Everything you will ever need to know about eyelid cellulitis
Eyelid cellulitis is a very common eye infection, especially among children. There are two types of eyelid cellulitis, and one is much more serious than the other. However, symptoms for both types of the disease are pretty much the same.
The symptoms of eyelid cellulitis include tenderness of the eye, redness, and warmth of the eyelid. Also the entire eyelid will swell up, as opposed to other eye problems in which only part of the eyelid swells. Patients who are suffering from eyelid cellulitis may also experience pain when they move their eye and an itching or burning sensation. Sometimes the pain and tenderness may begin to spread to other parts of the face if the condition becomes severe. There also may be eyelid pain and fever and headache in very severe cases of eyelid cellulitis.
The two types of eyelid cellulitis are preseptal cellulitis and periorbital cellulitis. Preseptal cellulitis is caused by bacteria, and it’s the most basic form of the infection. The infection affects the skin around the eye and is usually caused by a cut or insect bite in the eye area. It can also be caused by conjunctivitis or a sinus infection.
Periorbital cellulitis is much more serious than preseptal cellulitis. This type of eyelid cellulitis occurs when the infection spreads beyond the eyelid and into the back of the eye. This type of eyelid cellulitis also causes eye protrusion and double vision, and it is caused by an extension of the infection into the eyelid, teeth, sinuses, or face.
Researchers have been studying eyelid cellulitis to try to figure out why some people develop the more serious form of the disease. The risks for developing this more serious form of cellulitis are an upper respiratory infection, eye trauma, and insect bites. The real risk that occurs with periorbital cellulitis is that it could turn into orbital cellulitis, which is considered to be a medical emergency.
Treatment for both forms of eyelid cellulitis starts at home with warm compresses on the eye. However, it’s important that you avoid rubbing the eye as it can irritate the infection even more. It’s also important that you see a doctor as soon as possible because you will need a prescription for antibiotics. If the infection is very severe, the doctor will prescribe intra-venous antibiotics. Otherwise he will prescribe oral antibiotics. You will want to continue the warm compresses on the eye to relieve some of the pain and burning throughout treatment.
You and your doctor will have to watch the infection very carefully to make sure it does not spread. In some cases of orbital cellulitis, doctors will need to perform surgery to decompress the area or drain an abscess. They may also need to open infected sinuses in some cases. If you suspect that you’re starting to get cellulitis, you should see a doctor immediately. Early treatment means you will be less likely to develop the more serious forms of the infection.