Our Journey With Recurring Chalazions
As defined by the American Optometric Association:
Chalazion
A chalazion may feel like a small, painless bead in the eyelid at first. Over a few days, it may get bigger, red and rubbery, but remain painless.
People may experience:
Common Symptoms: lump on the eyelid of eyelid redness.
Our journey with recurring chalazions began over 4 years ago.
My daughter, who just turned 5, has had these cysts developing since around the age of one. “Your eyelid has tiny glands that produce an oily substance to help keep your eyes moist. When one of those glands gets blocked, you can wind up with a chalazion – a swollen, pain-free gland. Usually, you can treat chalazion at home.” (Cleveland Clinic) However, in our case, we have had to have not one, but two previous surgeries to remove them. Currently, we are in the process of possibly having to go through a third surgery for a very small one in the right lower lid and on her left upper lid, there are actually two that are almost combined together.
We have used the same Ophthalmologist since birth; however, in the most recent occurrence, I decided it was time to seek out a second opinion. Since it was confirmed the same diagnosis as our beloved doctor here in Lafayette, we have entrusted him as her provider and still do.
But before I would consent to another surgery, I needed to seek a second opinion.
I truly feel both doctors have been very professional, caring and well educated on our situation, and I’m very thankful for the care we have received thus far. In any event, surgery can always present a risk. The current chalazion has been present for the past 7 months and has grown significantly in this time frame, despite efforts to treat it as home with daily flaxseed oil, warm presses and a daily lid scrub. My daughter is mixed with Caucasian and Mexican and her eyes have a hint of Asian to them. Due to her genetics, her skin is thin and therefore, it has been explained to me, that she should grow out of them. Yet, we have not gotten to that point.
