According to Merck, ingrown eyelashes, which are also called trichiasis, are caused by a variety of reasons. Sometimes, the cause is a malformed eyelid. Other times, it may be caused by bacteria. The treatment for this condition ranges from removing the eyelash using forceps to cryosurgery. Regardless of the cause of the ingrown eyelash, the symptoms of this condition are usually universal.
Inflammation
An ingrown eyelash will cause the eyelid to become inflamed. In most cases, the inflammation will affect only the area of the inflamed eyelash. However, if the ingrown eyelash progresses to a severe infection, the entire eyelid may become inflamed.
Pain or Discomfort
Pain and discomfort are common symptoms of an ingrown eyelash. The severity of these symptoms are directly related to the severity of the ingrown eyelash. When the eyelash first starts to become ingrown, a feeling often likened to sand in the eye is common; however, once the hair is fully ingrown and inflamed, the pain becomes more pronounced, usually to the point of not being able to open the eye.
Vision Disturbances
Because an ingrown eyelash scratches the eye, visual disturbances are common. The disturbance can range from simple cloudiness to full blown loss of vision in the affected eye. These disturbances are caused by damage to the cornea. In extreme cases, a corneal transplant is the only way to correct the disturbances.
Dry Eye
An ingrown eyelash may make your eye dry. If this happens, you may find that the pain and/or irritation becomes worse. Lubricating eye drops or ointment may help to lessen the irritation and the damage caused by the lash rubbing the cornea.
Other Symptoms
If your ingrown eyelash is caused by another eye condition, such as an ocular autoimmune disease or trachoma, you may experience other symptoms. These include excessive eye drainage and/or eyelid scarring.
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