Question
My child is 3 years old. He was fine before bedtime, but around 4 a.m., he woke up complaining of needing to urinate. I got up to check and was shocked to see that his upper lip was very swollen, transparent and shiny, slightly turned outward. There’s also a bit of swelling on the left side of his lower lip, and his eyes are a bit swollen too. What could be the cause of this?
Answer
Eye puffiness can generally be divided into two categories: one caused by diseases of the eyes and adjacent tissues, such as eyelid edema, conjunctivitis, dermatitis, and acute glaucoma. Most often, it affects only one side of the eyelids. The most common cause is kidney disease, where eyelid edema appears first, followed by swelling in other parts of the body quickly. If accompanied by red urine, there may be hematuria, and you should take your child to the hospital for a medical examination immediately.