Chalazions Continue to Develop in Both Eyelids

DEAR DR. ROACH: Are oral antibiotics ever prescribed to treat chalazions, in addition to eye drops and ointment? I have had two this year for seemingly no reason. They were treated with tobramycin eye drops, ointment and warm compresses. The first one didn’t resolve with those meds and was excised surgically. That eyelid then became infected without a chalazion and was treated with a second round of antibiotic drops. It remains a bit puffy and pinkish in color, which I chalked up to the new normal appearance. Now, a chalazion has developed in the other eyelid. I don’t wear eye makeup and use an eyelid cleanser recommended by my ophthalmologist. I am an otherwise healthy 76-year-old woman. Could there be a systemic bacterial or viral infection causing chalazions to keep developing? -- M.W.

ANSWER: The terms for different types of eyelid lesions can be a bit confusing. Most people are familiar with a stye, which is a localized inflammation of the upper or lower eyelid, most commonly caused by an infection of one of the glands of the external eye, usually by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. A stye is also called a hordeolum. An external hordeolum is in the eyelash follicle or the lid margin, whereas an internal hordeolum is inflammation in the meibomian glands, the ones that secrete mucous to help keep the eyes lubricated.

Makeup can block these glands and predispose someone to hordeola. Hordeola are treated with warm compresses and sometimes by an eye specialist, with a combination of antibiotic drops and topical steroids. Drainage by an ophthalmologist is necessary if it doesn’t get better within one to two weeks. If the infection gets into the skin around the eye, it may need oral antibiotics. A chalazion is not an infection. It’s a usually painless rubbery mass in the eyelid. A chalazion can be a complication of a hordeolum, since the glands are blocked by inflammation, leading to thickened secretions from the gland. Since it’s not an infection, neither oral nor topical eye antibiotics are useful. These also usually get better with warm compresses over weeks to months. People with recurrent chalazia should be considered for biopsy, since they can turn out to be tumors in rare circumstances.

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Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual questions, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu.

© 2023 North America Synd., Inc. All Rights Reserved

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Does Your Family Have a Fire Escape Plan? (Family Features)When a home fire occurs,you have very little time to get out.A working smoke alarm doubles your chances of survival,yet more than twenty percent of American homes are without them.Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs teamed up to address this problem by providing vital fire safety information to families. Make a Plan Installing smoke alarms on every level of the home and developing a plan of escape can give your family precious minutes to get out and get to safety.Draw a floor plan of your home and sketch exit routes out of every room.Make sure you have a fire escape ladder long enough to reach the ground from upstairs rooms.Assign an outside meeting place,so you can quickly locate each other

Plant A Tree For Successful Growth

Now it is time to amend the soil. It’s not enough to enrich only the soil in the hole where the tree will be placed. Move out into a circular area beyond where the roots will start so that roots can expand and properly anchor the tree. The next method of success is to ensure that the tree has a large enough hole to contain the existing root ball and allow for roots to grow and expand. Better Homes and Gardens experts say to prepare a hole that is two to three times as wide as the root ball of the tree. Treat the root ball gently. If the roots are wrapped in burlap, remove the burlap or push it to the bottom of the hole.

Backfill the hole with soil and check that the tree is straight. Stake the tree to help it stay upright and straight until the roots anchor it more effectively. Alayerofmulcharoundthebaseofthetreecanpreventweedsandreduce water loss. Water daily for several weeks until the roots have fanned out. It’s best to leave trees be for the first growing season, only removing broken or diseased limbs. Resist pruning and shaping until the tree has survived its first growing season.

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Updating Your Home’s Electrical System

When it comes time to update the electrical system, it is always best to work with licensed and bonded electricians who have the expertise to work with electrical wiring without getting injured. This is not a do-it-yourself type of job since it requires specialized training.

Electricians likely will recommend upgrading the electrical panel to bring more power from the utility poles into the home. This can include replacing the existing meter and circuit breaker box to allow it to handle more power or replacing items that are obsolete or dangerous.

Many older homes are only capable of handling a minimum number of amps, utilizing just a few circuits. But nowadays, when homeowners have far more electronics in their homes than they once did, increased demand on electricity can overload a circuit. Tripping a circuit breaker is a safety measure to prevent the wire from becoming overheated and causing a fire. However, in some old systems, the circuit breaker will not trip, and this can be problematic.

Rewiring a home is another step. Wire insulation can deteriorate over time, and new wires may be needed. This can be messy and time-consuming, but it’s a small price to pay for safety. When rewiring an electrician also may suggest new outlets. Many home building codes now require outlets with ground fault interruptors, or GFIs, in kitchens, bathrooms and other rooms exposed to moisture. Some older homes may not even have three-pronged outlets, so this will necessitate an update as well.

Tree Services Tips For Easy Snow Removal

(NAPSI)—It’s the heart of winter, which means plenty of snow removal is in your future. Poorly maintained equipment and using the wrong clearing techniques can make shoveling or blowing your driveway and walkways a chore. Follow the tips below to make snow removal as easy as possible.

Start Early and Shovel Often

It’s easier to shovel an inch or two of fresh snow than half a foot of snow that’s densely packed. Shovel first thing in the morning and, if it continues to snow, go out every couple of hours to clear a few inches at various points throughout the day.

Maintain

Your Equipment

If you didn’t perform maintenance on your snowblower before the winter season, it’s not too late. On gasoline-powered machines, check the oil level before each use. Inspect and change damaged or worn spark plugs, belts and shave plates. On all snowblowers, be sure to maintain proper tire pressure. After you’ve finished for the day, run the machine for a minute or so to clear out snow.

Shovel the Right Way

Shoveling to remove snow can be hard work, so protect your body and make the job a bit easier by pushing the snow instead of lifting it. To prevent aches and pains, keep your feet hip-width apart, bend your knees, keep your back straight and avoid twisting your torso if you must lift the snow. Finally, spray WD-40 Multi-Use Product on the shovel blade to prevent snow from sticking to it for easier transfer of snow from sidewalks and driveways.

Learn about more uses for WD-40 Multi-Use Product around the home and find it at a store near you at WD40.com.

Facts About February

BritishmathematicianJohnConwaydeterminedthatsomedatesinevitably share the same weekday within any given year. The last day of February will be on the same weekday as March 7, April 4, May 9, June 6, July 11, August 8, September 5, October 10, November 7, and December 12.