Chalazion in Greek means “hailstone” and is a chronic inflammation of the cartilage of the eyelid around the meibomian gland.
Chalazion in a child is a fairly common phenomenon. When examining children prone to this disease, it is necessary to perform a whole range of studies. Pediatricians, an immunologist, a gastroenterologist are involved. It is necessary to find out the causes of chalazion and restore weakened health, since relapses of the disease are possible.
Causes
The main factors influencing the appearance of swelling are frequent colds, a weak immune system, and diabetes mellitus. Sometimes the disease occurs due to problems with the digestive tract. For example, dysbacteriosis can become a common cause of the appearance of a “pea”.
Chalazion is preceded by a decrease in general or local immunity, this is also explained by the congenital or acquired instability of the body to gram-positive bacteria. In this case, you need to consult an immunologist.
Also, experts believe that blockage of the meibomian glands of the eyelid in children is often caused by functional and anatomical imperfections, i.e., narrow outlet ducts, weak work of smooth muscle cells that squeeze out the secret, or an insufficiently high level of protective protein secretory tear immunoglobulin.
A well-known factor contributing to the appearance of a chalazion is farsightedness. In the presence of this problem, it is necessary to immediately correct vision with the help of glasses, special exercises.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a chalazion are swelling of the edge of the eyelid, over time, an elastic formation the size of a large pea is felt.
In the area from the side of the conjunctiva, redness (hyperemia) is observed; in the central part, the zone has a grayish color. On palpation, pain is absent or mild. When suppuration occurs, then inflammation, pain, redness of the skin of the entire eyelid joins, there may be a spontaneous opening with the release of contents from the conjunctiva. As a rule, treatment begins with anti-inflammatory therapy and physical therapy. procedures.
The blockage of the meibomian gland on the eyelid of the eye, when visually examined, resembles barley, but differs from it in that it rarely breaks through and resolves, increases in size over time, thickens and becomes hard. Chalazion appears on one or both eyelids at once, and even in several places at the same time. Most often it can be found on the lower eyelid.
Complications
By exerting pressure on the eyeball, it can provoke various eye diseases, for example, blepharitis or conjunctivitis. Therefore, chalazion in children, of course, requires early treatment, since the operation is difficult for children psychologically. In traditional medicine, two methods are used to treat chalazion in children. A conservative method is resorted to only at the initial stage, when, in the presence of cartilaginous inflammation, the secret is not yet compacted.
Treatment
It is quite difficult to get rid of such a disease of the century in a child. With a sluggish process, the baby is helped by therapeutic methods of treatment, but applying them, you will have to be patient. Treatment involves the use of disinfectant eye drops and ointments. Only an ophthalmologist can make all appointments and draw up a treatment regimen.
In more acute periods, it is impossible to do without surgery. The operation is performed under local anesthesia. The eyelid is everted, the conjunctiva is clamped and cut, and the pea is husked. The bed is scraped and treated with a disinfectant, an antibiotic is injected under the conjunctiva. No stitches are applied, the eye is covered with a sterile bandage.
Among the methods, injection treatment has a good effect. It consists of introducing corticosteroids into the cavity of the chalazion to dissolve the tumor, but due to the fact that children do not easily tolerate such a procedure, it is best to prevent the formation of a hard granule.
[Video] Dermatovenerologist Bobchinskaya I.N. – Treatment of chalazion, drops and ointment: