Chalazion is a lump in the eyelid caused because of the granulomatous inflammation of the meibomian gland. Meibomian glands are the sebaceous glands, and these glands produce the tear film that lubricates the eyes.

This localized swelling develops slowly over a period of one week and at times it becomes so large and presses the eyeball, leading to astigmatism. As the lower and upper eyelid consists of hundreds of meibomian glands near the eyelashes, there is a possibility of developing more than one chalazion.

Whenever the duct that drains these glands gets obstructed, chalazion develops and starts as a diffused tender swelling that gradually develops into a cyst like swelling.

Many times chalazion is confused with a stye, which is also a lump in the eyelid. But, chalazion usually occurs little farther from the eyelid’s edge, whereas stye appears at the edge of the eyelid.

Chalazion normally points towards the nose side or inside of the eyelid and may cause spontaneous swelling of the whole eyelid. Usually chalazion is a painful swelling and may produce an elevated red color on the conjunctival surface.

Most of the chalazion disappears after a few months without any treatment, but if it becomes persistent and chronic then it needs to be treated. There are rare chances that meibomian gland ducts get obstructed due to skin cancer; hence a persistent chalazion is subjected to biopsy to rule out the doubts.

Various Treatment Options For Chalazion

Warm Compress

The foremost and simple remedy for chalazion is the application of warm compresses for a period of ten to fifteen minutes. Warm compresses should be applied at least 4 times a day.

Soak a clean wash cloth in hot water and squeeze it to remove the excess water, thereafter hold the hot wash cloth on the closed eyelid. This helps the hardened oil that blocks the duct to soften and improve the drainage of the gland and thereby promotes healing.

Guava Leaves

Warm some guava leaves and put them on a warm damp cloth. Apply on the closed affected eyelid, which reduces the redness, swelling and pain in the eyelid.

Acacia Leaves

Take two cups of water and boil a handful of acacia leaves in this water. Make a decoction out of this and use this decoction as a compress over the eyelid.

Boric Acid Poultice

Make a warm poultice of three percent boric acid and apply it on the affected eyelid. A boric acid ophthalmic ointment is also indicated.

Eyelid Massage

Besides applying compresses, a good eyelid massage is also beneficial for promoting the drainage. If the chalazion is present in the upper eyelid, massage with a downward rolling motion or if it is in the lower eyelid, follow a rolling upward motion. This helps to loosen the hardened oil in the duct and also to extrude the substances in meibomian cyst.

Never pick or scratch the chalalzion as it leads to more complications. Even after applying home remedies, if the chalazion still continues to grow, it should be removed surgically. Usually surgery is done from the underneath of the eyelid as it helps to avoid any scars on the skin.

If the chalazion is reappearing, a biopsy is essential. In order to prevent the reappearance of chalazion, the eyeslashes should be washed the eyelash areas with baby shampoo, which reduces the chances for clogging the duct.