Scratching the eyelids is not only a problem that negatively affects the comfort of life, but also poses a risk to our eye health. Because scratching or rubbing the eyes can cause the shape of the cornea to deteriorate and cause diseases such as kerataconus in the eye. When we think like this, it is important to examine the underlying causes of itching, especially if it persists for a long time, and to ensure that the itching is relieved by eliminating the causes. So what is the cause of itching in the eyelids?
What is the Effect of Itchy Eyes?
Itchy eyes can occur for many different reasons. Itching can affect several different areas.
- Itching at the base of the eyelashes,
- Itching of the upper or lower eyelids,
- It may appear as an itching sensation in the eye.
In most cases it is temporary, but sometimes swelling and redness may occur in addition to the itching effect. In such cases, we see that itching continues with its disturbing effect for a long time.
Possible Causes of Itchy Eyelids
We can say that many different factors come into play here. Knowing the main cause of itching is also the most important criterion for treating itching. Based on this idea, let’s talk briefly about the causes of itching.
- Dry Eye: It is one of the most common causes. Dry eye, which occurs when the eye surface is not sufficiently moist, can cause itching as well as burning and stinging sensation.
- Allergy: Allergy-related causes, which are common especially during seasonal transitions, can also cause itching or watery eyes.
- Atopic Keratoconjunctivitis: It is seen as an effect of inflammation of the conjunctiva covering the front of the eye. It can affect the patient seasonally as well as having a long-term disturbing effect. In this case, treatment should be applied by a specialist physician.
- Congestion in Meibomian Glands: Meibomian glands located in the upper and lower eyelids are responsible for the oily secretion of tears. Blockages may occur in the upper and lower glands due to effects such as eyelash parasites. In this case, dry eye may develop, causing a burning and stinging sensation in the eye, as well as an uncomfortable itching of the eyelids. It is necessary to get support from a specialist doctor to open the blockages with methods such as LipiFlow and to determine a treatment schedule.
- Blepharitis: also known as inflammation of the base of the eyelashes. Inflammation of the eyelids can cause itchy eyelids. The underlying cause must be removed, that is, the inflammation must be removed.
- Various Infections: The eye is very sensitive and prone to various infections. One of the clearest symptoms of infections that may occur in the eye is the constant itching sensation.
- Foreign Objects on the Cornea: Foreign objects, dust or other burrs that come into contact with the corneal surface can cause itching sensation in the eye and eyelids. The itching effect is expected to disappear with the cleaning of the eye.
How Does Itchy Eyelids Go Away?
Although it is a problem that is generally not taken seriously, as we said above, scratching the eye is not a healthy action. Therefore, it is important to relieve eye itching. At the point of treatment, what needs to be done is to have a detailed examination and determine the underlying causes of prolonged eye itching.
Especially if there are diseases such as dry eye that cause long-term effects, treatments against these diseases should be started without wasting time.
