This yellow plaque you describe is probably something called a xanthelasma. They are more common with increasing age, first appearing in the thirties and forties, but are also associated with hyperlipidaemia, a condition where there are high levels of lipids or fats such as cholesterol circulating in your blood. Xanthelasma is not associated with obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption or a sedentary lifestyle but there is an increased risk of developing ischaemic heart disease.

It is because of this associated risk you should have your blood lipids checked as well as a test for diabetes. If you are found to have hyperlipidaemia, it will be treated with the very effective medication available nowadays. You will have to stop smoking if applicable, keep your blood pressure under control, receive advice about diet and, depending on your own situation, be prescribed daily aspirin.

While all this treatment and monitoring may prevent a heart attack, it will do little to improve the cosmetic appearance. Referral to an ophthalmic or plastic surgeon will be required because specialist skills are needed in the vicinity of the eye and for working with the delicate skin of the eyelid.

As xanthelasma are an important predictor of heart disease, you should go to your doctor to discuss further investigations and assessment of the lumps on your eyelids.

Yes, you should. You're probably worried that your birthmark is changing into something serious like a melanoma. Any birthmark or mole which changes in shape, colour, sensation, size or border should be looked at as soon as possible to determine whether it has turned into something more serious.

The cells which produce the pigment melanin, responsible for tanning and protecting the skin from the sun, are called melanocytes. A melanoma occurs when these cells have gone out of control, overproducing melanin beyond the skin's needs. It has the capacity to metastasise - in other words, it could spread to other parts of the body - but if the melanoma is caught early it can be cured.

You can differentiate a melanoma from a mole using the ABCD of identification. Asymmetry, when the shape is uneven; the Borders are often irregular, blurred and difficult to define; the Colour is not uniform; and the Diameter is larger than an ordinary mole and continues to grow. Other signs could include bleeding, becoming itchy or having the appearance of a nodule, and some melanomas aren't even dark in colour.

This is an inherited condition which interferes with the body's clotting mechanism. People with the disorder are likely to bruise easily or have frequent nosebleeds. They tend to bleed more and longer than expected after surgery or a dental extraction. They may have heavy periods, bleeding into the gut - or, in severe cases, bleeding into the joints. It is the most common bleeding disorder, affecting one in 100 people - and, unlike haemophilia, affects both men and women. If one parent has it, there is a 50% chance of any offspring inheriting the disorder.

It isn't quite clear why there is a bleeding tendency but it is partly due to a defect in the stickiness of the platelets, blood cells essential to the clotting process, and partly due to the deficiency of a clotting factor, the Von Willebrand Factor (VWF), which promotes the correct chemical changes for clotting to occur.

The treatment will depend on the severity of the condition and the nature of the bleeding. Drugs can be used to delay the breakdown of clots. Desmopressin is a synthetic version of the natural VWF which can be given intravenously or by nasal spray.

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