Introduction
Cholesterol deposits around the eyes, also known as xanthelasma, are fat deposits under the skin. These deposits appear as slightly raised yellowish bumps or patches typically on or around the eyelids. While cholesterol deposits around the eyes are usually harmless, they can indicate high cholesterol levels in the blood. Detecting and treating high cholesterol is important to reduce the risk of heart disease.
What Causes Cholesterol Deposits Around The Eyes?
Cholesterol deposits around the eyes are caused by high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol in the blood. LDL carries cholesterol through your bloodstream and can cause plaques to build up in your arteries over time. These plaques narrow your arteries and increase your risk for heart attack and stroke.
Having high LDL cholesterol levels allows cholesterol to seep out of the blood vessels into the skin, forming yellowish lumps. The skin around the eyelids is particularly thin and shows these bumps and discoloration more clearly than other areas.
Risk Factors
You may be at increased risk for cholesterol deposits around the eyes if you:
- Have high LDL cholesterol levels
- Have low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good” cholesterol
- Have a family history of high cholesterol
- Are overweight or obese
- Have diabetes
- Smoke cigarettes
- Have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
- Have chronic kidney or liver disease
Managing these risk factors through lifestyle changes and medication can help prevent and treat xanthelasma.
What Do Cholesterol Deposits Around The Eyes Look Like?
Cholesterol deposits around the eyes appear as:
- Small, soft, yellowish bumps or patches
- Plaques, patches, or lumps near the eyelids
- Symetric bumps on both eyes, often in the inner corners near the nose
- Painless deposits that do not impair vision
- Growths that sometimes enlarge slowly over time
The deposits start off as flat and may gradually become thicker and more raised. Larger growths can develop a wartlike or nodular appearance over time.
In most cases, the deposits are symmetrically located on both eyes. However, it’s possible to only have them on one eye. They tend to cluster near the inner corners of the upper and lower eyelids closest to the nose. But deposits can also form on the outer eyelids and below the lower lashes.
Appearance in Different Skin Tones
The yellowish color of cholesterol deposits around the eyes can vary slightly depending on skin tone:
- Fair skin – yellowish-white
- Light brown skin – light yellow
- Dark brown to black skin – yellow-orange to brown
So the growths may appear more orange or brown on darker skin tones rather than yellow. But they remain painless lumps or bumps clustered around the eyelids.
Are Cholesterol Deposits Around The Eyes Dangerous?
Cholesterol deposits around the eyes are harmless accumulations of cholesterol under the skin. They do not impair vision or eye health. Having cholesterol deposits around your eyes does NOT necessarily mean you will develop:
- Blindness
- Cataracts
- Eye disease
But while the bumps themselves are not dangerous, they can indicate an underlying problem – high cholesterol levels.
High LDL cholesterol means you may also have plaque buildup in your arteries. This buildup blocks blood flow and raises your risk for heart attack and stroke.
So while cholesterol deposits around the eyes may not directly impair vision or eye health, they can be a sign of cholesterol problems that damage your cardiovascular system.
When To Seek Medical Care
You should see your doctor if you notice cholesterol deposits around your eyes to get your cholesterol levels tested.
Early treatment for high cholesterol reduces the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke. Medications like statins can lower LDL levels and keep cholesterol under control.
See your doctor promptly if the deposits:
- Appear suddenly
- Rapidly increase in size
- Look different than normal
- Cause irritation or pain
These may be signs of a more serious eye condition that requires examination and specialized treatment. Sudden growths could potentially indicate:
- Eye cancer
- Inflammation
- Infection
- Allergic reaction
So it’s important to consult an ophthalmologist, or eye doctor, for proper diagnosis.
How To Get Rid Of Cholesterol Deposits Around The Eyes
The most effective way to get rid of cholesterol deposits around the eyes is to lower high cholesterol levels through lifestyle changes and cholesterol-lowering medications.
Medical Treatments
If high cholesterol is causing deposits around your eyes, your doctor may prescribe:
- Statins – Lowers LDL cholesterol production in the liver
- Ezetimibe (Zetia) – Prevents cholesterol absorption in the small intestine
- PCSK9 inhibitors – Lowers LDL receptors in the liver
- Niacin – Raises HDL and lowers LDL/triglycerides
- Bile acid resins – Binds to bile acids containing cholesterol
These medications help remove excess cholesterol from your blood to prevent further accumulation around the eyes and in arteries.
Home Remedies and Lifestyle Changes
You can also incorporate daily habits at home to lower high cholesterol:
- Eat a heart-healthy diet low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol
- Increase fiber with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
- Exercise for 30 minutes on most days
- Lose weight if overweight
- Quit smoking and limit alcohol
- Reduce stress through yoga, meditation, etc.
Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels through medical treatment and lifestyle prevents additional deposits. But existing deposits may remain since the cholesterol has already accumulated under the skin.
Removing Existing Deposits
To remove existing cholesterol deposits around the eyes, treatment options include:
- Topical creams – Prescription creams with tretinoin may slowly reduce deposits over time by increasing collagen turnover in skin.
- Chemical peels – Light chemical peels with alphahydroxy acid can slightly improve appearance by exfoliating the skin.
- Laser removal – A YAG laser can minimize bumps and yellow discoloration without surgery by targeting unwanted pigment.
- Surgical removal – A minor surgery can cut out fatty deposits, but may leave scarring.
- Cryotherapy – Freezing deposits with liquid nitrogen destroys abnormal cells.
Discuss these treatments with a dermatologist to choose the most effective option. Removing deposits does not treat the underlying high cholesterol. So medications and lifestyle management are still needed to prevent new accumulations.
Diagnosing High Cholesterol With Blood Tests
If you have cholesterol deposits around your eyes, your doctor will order blood tests to measure your cholesterol levels.
This typically includes:
- Total cholesterol test – Measures overall cholesterol from LDL, HDL, and other particles.
- LDL cholesterol test – Specifically measures LDL particles that cause plaque buildup.
- HDL cholesterol test – Measures HDL or “good” cholesterol that removes excess cholesterol.
- Triglycerides test – Measures triglyceride levels, another blood fat that increases heart disease risk when elevated.
Based on your test results, your doctor can diagnose and treat high cholesterol before it causes further issues like heart attack or stroke.
They will also check for health conditions that can increase cholesterol levels, such as hypothyroidism, kidney disease, or diabetes. Treating any underlying condition can help normalize your cholesterol counts.
Target Cholesterol Levels
The optimal cholesterol levels to aim for are:
- Total cholesterol: less than 200 mg/dL
- LDL cholesterol: less than 100 mg/dL
- HDL cholesterol: 60 mg/dL or higher
- Triglycerides: less than 150 mg/dL
Reaching these target numbers through medication, diet, and exercise will remove excess cholesterol from your blood. This prevents more accumulation around the eyes and in the arteries.
Your doctor may recommend repeated testing every 4-6 months to monitor your cholesterol and make sure medications are working.
Can High Cholesterol Cause Eye Problems?
High cholesterol itself does not directly cause vision loss or eye diseases like cataracts. But, high cholesterol is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis – plaque buildup in the arteries.
Atherosclerosis can restrict blood flow to delicate eye tissues, potentially contributing to certain eye conditions over time. For example, cholesterol-clogged arteries may play a role in:
- Age-related macular degeneration – Diminished blood flow damages the retina.
- Glaucoma – Reduced ocular blood flow damages the optic nerve.
- Diabetic retinopathy – Plaque buildup worsens damage to eye blood vessels.
- Cataracts – Decreased nutrients/oxygen to the lens due to poor circulation.
- Stroke – Plaque rupture in neck arteries restricts oxygen to the brain and eyes.
So while high cholesterol itself does not directly impair vision, it can contribute to overall poor circulation that secondarily harms eye health.
That’s why managing high cholesterol is important to lower the associated risks of atherosclerosis and plaque buildup that can damage delicate eye tissues over time.
Myths About Cholesterol and Eyesight
Despite some indirect connections, many myths surround cholesterol and eyesight:
Myth: High cholesterol causes blurry vision.
Fact: Blurry vision is not a symptom specific to cholesterol. Many other eye conditions unrelated to cholesterol can cause blurry vision.
Myth: Eating eggs will cause cholesterol deposits in your eyes.
Fact: Dietary cholesterol has a modest impact on blood cholesterol levels. Eggs can be part of a healthy diet in moderation.
Myth: Poor eyesight means you have high cholesterol.
Fact: Poor vision has many causes. Cholesterol deposits around eyes, not vision itself, may indicate high cholesterol.
Myth: Wearing glasses will lower high eye cholesterol.
Fact: Glasses correct refractive errors like nearsightedness but do not affect cholesterol levels.
In summary, high cholesterol alone does not directly impair vision or eyesight. But it may contribute to certain eye conditions by harming overall circulation.
Who Gets Cholesterol Deposits Around The Eyes?
Cholesterol deposits around the eyes can occur in anyone with high LDL cholesterol levels. But some groups are at greater risk:
Age
- Over age 40 – Cholesterol levels naturally rise with age.
Genetics
- Family history – Genetic factors can cause elevated cholesterol.
Diet
- High fat diet – Saturated and trans fats increase LDL cholesterol.
Weight
- Overweight or obese – Excess weight stresses cholesterol metabolism.
Diseases
- Diabetes, thyroid, kidney, or liver disorders – Chronic conditions disturb cholesterol regulation.
So middle-aged and older adults who are genetically prone, overweight, or have an underlying condition are most likely to develop cholesterol deposits around the eyelids.
However, even younger healthy people can be affected by having very high cholesterol levels. Getting tested is important to detect and control high cholesterol early.
Conclusion
In summary, cholesterol deposits around the eyes:
- Appear as small yellow bumps or patches on the eyelids
- Are harmless cholesterol accumulations under the skin
- Can indicate high LDL cholesterol levels in blood
- Are managed by lowering cholesterol through medication and lifestyle changes
While not directly dangerous, these bumps may be a warning sign of elevated LDL cholesterol, plaque buildup, and heart disease risk. So they should prompt medical evaluation and treatment to prevent cardiovascular complications down the road.
Controlling cholesterol can also minimize existing deposits and improve their appearance. But deposits may persist once the cholesterol has accumulated under the skin.
By recognizing cholesterol deposits early and addressing high cholesterol, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of atherosclerosis, heart attack, stroke, and other complications. So be sure to see your doctor if you notice these bumps around your eyes.