Find out what to do if you have a lump on your eyelid, or an eyelid that's swollen, sticky, itchy, drooping or twitching.

Many eyelid problems are not serious.

It's fairly common to have any of these problems:

• a lump that goes away by itself after 3 or 4 weeks
• mildly itchy, flaky or sticky eyelids that clear up by themselves
• swelling from a nearby insect bite, injury or operation that goes away after a week or so
• twitching or blinking from time to time – often when you're tired
• eyelids that droop (or get more "hooded") as you get older

Your symptoms might give you an idea of the cause. Do not self-diagnose – see a GP if you're worried.

• what you can do to treat it yourself
• if you can buy anything to help – for example, cleaning solutions for sticky eyelids
• if you need to see an optician or GP