All inflammatory processes that take place on the face and especially in the nerve-rich region of the nose and in the sensitive areas of the eyes are not only associated with numerous risks. Like lacrimal gland inflammation, they are extremely uncomfortable and painful.
What is lacrimal gland inflammation?
Many people have already gone through an inflammation of the lacrimal glands and are happy when the distressing symptoms finally subside. For introduction to hyperparathyroidism, please visit sciencedict.com.
As part of the definition of lacrimal gland inflammation, another term is used in medicine for lacrimal gland inflammation, which is usually not familiar to laypeople. In this context it is about the synonym dacryoadenitis.
The individual parts of the word are composed and individually mean an inflammatory process on the one hand and a localization of the focus of inflammation in the lacrimal gland on the other.
In addition to the actual inflammation of the lacrimal glands, dacryoadenitis can also impair the tear duct.
Causes
The causes of inflammation of the lacrimal gland are not only various pre-existing conditions. Equally important in the case of lacrimal gland inflammation are special external factors that lead to inflammation caused by bacteria or dirt particles.
When it comes to acute inflammation of the lacrimal glands, the main causative factors are infectious diseases and inflammation of the conjunctiva caused by bacteria or viruses.
In addition, injuries to the lacrimal gland can also cause lacrimal gland inflammation. The causes of chronic inflammation of the lacrimal glands include tuberculosis, Hodgkin’s disease and other blood diseases such as leukemia or sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis and individual tumor diseases.
Symptoms, Ailments & Signs
Since the acute inflammation usually only occurs on one side, the symptoms only appear on one side. The conjunctiva at the inner corner of the affected eye becomes red. The tissue at the outer corner of the eyelid swells, reddens and heats up and is very sensitive to pressure. Even the slightest touch causes pain.
Because of the severe swelling and pain, the upper eyelid can only be opened a little or not at all. This leads to a droopy eyelid, the appearance of which doctors call paragraph form. The eye waters and secretes a watery or yellowish secretion that sticks the eyelashes together. As the inflammation progresses, pus may be pushed out of the tear duct.
The secretion causes streaks on the eyes and vision can be impaired. The lymph nodes in front of the ear (preauricular lymph nodes) may swell. In addition, general symptoms such as fever, headache, nausea with vomiting, tiredness and exhaustion can also occur.
If the infection spreads to the conjunctiva, it feels like there is a foreign object in the eye. It scratches with every movement of the eye. The chronic form of the disease can occur on both sides and usually does not cause any pain, but the area around the eyes swells much more than with the acute infection.
Diagnosis & History
Anyone who has experienced lacrimal gland inflammation one or more times knows how distressing the symptoms are. Inflammation of the lacrimal glands can be acute, suddenly occurring and healing after a certain period of time, or chronic, constantly recurring.
In the case of lacrimal gland inflammation, the classic processes for an inflammatory process such as reddening and swelling of the affected and surrounding tissue, pain and heating of the area occur. However, lacrimal gland inflammation does not have to be painful in every case. In severe cases of inflammation of the lacrimal gland, slight pressure causes pus to escape from the lacrimal gland.
For a meaningful diagnosis of lacrimal gland inflammation, smears must be taken in addition to the assessment of the symptoms. These are largely relevant to the differential diagnosis of lacrimal gland inflammation.
Complications
Lacrimal gland inflammation usually heals without major symptoms. Serious complications can occur if the patient’s immune system is very weak. This can lead to the formation of pus and an abscess in the affected eye.
This is accompanied by a deterioration in vision – visual disturbances and sometimes injuries in the eye area occur. If the course is severe, gastrointestinal complaints, headaches and high fever also occur. Permanent strain on the eyes can permanently impair vision. In the most severe case, the affected eye becomes blind.
The acute inflammation can turn into a chronic disease with recurring symptoms. This usually results in psychological problems for those affected. The visual flaw can cause social anxiety and thus affect the quality of life of those affected.
With comprehensive treatment, apart from any side effects of the prescribed medication, no major complications occur. However, if the corresponding medication is taken over a longer period of time, organ damage can occur. The risk of such a serious complication only exists in chronically ill patients who usually take antibiotics and painkillers for months.
When should you go to the doctor?
Redness and swelling in the area of the eyes as well as an increased flow of tears indicate an inflammation of the lacrimal glands. A doctor’s visit is recommended if the symptoms do not subside within a few days. If an inflammation develops or pus leaks from the lacrimal sac, the ophthalmologist must be consulted. In the event of an injury to the lacrimal gland, it is best to go straight to the doctor’s office. In particular, people who come into contact with pollutants professionally or privately should consult a doctor if they show signs of lacrimal gland inflammation.
If left untreated, dacryoadenitis can spread to the entire eye socket. In the worst case, the suffering becomes chronic. During treatment, consultation with the ophthalmologist should be held. The doctor must be informed of any unusual symptoms and any side effects of the prescribed medication. The lacrimal gland inflammation should subside within two weeks. A long-standing condition requires further investigation as there may be a serious condition that needs to be treated before the inflammation can be treated.
Treatment & Therapy
There are a variety of medications available to treat lacrimal gland inflammation. In the majority of applications, these include specifically selected medications in order to initially remedy the acute symptoms.
For this purpose, drugs to be taken by mouth, i.e. orally, or drugs to be applied externally, are prescribed for inflammation of the lacrimal glands. For the treatment of inflammation of the lacrimal glands from the outside, antibiotic substances or, depending on tolerability, warm compresses that are as sterile as possible are prescribed as pads.
If specific pre-existing or concomitant diseases are suspected to be causal factors for lacrimal gland inflammation, these should also be treated. If viruses were found to be the trigger of the inflammation of the lacrimal glands, which are also suspected in cold sores, for example, the therapeutic measures are based on these findings.
If no infectious pathogens are present in the inflammation of the lacrimal glands, treatment with prednisone is usually sufficient to reduce the swelling. The administration of preparations containing corticosteroids is considered to be of primary importance in the treatment of lacrimal gland inflammation. The treatment of dacryoadenitis is also about excellent hygiene in order not to spread infectious germs to the other eye or other areas of the face ( smear infection ).
Prevention
Apart from the best possible cleanliness and avoidance of drafts and fine dust, not too many preventive measures are known as preventive measures against inflammation of the lacrimal glands.
People suffering from a condition that can be associated with dacryoadenitis seek immediate medical attention. It is also prophylactically helpful to avoid inflammation of the lacrimal glands by not bringing pathogens into the area of the eyes.
This often happens unconsciously, for example, with herpes on the lips. Eye wiping should always be done from the inside out. This procedure can also counteract the development of lacrimal gland inflammation.
Aftercare
After treating lacrimal gland inflammation, there are no specific follow-up tests that need to be performed. The routine final visit to the doctor after the treatment has been carried out or the medication has been taken is sufficient in most cases. An important point to consider upon completion of therapy is complete healing of the inflammation. This reduces the risk of chronic dacryoadenitis.
Patients are therefore recommended to pay attention to hygiene around the eyes and the entire face to make a recurrence of the lacrimal gland infection unlikely. Since the treatment is in most cases with antibiotics, patients can continue their everyday life as usual and without restrictions after the treatment has been successfully completed. In general, however, intestinal cleansing may be necessary after the therapy.
Because the active ingredients that get into the patient’s body when taking antibiotics change the intestinal flora by reducing the number of healthy bacteria. As a result, other health problems can occur because the immune system is weakened by the missing bacteria. Patients have the opportunity to rebuild their intestinal flora after antibiotic therapy, for example with probiotic foods, and thus strengthen the entire immune system. This makes a chronic illness even less likely.
You can do that yourself
The most proven home remedies are compresses soaked in soothing chamomile tea. It is important to only use real chamomile and not tea bags from supermarkets. Even simply putting on already cooled chamomile tea bags has an effect on the affected eye. Alternatively, fennel tea bags can also be used. Affected people also help compresses with the medicinal plant eyebright. Eye drops made from eyebright have a quick and more effective effect.
Those affected should also pay attention to their diet. Foods containing sugar and starch should only be consumed in moderation. These include particularly fatty meat, white bread and strong coffee. On the other hand, patients should better use citrus fruits and low-fat fish. Fish oil in particular can support the function of the tear glands and help to heal faster. Special fish oil capsules contain the important omega-3 fatty acids and help the inflammation to heal faster.
Eye exercises are also tried and tested as home remedies and are very popular. Patients should alternately carefully relax the affected eye and then move it. This should be done several times a day. Ideally, the eyes should be gently moved up and down again several times. Homeopathic remedies are also recommended. First of all, remedies such as Ledum palustre, Staphisagria, Apis mellifica, Rhus toxicodendron and Argentum nitricum are used here.
