Chalazion in Chicago Ridge, IL, Tinley Park, IL, and Munster, IN

A chalazion is an eyelid bump resulting when an oil gland is blocked or clogged. Commonly referred to as a stye, a chalazion is not usually infected or infectious but can cause tenderness, swelling, redness, and discomfort. Most chalazia arise from the eyelid Meibomian glands, which contribute to the oil layer of the normal tear film.

A chalazion can be thought of as an eyelid “pimple”, and just as some teenagers are especially prone to acne, some individuals may get multiple chalazia over several years. Chalazia commonly occur in patients with blepharitis, along with other oil gland problems. If you have noticed a bump on your eyelid which hasn’t improved with simple warm compresses, contact one of our offices, located in Chicago Ridge, IL, Tinley Park, IL, and Munster, IN.

Heat to soften or melt the clogged oil secretions is the initial mainstay of chalazion treatment. While any warm compress, placed for several minutes at a time, may be adequate, special devices, such as the Bruder eye mask or OCuSOFT® eye mask (http://www.ocusoft.com/ocusoft-dry-eye-mask-premium), are excellent options. Gentle eyelid massage and lid scrubs are also useful.

Surgical drainage of a chalazion is usually a straightforward procedure, taking only 5-10 minutes or so. In cooperative individuals, this may be performed in an office setting, with local anesthesia. Younger children and more apprehensive patients may benefit from intravenous sedation, performed in an operating room environment.

As in adolescent acne, chalazion prevention is difficult, but certain measures should be considered for individuals with persistent or recurrent problems. Good eyelid skin hygiene should be followed, including weekly or biweekly warm compresses with lid scrubs.

Other treatment methods can include:

• Nutraceutical supplementation with high purity omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to improve Meibomian gland function (https://prnomegahealth.com/products/dry-eye-omega-benefits/)

• Intense pulsed light, especially when combined with manual Meibomian gland expression (https://journals.lww.com/corneajrnl/fulltext/2018/12000/multicenter_study_of_intense_pulsed_light_therapy.15.aspx) is an excellent therapeutic and preventive treatment option for blepharitis and recurrent chalazia

If you or someone in your family suffers from persistent or recurrent chalazion, please reach out to Ticho Eye Associates to book an appointment at one of our offices, which may be found in Chicago Ridge, IL, Tinley Park, IL, and Munster, IN.