Probably, almost all of us in our life came in contact with such an unpleasant thing as hordeolum. And most likely many people know various folk methods of treatment of eye redness during this malady, starting with red threads wrapped up on the fingers and ending with detersion by different solutions.
Hordeolum is an acute purulent inflammation of hair bulb or sebaceous gland of Zeis, located at the eyelid margin.
The reason of hordeolum nascence is a bacterial infection (in 90-95% of cases– Staphylococcus aureus), which mostly enter into the eyes with dirty hands. In most cases hordeolum is progressing in immunocompromised people, for instance, after catarrhal diseases, against the background of inflammation of tonsils, nasal accessory sinuses, teeth diseases, helminthic invasion and diabetes mellitus. Therefore, hordeolum treatment always includes immune bolstering.
There are two forms of hordeolum:
- Hordeolum Externum — inflammation of hair follicles or sebaceous or perspiratory glands located at the margin of the eyelid.
- Hordeolum Internum — inflammation of sebaceous glands located on the inner side of the eyelid (so called meibomian glands).
The symptoms of both forms are similar: itching, edema of the eyelid margin, painfulness, eye redness and restricted swelling are commonly observed at the beginning of the disease. Feeling of weight and tension appears in the eyelid. In 2-4 days a yellowish head is formed on the apex of the swell, after opening of which the pus emerges with parts of sphacelus. Sometimes several hordeola appear and merge into one. In that case general condition worsens, thermometer is going up, submandibular and parotid lymph nodes enlarge. If inflammation appears in the area of the eye temporal angle, edema arises because of the disorder in the lymph flow, which complicates hordeolum treatment.
When first symptoms appear you should obligatory see an ophthalmologist, who will sum up the situation, make a correct diagnosis and put on adequate medication of hordeolum. If you have hordeolum you are not recommended to self-medicate. It is by no means allowed to squeeze hordeolum, since the. infection can enter the blood vessels of surrounding tissues and cause eyelid inflammation, the abscess. In principle, hordeolum can heal on its own, but in this case there is a major risk of developing chalazion – chronic inflammation of the tissues, which surround lacrimal and sebaceous glands. Chalazion is formed on the hordeolum's place, it is neither virulent nor painful but rather visible and ugly as a cosmetic deformity, which can be only surgically removed.
Sometimes tumors and cystic formations can be hidden under the pretence of hordeolum. When similar symptoms appear you should seek an opinion of an experienced ophthalmologist, since mal treatment of hordeolum is pregnant with serious consequences.
Topical, conservative treatment of hordeolum should begin immediately, it does not present great difficulties in case of timely detection of the disease.
At the ophthalmologic clinic «SVIT ZORU» you will get a qualified opinion of the experienced doctor-ophthalmologist as regards preventive measures, diagnostics and treatment of hordeolum.