Eyes are extremely sensitive parts of the body that need to be protected from dust, smoke, air borne particles, and blinding lights. Eyelid inflammation is a chronic condition that causes swelling or inflammation of the eyelids. Severe eye inflammation causes matting of the eyelids. Chronic eyelid inflammation is often a symptom of serious health conditions like orbital cellulitis, Graves’s disease, and ocular herpes.

Symptoms of eyelid inflammation
Swelling of the eyelids is the typical symptom of eyelid inflammation.

• Eye irritation
• Itchy feeling in eyes
• Redness in eyes
• Sensitivity to light
• Discharge from eyes
• Excessive tearing
• Sticking of eyes after a nap

Causes of eyelid inflammation
The causes of eyelid inflammation vary in severity from mild allergies to medical conditions that may cause a loss of sight. Swollen or inflamed eyelids maybe cause due to the following:

• Allergies : Eye allergies may occur when the immune system reacts to foreign particles such as pollen, dust, eye drops, pet dander, or contact lens solution. In some cases, eye makeup may also cause inflammation of the eyelids.
• Conjunctivitis : This infection affects the conjunctiva of the eye. Allergic, viral, or bacterial infection of the conjunctiva causes inflammation of the eyelids.
• Styes : These appear like tiny bumps on the edges of eyelids. Styes are caused due to inflammation of the meibomian gland.
• Injuries : Any injury to the eye or the surrounding area may cause swollen eyelids.
• Infection due to contact lenses : Wearing contact lenses that are not maintained properly may cause swelling of eyelids.
• Blepharitis : Improper functioning of the oil glands cases blepharitis. The eyelids get swollen in this condition.
• Chalazion : When the meibomian gland is blocked, a hard sebaceous cyst is formed known as chalazion. This develops away from the edge of the eyelid, causing inflammation of the eyelid.
• Crying : Continuous crying also causes swollen eyelids.

Apart from the aforementioned causes, some of the other key causes of eyelid inflammation are as follows:

• Orbital cellulities : This is a serious bacterial infection that results in painful swelling of the eyelids.
• Ocular herpes : Caused by the herpes simplex virus, ocular herpes causes inflammation of the eyelids.
• Graves’ disease : An overactive thyroid causes this disease characterized by swollen, puffy eyelids.

Taking good care of your eyes helps prevent infections and inflammations. Regular washing of the eyes helps get rid of dirt accumulation. Avoid exposure to extremely bright light and toxic smoke. Last but not the least, getting adequate sleep gives enough rest to the eyes and is, therefore,  extremely important to prevent eyelid inflammation.