Health Topic

Eyelid Disorders

Your eyelids help protect your eyes. But they can droop, twitch, or become infected or inflamed. Learn about eyelid disorders and their treatment.

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Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

About Eyelid Disorders

Eyelid disorders include a variety of conditions that affect your eyelids. Your eyelids protect your eyes and help keep them healthy. When you blink, they spread tears across your eyes and help wash away dirt or dust. You also close your eyelids when something comes near your eyes to protect them from injury.

Like other parts of your body, your eyelids can get infected, become swollen, or develop growths or eye cancer.

The cause depends on the type of disorder. Some eyelid disorders may run in families, while others happen for unknown reasons.

There are many kinds of eyelid problems. They can cause swelling, infection, irritation, or change how your eyelids look or move. Some may cause lumps or growths on or around the eyelids.

Eyelid disorders that cause swelling, redness, or infection include:

  • Stye (hordeolum). A small, red, painful bump caused by a bacterial infection in an oil gland. A chalazion is a painless lump that may form after a stye.
  • Blepharitis. Makes your eyelids red, itchy, or burning and can cause crusty eyelashes. It's often linked to bacteria or skin conditions like rosacea.
  • Periorbital cellulitis. A bacterial infection of the eyelid and nearby skin. If it spreads behind the eye (orbital cellulitis), it needs immediate medical care.

Eyelid disorders that affect eyelid position or movement include:

  • Ectropion (eyelids turn out). The inner eyelid is exposed, which can cause irritation or tearing.
  • Entropion (eyelids turn in). The eyelashes rub against the eye, causing discomfort or damage.
  • Ptosis (drooping eyelid). Often caused by weak muscles, aging, or nerve damage.

Eyelid growths include:

  • Xanthelasma. Yellowish patches of cholesterol near the inner corners of the eyelids.
  • Papilloma. A benign (noncancerous), wart-like skin growth.
  • Basal cell carcinoma. The most common eyelid cancer, often on the lower eyelid.
  • Squamous cell carcinoma. A less common but faster-growing skin cancer.
  • Sebaceous gland carcinoma. A rare but serious cancer of the eyelid's oil glands.

Eyelid disorders that affect blinking or eyelid movement include:

  • Blepharospasm. Eyelid blinking or twitching you can't control.
  • Myokymia. A minor, occasional eyelid twitch often caused by fatigue or stress.

Symptoms can vary depending on the condition but may include:

  • Feeling like something is in your eye
  • Burning or stinging
  • Watery or itchy eyes
  • Red, swollen eyelids
  • Blurry vision

Your eye care specialist may diagnose eyelid disorders during an eye exam. They may also ask about your medical and family history to help find the cause.

Treatment depends on the cause of the disorder. Some eyelid conditions get better on their own or may be related to another health condition. Keeping your eyelids clean can help prevent irritation and infection.

If you need treatment, it may include:

  • Warm compresses
  • Medicines or ointments
  • Eye drops
  • Surgery (less common)
  • Lifestyle changes, such as getting more sleep or cutting back on caffeine

It sits within Eyes and Vision.

The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Eye Institute.

When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.

Research on Eyelid Disorders

455 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.

What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.

Research currently under way

Research already completed

Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.

Where to read more

Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.

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Symptoms

Treatments and Therapies

Genetics

Statistics and Research

Clinical Trials

Medical subject headings

Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Eyelid Diseases. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.

This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Eyelid Disorders, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.