That early morning swollen eyelid could be due to an infection

31 March 2020,India- Hasn’t it happened with you when you wake up and the first thing in the morning that you spot in the mirror is a bit of swollen eyes or an eyelid swelling? Often that looks like a small usual thing which eventually goes off as we go by our day. However, sometimes the swelling does not go away even after we are up and had enough sleep. While almost everyone is likely to experience swollen eyelids at one time or another, the exact cause of it often remains unsure. Swollen eyelids can affect one or both eyes and may or may not be painful.

Most of the times the swelling in the lid is not a very serious concern, however you must still always check with your Oculoplastic surgeon to rule out the possibility of any serious infection or health problem that could be associated with such swelling. In certain cases, the swelling of these eyelids could be painful too and could lead to potential sight-threatening problems like orbital cellulitis, Graves’ disease and ocular herpes. Hence a thorough examination with the doctor becomes important.

The terms “puffy eyes” and “swollen eyes” are often seen being used interchangeably. While “puffy eyes” generally describe the physical appearance that is caused because of swollen eyelids; “swollen eyes” mostly refer to an inflammatory response of the eyelids and eye allergy, infection or injury.

Contributed by-  Dr Shashidhar V S – Consultant-Oculoplasty – Sankara Eye Hospital