I asked my dermatologist what the very tiny white bump on the inside of my lower eyelid might be.
A “tiny white bump” on the inner lower eyelid can be a rather broad description.
But in my case, the very small white bump was about one and a half or so millimeters. It was painless, didn’t itch; I didn’t feel it in any way.
I noticed it when I one day slightly pulled down my lower eyelid to see if anything was where my lower eyelid meets the white of the eye, because there was an irritant in my eye.
I figured there was an eyelash there. That’s when I noticed a very small white bump, almost like a nodule.
For many months I’d periodically check it to see if it was changing in any way, and it always looked the same. This was reassuring.
Dermatologist
Finally when I saw my dermatologist for a routine skin check, I asked her what it was. She didn’t hesitate to say it was a cyst.
If you have any kind of white bump in your eyelid that’s causing symptoms, a scratchy feeling, swelling or is evolving especially, do not hesitate to see a dermatologist.
A dermatologist is more qualified to diagnose this than is an ophthalmologist — because it involves the skin, not the actual eyeball.
Now think about that for a moment. The eyelid is not part of the eye; it’s part of the skin. This includes the inner portion of it.
Yes, it’s right up against the eye, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is SKIN tissue. See a dermatologist.
“Diagnostically speaking, tiny white bumps in the lower eyelid are most likely to be either a hordeolum (stye) or chalazion,” says Tejas Patel, MD, a board certified dermatologist with AdvantageCare Physicians in New York.
“A chalazion is a noninfectious obstruction of the oil glands of the eyelids,” continues Dr. Patel.
“The benign cysts usually develop after abnormally thick oil gland secretions due to gland obstruction.
“A chalazion is usually not painful and usually develops further back on the eyelid than a stye.”
My cyst eventually disappeared on its own.
“A hordeolum (stye) is usually a pyogenic infection, most prevalently caused by staphylococcus,” says Dr. Patel.
“These benign cysts usually result from obstruction and infection of an eyelash follicle and adjacent gland. Styes are usually very painful.”
If you have a stye, applying a warm, moist compress for about 10-15 minutes several times a day can help loosen it, promoting drainage.
Gently massage the area with clean hands to encourage drainage. If there’s no improvement, consult with your dermatologist; don’t squeeze the stye.
A tiny white bump inside the lower eyelid is not likely to be something worrisome, but it’s always reassuring to get a benign diagnosis from your doctor.
