Barley or chalazion - how to distinguish between these two diseases?

2023 Author: Alfred Shackley | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 13:14

Bumps along the edges of the eyelids can be diagnosed as barley or chalazion. Painful growths are irritating, but rarely pose a serious threat and often self-destruct.

Eye barley is an infectious formation on the eyelid in the form of a red bump. In most cases, the disease affects the edges of the eyelids, sometimes it forms on the inner side of the eyelid.

Chalazion is an education for the century, which can be confused with barley. It is distinguished by its large size and absence (in most cases) of painful sensations.

Causes

The main cause of the appearance of barley is a bacterial infection, such as Staphylococcus aureus, which enters the base of the cilium.

Due to the blockage of the sebaceous glands, a chalazion forms on the eyelid.

Blockage of the glands can be the result of:

• getting an infection;
• skin disease;
• anomalies of the functional process of the glands;
• ignoring the rules of personal hygiene;
• hypothermia;
• violation of the rules for the use of contact lenses;
• failure of lipid metabolism;
• stress;
• allergic inflammation;
• chronic gastrointestinal diseases;
• trauma;
• the development of diabetes mellitus;
• non-compliance with the doctor's recommendations during the treatment of barley or blepharitis.

The blockage problem is often resolved without outside intervention.

Symptoms

Barley is an inflamed lump on the edge of the eyelid. With the growth of education, the eyelid swells, painful sensations appear, possibly increased lacrimation. The average ripening period of barley is three days. The rehabilitation period is about seven days.

Outwardly and symptomatically, the manifestations of chalazion are similar to barley. The difference between chalazion is that in most cases, the neoplasm gradually self-destructs over several months without rupture and additional treatment. The development of the chalazion is slow. The neoplasm can reach a significant size, which will negatively affect the visual function.

Inflammation and swelling can affect the eye area and provoke:

• the occurrence of discomfort in the eye;
• decrease in the level of visual acuity;
• tearing;
• itching;
• painful sensations with tactile contact;
• suppuration;
• painful throbbing of the eyelid.

When neoplasms appear in the eye area, it is recommended to seek the advice of a specialist in order to exclude the development of complex diseases.

Diagnostics

The characteristic symptomatology makes it easy to diagnose barley and chalazion. Education on the eyelid is visually examined by an ophthalmologist. Instrumental diagnostics in most cases is not required. Sometimes, histological examination of the damaged tissue may be required to rule out a serious type of disease.

If the chosen course of treatment does not bring the desired results, additional studies may be prescribed in order to adjust the therapy:

• blood test;
• bacteriological culture;
• immunogram.

In case of chronic chalazion, consultation of an immunologist, dermatologist, infectious disease specialist will be required.

Treatment

Almost 25% of cases of barley and chalazion formation do not require treatment, the formations self-destruct. Home treatment is usually sufficient and only a small percentage of the disease requires surgery.

Home treatment takes place without the use of complex medical devices.

The main thing is to follow the basic recommendations:

• It is necessary to reduce the time of wearing contact lenses and exclude the use of cosmetics in the eye area during the period of illness;
• You can not independently open the abscesses on the eyelids;
• Use ointments and solutions for rinsing the eyes only after consulting a doctor.

Home treatments include:

• Century massage;
• Warm egg to warm up. Cool the hard-boiled egg slightly and wrap it in a cloth. Apply to the eyelid for 3-4 minutes. After the procedure, lightly lubricate the eyelid with castor oil and massage the eyelid with light movements (from the edge of the chalazion to the cilia).

It's important to know! In the presence of inflammation of the chalazion, heating is prohibited.

Heat promotes the spread of the purulent process to the surrounding tissues;

• Using garlic juice. Garlic will help kill streptococci that cause inflammation of the glands. Cut the clove in half and gently lubricate the lump on the eyelid. A fresh cut is required for each procedure. Repeat 3-4 times a day;
• Universal aloe juice. Grind the aloe leaf and squeeze out the juice. Apply the resulting liquid to the abscess. Repeat 4-5 times a day;
• Medicinal herbal infusion for eye wash:

1. cornflower flowers (you can use sage or calendula) - 2 tsp;
2. hot water - 200 ml.

Mix and infuse for one hour. Filter the infusion and use for anti-inflammatory lotions 3-4 times a day.

If home treatment does not bring the desired result after 2-3 days, you must visit a medical facility. An ophthalmologist may recommend disinfecting eye drops, ointments, or antibiotics in tablets.

If the course of the disease is neglected, the following may be prescribed:

• massotherapy;
• warm dry compresses;
• UHF therapy.

Also, in the treatment of chalazion, glucocorticosteroid injections can be used. This procedure relieves inflammation in 1-2 weeks. The drugs are injected into the tumor through the skin of the inner side of the eyelid.

If the development of a painful formation has reached a large size and introduces very noticeable discomfort, surgical intervention is possible. In this case, the tumor is cut and the internal accumulations are scraped out. The operation takes place using local anesthesia and takes about 20 minutes. During the rehabilitation period, an antibacterial ointment is prescribed.

If there is a relapse of the disease, you need to undergo a thorough examination in order to exclude the risk of developing provoking pathologies.

Prevention measures

To avoid infectious formations in the eye area, simple recommendations should be followed:

• Timely treatment of any pathology;
• Following the rules of personal hygiene;
• General strengthening preventive actions (taking vitamins, cleansing the skin, etc.);
• Sleep and rest control;
• Ignoring stressful situations;
• Balanced diet;
• Prophylactic eyelid massage;
• The use of hypoallergenic cosmetics, compliance with the shelf life of the selected product and the features of its use (if there is a predisposition to inflammation in the eye area, such as chalazion, it is advisable to minimize the application of cosmetics);
• Do not touch your eyes with dirty hands;
• Wear protective goggles when working in dusty rooms or with chemicals;
• On the street in sunny or windy, dusty weather, it is also worth taking care of additional protection of the organs of vision;
• Avoid eye strain.

Simple enough recommendations are easy to follow at any age. A little attention and simple manipulations will avoid the unpleasant and troublesome treatment of infectious formations in the eye area.