Q:

On Friday night, I was feeling particularly homesick and stressed out, so after I talked to my sister on the phone, I had myself a nice cry and took a nap. From around lat Friday to early Saturday, I noticed the bottom left corner of my left eyelid hurting--nothing incredibly painful, but a sort of dull ache I feel mostly when I blink. It's Monday now, and it hasn't gotten any better or worse. What is this, and how do I make it go away?

 

A:

It is hard to say this is related to the crying you did. Sometimes with lots of stress you can have some muscle tension in the facial muscles that will cause some eyelid discomfort.

More likely is that you may be developing a stye--a plugged mucus gland in the eyelid? That would start to look like a swelling or pimple on the eyelid. It usually resolves itself with warm packs to the eye, like a warm wash rag for 10 minutes several times a day.

If you are concerned that it is persisting or worsening, we can take a look for you.

The Counseling Center is always available for urgent consults if that would help with your stress--they are available at 650-3164.

~The Doc