Eyelid and tear duct: conditions and surgery

What conditions can impact your eyelid and tear duct?

Some of the most common eyelid and tear duct conditions we can help with include:

Eyelid lumps and bumps

What are the symptoms?

There are a variety of conditions that can show up as eyelid lumps and bumps. Symptoms can range from a painful and red infection in the eyelid (like a stye) or a very slow development of a painless lump in or on the edge of the eyelid.

What are the causes?

Some lumps appear because of an infection in the eyelid.

A stye is an infected hair follicle in one of the eyelashes and appears quickly. It can feel sore, but it does tend to settle quickly once treated.

A chronic eyelid infection, such as blepharitis, is also linked with the development of inflamed, blocked glands in the eyelid. These are known as chalazions and can take longer to settle or may need some minor surgery.

Other lumps produce fluid-filled cysts in the eyelid, which are often harmless. If they bother you, then minor surgery can be an option to remove them.

Although not as common, it’s also possible to develop skin tumours on the eyelid, which will require specialist surgery to make sure any serious problems are prevented. Your optometrist is trained to spot these and they’ll make sure you’re referred as quickly as possible if they think this is the case.

How are they diagnosed?

Your optometrist will be able to diagnose eyelid lumps and bumps. If they need a further specialist opinion or think you might need treatment, they’ll refer you on to a specialist like us.

How are they treated?

The majority of lumps and bumps on the eyelids are harmless and resolve on their own, but if they’re getting in the way or bothering you, then they can be removed with a small procedure under local anaesthetic. Sometimes lumps and bumps might need some additional testing just to make sure there’s nothing else going on.

Drooping eyelid (ptosis)

What are the symptoms?

Some people have droopy skin in their upper eyelid, which can increase with age. This can run in families too. The position of the eyelid is still okay, but the droopy skin can cause a hooded look that might be bothersome. This is known as blepharochalasis.

What are the causes?

Ptosis can be present at birth but often happens later in life as the eyelid muscles stretch with age. It can also be associated with trauma after eye surgery. Less commonly, ptosis is caused by problems with the lid muscles themselves or their nerve supply.

How is it diagnosed?

Your optometrist is your best port of call to check out drooping eyelids, so if you think your eyelid is getting droopy, get in touch with them.

How is ptosis treated?

Surgery for a drooping eyelid typically involves shortening the muscles or tendons that lift the upper eyelid. Using tiny stiches, the muscle is reattached to your eyelid. The stitches might be visible on the skin of your eyelids for a short time but are removed about one week after surgery.

If there’s excess skin, then this can be trimmed at the same time as your surgery. The surgery is very straightforward and doesn’t need any muscle tightening – any excess skin is removed, and the upper lid is stitched to help reduce the hooded appearance. This can be considered a cosmetic procedure, so it might not be covered by the NHS or with private health insurance.

Inward turning eyelid (entropion)

What are the symptoms?

This happens when the edge of the lower eyelid turns inwards and makes the eyelashes touch or rub against the surface of the eye, causing irritation. This irritation can cause red, watery eyes and sometimes blurry vision.

What are the causes?

Most cases are associated with ageing as the muscles in the eyelids become a bit weaker and the eyelid becomes more floppy. It can also happen after inflammation or injury that causes scarring to the eyelid.

How is it diagnosed?

Your optometrist will be able to diagnose an inward turning eyelid with a careful clinical examination.

How is it treated?

There are some measures that can temporarily help with the symptoms of entropion, like taping the eyelid to the cheek to keep the eyelashes away from the eye’s surface or using eye drops and ointments. But often, you’ll be referred to an ophthalmologist for surgery to tighten or reposition the eyelid and prevent it from turning inwards.

How much do eyelid and tear duct surgeries cost?

These types of surgeries are often available on the NHS. That means that if you opt to get your NHS treatment at Newmedica, all your appointments and procedures will be fully covered, with no additional cost to you.

If you’d rather go private, each surgery is different and tailored to your specific needs. You’ll have more choice about when you’ll have your surgery and which consultant will do the procedure for you. If you have any questions about available treatments or you’d like a full price list for eyelid and tear duct surgeries, please get in touch with us.