Eyelid Lump & Twitch

[Lucyr]

I’ve had a lump on my eyelid for a while now, it’s solid and has a little white head, it doesn’t feel squeezable. I’ve also had more problems with that eyelid spasming recently and my eyes feeling tired so when I got a reminder for my every 2 years glasses eye check at the opticians I booked an appointment for today.

The tired eyes thing is a new distance prescription required and to start wearing intermediate glasses for work. I didn’t actually mention the lump or the twitching but she noticed and asked about it, and had a closer look.

I’d always thought it was nothing, a spot or something, but it has been there a long time and not cleared up so she wanted to do a referral to the hospital to investigate it. Not sure whether to be concerned or pleased at that! I don’t even know what the sinister risks of an eyelid lump could be.

I assume this is nothing diabetes related and the only real diabetes related eye complications to be aware of are things like retinopathy, or have I just been ignorant of some other eye risks?

 

[Inka]

A friend’s daughter had what sounds similar @Lucyr I wish I could remember the name of it. It was a small lump on her top eyelid but then grew so it was much more noticeable. She had it removed by a small op (no scarring) and then had a programme of wiping/cleaning to follow. Apparently some people are more prone to them than others. If I remember the name, I’ll edit this, but it was a while ago now.

 

[trophywench]

Get referred. Get it sorted !

The opthalmologists working in hospitals have access to far, far more options for diagnostic equipment and treatment than do those working at dispensing optician's establishments. She might well have an idea of what it could be which she will share with the hospital but which may need tests that she can't do, to properly diagnose it.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

A friend at school used to get things which looked very much like what you are describing. I think he used to call them a ‘sty’? Or possibly ‘stye’?, which the Internet suggests might be an infection in an oil gland on the skin near the eyelashes.

Sounds like you should get it seen to @Lucyr

 

[Leadinglights]

A friend at school used to get things which looked very much like what you are describing. I think he used to call them a ‘sty’? Or possibly ‘stye’?, which the Internet suggests might be an infection in an oil gland on the skin near the eyelashes.

Sounds like you should get it checked seen to @Lucyr

I think a stye was something quite different, it was looked like an infection either on the lower or upper eyelid near the lashes. The magic treatment was golden eye ointment.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I think a stye was something quite different, it was looked like an infection either on the lower or upper eyelid near the lashes. The magic treatment was golden eye ointment.

It was the hard lump with a little white head that reminded me. A bit like a spot.

There are a few example pics on this NHS page @Lucyr

Stye

Find out about styes, including what causes them, what you can do to treat them and when to see a GP.

www.nhs.uk

If it is one of those, there are some suggestions down the page of ways to get rid of them.

 

[Leadinglights]

It was the hard lump with a little white head that reminded me. A bit like a spot.

There are a few example pics on this NHS page @Lucyr

Stye

Find out about styes, including what causes them, what you can do to treat them and when to see a GP.

www.nhs.uk

If it is one of those, there are some suggestions down the page of ways to get rid of them.

Yes, that is exactly how I remember them.

 

[Lucyr]

I don’t think it’s a stye because it’s not red and having checked selfies it’s been slowly growing for 18 months. All the typical things seem short lived which I guess is why she wants it looking at. Assume she will do a referral to somewhere, she said she wanted to and I agreed with it.

 

[trophywench]

I had styes as a small child - always along the line of my eyelashes and indeed Golden eye ointment but until mom could get to the chemist she used the time honoured old wives remedy that her mother explained when my sister was little ie clean the area as well and gently as possible using clean boiled water cooled down a bit then she got her wedding ring (18ct) old gold curtain ring type as cold as possible and stroked the eyelid either side and below the stye very very gently with it. It really helped relieve the pain and I reckon that's precisely why the ointment was called that!

But - styes are red and inflamed and ruddy well hurt and I think they're either blocked tear ducts or infected hair follicles in reality - rubbing your eyes with grubby hands, no doubt!

I doubt very much indeed that what @Lucyr is, could possibly be a stye.

 

[Robin]

Styes are bacterial infections. There are other non-inflamed things that cause lumps on or near the eye, blocked oil or tear ducts for example, I had something called a Milea (maybe that’s the plural, and a single one is a mileum) It was a tiny white lump, but it didn’t grow. Eventually after sitting there for several years it just disappeared. It was tiny, though, so not bothersome. @Lucyr's seems to be bigger, and possibly growing?

 

[Lucyr]

It doesn’t quite fit things I’ve read about online as the lump itself is just skin coloured, it’s just like a little head that’s white. I’ll let you know what it is if ever I find out!

 

[Lucyr]

This eye thing has all been a bit confusing, haven’t got any further with finding out what it is or whether it needs any treatment though starting to think maybe the optician panicked me and most likely it’s nothing.

So far… optician wrote to GP asking to refer to hospital about “skin tag”. GP wrote to hospital asking requested. Hospital wrote back declining referral as they don’t remove benign skin tags.

So I did an econsult with a photo explaining the conversation with optician and that it’s not a skin tag but don’t know what it is. Since then I’ve received, in this order, first a text saying to ask in a pharmacy not a GP. I haven’t done that as if the optician didn’t know what it is surely a pharmacist won’t either. Then a text saying my message about the referral will be passed to the GP to review. Then an email saying that the referral was declined and that I should consult privately if I want the skin tag removed.

So I’m none the wiser other than, starting to sound like something I just keep and forget about.

 

[PattiEvans]

Hi Lucy, hubby had something that sounds similar some years ago. The eyelid was swollen, but not particularly red and had a white spot. It was diagnosed as Blepharitis, but I can't recall if the Dr or the pharmacist diagnosed it. He had some special wipes and drops and it went away eventually. He's still asleep. I'll ask him when he wakes.

 

[Lucyr]

Have attached a photo, doesn’t really look like anything on Google but also isn’t looking like it’s growing at least now, maybe a bit smaller if anything.

 

[Leadinglights]

Have attached a photo, doesn’t really look like anything on Google but also isn’t looking like it’s growing at least now, maybe a bit smaller if anything.

I looks as if it is very annoying being where it is, but dealing with anything near or on the eye is tricky.
I wonder if you sent the picture to Spa Medica (they have places in many locations) who deal with all types of eye problems to see if it is something they could deal with and then get a referral to them from your optician or GP.

 

[silentsquirrel]

Have you looked at cholesterol deposits?

 

[Lisa65]

Google "meibomian cyst" it's a blocked sebaceous gland on the eyelid, sometimes they resolve on their own, or you can have a minor procedure to remove them.

 

[saffron15]

I like looking things up and had eye surgery Thursday. Both Moorfields and Imperial college seem to have leaflets and also refer to it as " chalazion". You may be able to sort it with compresses but there is a minor op if it doesn't resolve and begins to impact your vision. Good luck.