible in the morning but as the day goes on it appears more prominent..?

I would appreciate any help with this as it is affecting my self-confidence

[bernmee]

Have you gone to see a Docor.

bernadette

[london_85]

hi

Yes I have gone to see a doctor and they have said i need surgery but i wanted to know if anyone has got rid of a cyst without surgery? I have a fear of anything to do with hospitals- never had any treatment in my life in hospital, so if anyone knows a way i can treat this myself that would be very helpful?

[irish eyes]

Were you told what kind of cyst it is? And when you say that you `need' surgery, do you mean that its removal is essential - or that surgery is the only way of getting rid of the cyst - but it isn't serious.

I once had something called a Cyst of Moll removed from my lower eyelid. It was painless but it looked unsightly. I don't recall it looking different throughout the day but I know I felt very self conscious about it when I was talking to people.

I decided to get it removed. I was in the clinic for a couple of hours and then had to wear an eye patch for a day - but I was fine. Of course it isn't a fun day out but compared to some of the stuff I have had done to my eyes...it wasn't bad.