What Should I Do When My Under-Eye Area (Canthus) Is Swollen and Painful?

The area of eye canthus mainly refers to the eye rim, which is named because it looks like a silkworm. Swelling and pain in the eye canthus area is caused by hordeolum, which can be treated with anti-inflammatory and anti-infective eye drops and ointments. Early wet heat compress or magnetic therapy can be used to promote infiltration absorption or rapid suppuration of indurations. If a abscess forms, incision and drainage may be necessary. The canthus refers to the lower eyelid. If the lower eyelid is swollen and painful, it may be due to the formation of hordeolum in the lower eyelid. Bacterial infection of the sebaceous glands of the eyelids can lead to external hordeolum, while infection of the tarsal glands can lead to internal hordeolum. Regardless of the type of hordeolum, anti-inflammatory and anti-infective eye drops and ointments should be applied locally to the swollen and painful area of the lower eyelid to reduce bacterial proliferation and fight against various inflammatory responses caused by bacterial proliferation, allowing the swelling and pain to disappear naturally. In some cases, despite the use of medication, the infection may worsen and form an abscess, which requires incision and drainage. Symptoms of hordeolum include localized redness, swelling, heat, and pain in the eyelid skin, as well as edema of the adjacent bulbar conjunctiva. When the pus accumulates and forms a yellow head, external hordeolum occurs at the base of the eyelash sebaceous glands, manifesting on the skin surface, while internal hordeolum occurs in the tarsal glands, manifesting on the conjunctival surface. After rupture and drainage of the pus, the pain is relieved and the swelling and redness subside. Severe cases may be accompanied by preauricular and submaxillary lymphadenopathy, fever, and chills. The treatment of hordeolum includes early wet heat compress or magnetic therapy to promote infiltration absorption or rapid suppuration of indurations. When the inflammation is controlled and the pus accumulates to form a fluctuating sensation, incision and drainage can be performed, and necrotic or granulation tissue can be appropriately removed. Depending on the situation, the placement of a drainage strip may be considered. After the inflammation resolves, if there are residual granulation tissue or indurations, surgical excision may be performed again. However, it is important to note that the skin incision for external hordeolum should be parallel to the eyelid margin, while the conjunctival incision for internal hordeolum should be perpendicular to the eyelid margin. Improper squeezing should be avoided to prevent the inflammation from spreading to the orbit or intracranial region, which can lead to orbital cellulitis, cavernous sinus thrombophlebitis, meningitis, and abscess formation, potentially endangering life. For patients with persistent and frequent recurrences, autologous immunotherapy may be considered. Antibiotics may be prescribed for patients with fever, preauricular, and submaxillary lymphadenopathy.