What are eye stones

The incidence of eye stones is becoming higher and higher nowadays, mainly because people nowadays are becoming less and less caring about their eyes, which eventually causes some eye lesions. This is especially common among people who often have to face computers. In addition, it is important to actively cooperate with treatment after the occurrence, and some surgeries and drugs can be used to improve the condition.

Eye stones are multiple hard yellow spots on the conjunctiva of the eyelid. They are the degeneration product of the accumulation of epithelial cells and the concentration and pressure of mucus. They never calcify and are actually conjunctival agglutinates. When it protrudes from the conjunctival surface, it irritates the cornea and produces a foreign body sensation, or even causes corneal abrasion and erosion. Under surface anesthesia, it is removed with a sharp knife or foreign body needle. This disease is more common in adults, the elderly, and patients with trachoma and chronic conjunctivitis.

Indeed, "stones" often grow on the conjunctiva of the eye, which is called conjunctival calculi in medicine. Conjunctival stones are coagulation products of desquamated epithelial cells and degenerative cells accumulated in conjunctival epithelial depressions or deep tubular crypts. They have no or very little calcium deposits and are not true stones.

Conjunctival stones are more common in adults, mainly in patients with chronic eye diseases such as trachoma and chronic conjunctivitis. They often appear on the upper eyelid. There are hard, yellow-white, small dot-like protrusions on the conjunctiva, shaped like broken rice. Some are scattered in the form of dots, and some are densely packed in groups. At first, the stone is located deep and buried under the conjunctiva. Generally, there are no subjective symptoms. Later, it gradually emerges on the surface of the conjunctiva. Only when the nodule protrudes from the surface of the conjunctiva will there be a foreign body sensation, and it may even cause corneal abrasion. In this case, it can be removed with a knife tip or injection needle under surface anesthesia. If there are no irritation symptoms, no treatment is required.

If it is complicated by trachoma, chronic conjunctivitis and other diseases, the primary disease should be treated after provocation. However, most patients may continue to grow new stones after the stones are removed, and often require regular treatment to prevent corneal abrasion. According to traditional Chinese medicine, intraocular stones are caused by wind evil invading the spleen meridian, blocking the eyelids, and turning into heat over time, burning body fluids and causing stagnation in the eyelids. They can be treated with agents that clear the heart and spleen and heat, such as Neishu Huanglian Decoction with modifications.

In fact, although they are called stones, eye stones are different from true stones such as kidney stones and gallbladder stones. "Some people get nervous when they hear they have eye stones, thinking it's a serious illness that requires surgery. In fact, eye stones are just minor eye problems. There is no or very little calcium deposits, so they are not real stones." In order to reduce people's panic about eye stones, the medical community once wanted to rename it "conjunctival agglomerates", but most people still call it eye stones according to traditional habits.