Psoriasis on the Eyelids
“Psoriasis” means inflammation in parts of the body, including the eyelids.
This condition develops from problems in the immune system, which causes an overactive growth of skin cells. This overgrowth forms plaques or patches on the skin.
What is Eyelid Psoriasis?
Eyelid psoriasis is the appearance of scaly plaques or patches on or around the eyelids.
These patches could be itchy and quite painful.
Psoriasis commonly appear on other parts of the body, but an estimated 10% of Psoriasis cases occur on the eyelids.
Symptoms
- Redness and scaling around the eyelid area
- Upward or downward turning of the eye rims
- Itching, pain, and general irritation
- Eyelashes constantly rubbing on the eye
- Flaking-off of scales similar to dandruff and sticking to the eyelashes
- Inflammation and swelling
- In extreme cases, the eye could become too inflamed and lead to dryness, discomfort, and eventual vision loss.
Causes
Psoriasis generally results from the body’s immune system wrongly attacking healthy cells and causing an overgrowth of new replacement cells for them.
This causes scales to appear on different parts of the body, which could be genetically-traced or environmentally induced.
Eyelid psoriasis triggers include; stress, infections, sunburn, adverse effects to some medications, and skin damage from a bite, injury, or any other skin trauma.
Treatment
Your doctor might recommend the following treatment measures depending on the peculiarities of your condition:
- Topical therapy including steroid ointment application and protopic ointment therapy
- Systemic Medications like Oral retinoids, steroids, and Methotrexate
- Biologic drugs application
Complications
Uveitis, which translates to inflammation within the eye, can result from Eyelid Psoriasis. This could result in dryness, inflammation, and general discomfort. If not treated early, it could drastically affect eyesight.
The use of steroids around eyesight could also lead to complications like cataracts, glaucoma, and so on.
Therefore, ensure your doctor considers these factors before administering steroid treatment.
Home Treatments
Some home remedies include rinsing the eyelids with cold water and applying sensitive shampoo to alleviate eye irritation.
Other methods include the use of Curcumin found in turmeric, Indigo Naturalis, fish oil rich in omega -34, acupuncture, and meditation.
Tips for Daily Living with Eyelid Psoriasis
If you have Eyelid Psoriasis, you would have to adjust your daily lifestyle to accommodate your condition. As a result, you should try these simple but effective tips:
Use of Special Makeup
Makeup covers the appearance of scales and skin redness. Although, you should only use skin-sensitive makeup for Psoriasis cases.
However, some makeup products could counter interact with your medications and cause harm to your eyes. Therefore, you should speak to your doctor for advice on the best makeup to use.
Eye Piercings
Eyebrow piercings often trigger psoriasis as they increase flares around the eye. The same also applies to other tattoos around the eye area.
So, speak to your doctor before getting a tattoo or piercing if you have psoriasis.
Finally, Eyelid Psoriasis could be quite challenging, especially because of the sensitivity of the eyes.
Therefore, always try to see a doctor early if you notice any of the afore stated symptoms. Always remember that a stitch in time always saves nine.