Anyone can develop a chalazion but risk factors include:
Blepharitis – a dandruff like condition of the eyelid associated with inflamed lid margins and flakes of skin
Previous chalazion or stye (infected eyelash follicle)
Skin conditions such as acne rosacea or seborrheoic dermatitis
Diabetes
An eyelid lump
Usually painless but can cause some mild pain
Swelling redness and pain can be caused by a chalazion that has become infected
Watering and irritation of the eye
If the chalazion becomes large it may press on the eyeball, blurring the vision
Chalazia can resolve spontaneously after several months.
The contents of the chalazion may discharge when treated with hot compresses (a cotton wool pad that has been soaked in hot water and applied to a closed eyelid). The water must not be so hot that it scalds the lid.
If the chalazion persisted despite hot compresses then a small operation, known as Incision and Curettage (I&C), may be required to treat the cyst.
A new technique involves using Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) to treat the chalazion without the need for local anaesthetic injections.
