Find out what to do if you have a lump on your eyelid, or an eyelid that's swollen, sticky, itchy, drooping or twitching.
Most eyelid problems are harmless
Many eyelid problems are not serious.
It's fairly common to have any of these problems:
- a lump that goes away by itself after 3 or 4 weeks
- mildly itchy, flaky or sticky eyelids that clear up by themselves
- swelling from a nearby insect bite, injury or operation that goes away after a week or so
- twitching or blinking from time to time – often when you're tired
- eyelids that droop (or get more "hooded") as you get older
Types of eyelid problems
Your symptoms might give you an idea of the cause. Do not self-diagnose – see a GP if you're worried.
Lump on eyelid
| Eyelid symptoms | Possible causes |
|---|---|
| Painful lump, filled with pus like a pimple | stye |
| Hard lump, not painful | chalazion (meibomian cyst) |
| Yellow lumps or patches | xanthelasma, sometimes caused by high cholesterol |
| Blisters or scabs with a rash on the body | shingles or chickenpox |
| Mole, freckle or patch changes shape, colour or size | skin cancer |
Swollen eyelid
| Eyelid symptoms | Possible causes |
|---|---|
| Swelling after contact with something you're allergic to | allergic reaction |
| Red, hot, painful, swollen | cellulitis |
Itchy, flaky or sticky eyelid
| Eyelid symptoms | Possible causes |
|---|---|
| Itchy, crusty or flaky after contact with something you're allergic to | contact dermatitis |
| Sticky, with red, itchy, watery eyes | conjunctivitis |
| Eyelids that stick together, crusty eyelashes, dry, red or irritated eyes | blepharitis or dry eye syndrome |
Drooping or hooded eyelid
| Eyelid symptoms | Possible causes |
|---|---|
| Lower eyelid drooping and turning outwards | ectropion |
| Lower eyelid drooping and turning inwards | entropion |
| Skin above upper eyelid drooping down over eye | dermatochalasis |
| Edge of upper eyelid drooping down over eye | ptosis |
| Sudden drooping with vision loss and headaches | rarely, a serious condition like myasthenia gravis or a brain tumour |
Frequently twitching or blinking eyelid
| Eyelid symptoms | Possible causes |
|---|---|
| Frequent blinking or twitching, sometimes with uncontrollable eye closing | a type of dystonia (movement disorder) called blepharospasm |
You can ask a pharmacist about:
- what you can do to treat it yourself
- if you can buy anything to help – for example, cleaning solutions for sticky eyelids
- if you need to see an optician or GP
Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:
- you're worried about an eyelid problem
- it's getting worse or lasting a long time
- your eyelid is painful or you're in a lot of discomfort
- you have yellow lumps or patches around your eyes
Urgent advice: Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if:
- your swollen eyelid is red, hot, painful, tender or blistered
- your eyelid droops suddenly
- the pain is in your eye (not your eyelid)
- the white of your eye is very red, in part or all over
- you're sensitive to light (photophobia)
- your eyesight changes – for example, you see wavy lines or flashing
- you have a very high temperature, or feel hot and shivery, or you feel generally unwell
- you think it's an allergic reaction
111 will tell you what to do. They can arrange a phone call from a nurse or doctor if you need one.
Page last reviewed: 02 October 2020
Next review due: 02 October 2023