Have you ever seen deposits of yellowish-white bumps that are deposited under the skin around the eyes or on the eyelids? Have you observed them on yourself or any other person? They are called xanthelasma. Xanthelasma is a form of xanthoma. Xanthomas usually arise due to the disorder of lipid metabolism though it has been found out that not all people having xanthelasma have hyperlipidemia. They are also called xanthelasma palpebrum. They are made up of fats and cholesterol. They do not inflict pain on you. Xanthomas have the same incidence rate between men and women. It is more common among the older adults usually among people that are more than forty years of age, but it can affect anybody of any age. They are more found on the upper eyelid than the lower eyelid. This condition is not common in the United States.
Is yellow cholesterol on your eyelids dangerous?
Xanthelasma are generally not harmful, though in some cases they have been associated with ptosis. Xanthelasma is painless too. But it can be an indicator of the risk of developing heart disease. Xanthelasma is can be said to be due to too much level of lipids in the body. If you have too much lipids in your body, it means you are at the risk of developing atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a leading cause of death in the United States. Atherosclerosis involves the deposition of lipids and some other substances on the wall of the arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood in the body. When this occurs there can be narrowing and thickening of those blood vessels. As a result of this happening in the heart it can lead to heart attack if treatment is not commenced early enough to treat the atherosclerosis. Symptom of atherosclerosis in the heart can be chest pain (angina).
People that do have angina may have it after strenuous exercise, but the pain relieves them after resting. Sudden blockage of the artery(is) supplying the heart can lead to heart attack. The blockage can be because of the presence of clump of blood that has turned into a semisolid state (this is called clot). Atherosclerosis does not only have effect on the heart. It can affect any other part of the body by reducing or preventing flow of blood to the part of the body that is affected. When atherosclerosis affects the limbs (lower and/or upper) it can cause peripheral artery disease. One of the way by which peripheral arterial disease affecting the arm will present is by pain and numbness (loss of sensation) in the affected part of the arm. If the leg(s) is/are affected, there can be occurrence of intermittent claudication. This involves experiencing pain while walking which relieves when the person rest from the walking. Another part of the body that can be affected is the brain. When the brain is affected there can be development of stroke. The presentation (signs and symptoms) of stroke depends on the part of the brain that is affected. A patient with stroke can have paralysis in some part of the body.
Can too much estrogen cause them?
Oestrogen affects the cholesterol level in the blood. Cholesterol is parts of body lipids. It increases the level of the good cholesterol and decreases the level of the bad cholesterol. Good cholesterol refers to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, while bad cholesterol refers to low-density lipoproteins. Good cholesterols are involved in the transportation of excess cholesterol from the peripheral tissues. This reduces deposition of cholesterol in the wall of the arteries reducing the risk for peripheral vascular disease or heart disease. Low-density lipoproteins increase the deposition of cholesterol in the wall of the arteries. Estrogen can also increase the level of triglycerides and very low-density lipoprotein secretion. Xanthelasma is made up of lipids, and even though estrogen reduces the level of low-density lipoprotein, it also, on the other hand, increases the level of high-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, and very low-density lipoproteins. Increased level of triglycerides will bring about the increased level of or increased the possibility of xanthelasma formation.
Do home remedies work?
Yes, they do work. There are many home remedy option remedy that you can explore. But one thing you need to be concerned about is how to lower the level of your body’s lipids (e.g. cholesterol) if you have xanthelasma. This is because having xanthelasma is a sign that you have an underlying problem of too much lipid level in your body, and because of this you are at the danger of peripheral vascular diseases, stroke, and so on. The home remedies involves the use of
- Garlic: It is a good option because it helps to lower both blood pressure and cholesterol level. You can take garlic by eating 2 or 3 raw cloves of garlic in a day not eating food prior to eating garlic. On the other hand you can make a few garlic cloves into a paste by crushing it. Then apply the paste on the xanthelasma side. But it is better for you to use gauze in preventing the paste from entering your eyes. You may leave it like that for 10 or 15 minutes before washing it off. Continue doing this once a day. You should discover that the xanthelasma is reducing in a matter of few days
- Onions: They are essential cooking ingredients but they can also help you in treating your xanthelasma condition. Onions are good because they inhibit buildup of low density lipoproteins and fat. The 2 constitute part of the problem in xanthelasma. To use the onion, extract fluid from an onion and add salt to it. Then put it in a place for some hours. Before you go to sleep in the night, apply the solution on the skin of the affected area. Massage it a little and then go to sleep. Wash it off when you wake up in the morning. Continue doing this daily.
You can also use banana peels too.
Does xanthelasma removal cream work?
Yes, it does. You can buy and use it.Xanthelasma may seem harmless, but it is an indication to check the level of cholesterol in your body
References
- Cold F, Health E, Disease H et al. Xanthelasma. WebMD. 2018. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/xanthelasma. Accessed June 2, 2018.
- Xanthelasma: Background, Pathophysiology, Epidemiology. Emedicinemedscapecom. 2018. Available at: https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1213423-overview. Accessed June 2, 2018.
- Xanthelasma – How It’s Treated and Removed. EyeHealthWebcom. 2018. Available at: https://www.eyehealthweb.com/xanthelasma/. Accessed June 2, 2018
