Eye Allergy

[limewave]

I am having a terrible eye allergy issue. My eyelids are bright red and swollen. The redness is starting to move to my lower eyelid as well. My eye doctor recommended allergen pillowcases, mattress coverings, etc as well as prescription eye drops. I've done all of that and it has not helped at all. The next step is steroids. UGH!

I do now want steroid shots! Seems like there should be some other course of action. Ideas anyone???

It would be nice to get this nipped in the bud. I'd like to stop looking like a deranged, diseased, eye-puss face.

[ny biker]

First, what else comes near your eyes? Soap, facial cleanser, lotion? Any cosmetics? Possibly even hair products, if your hair comes close enough to your eyes?

Second, is the redness inside your eyelids or outside (on the skin)?

[limewave]

It is just on the outside of my eyelid--only affects the skin. My actual eye is not effected.

I haven't worn makeup since Spring when the allergy really started to take effect. Initially I thought it was from my sweat (pollen getting in my sweat then dripping in my eyes or something like that) but over the last few weeks I've noticed my eyelids are most swollen first thing in the morning.

I have switched shampoos/conditioners over the summer and switching did not seem to have any change on my symptoms. But it is possible . . .

I had also switched to daily contacts last spring. I thought that might be it so I switched back to the contacts and brand I was using previously a few weeks ago--but, again, no change :-(

No perfumes, no lotions.

Sweat dripping on m eyelids causes painful burning. I do wear a sweat band but that only helps some.

[OakLeaf]

- Change your pillowcases (maybe all your bedlinens) daily while the pollens and molds are so high?

- Rinse your face with plain water before bed?

- Neti pot or other irrigation - the eyes are connected to the sinuses via the tear ducts, and inflammation in the sinuses will affect your eyes?

- Quercetin, CoQ, pantothenic acid/balanced B-complex, vitamin C (ester-C or Pure-Way C shouldn't cause stomach upset or leach minerals from your body)?

Personally I HATE air conditioning and I'd rather suffer through no matter what the pollen count is, but have you tried sealing up your house?

When you say prescription eye drops, do you mean Patanol antihistamine drops, or did you try steroid drops - topical steroids aren't near as scary as systemic?

Are you already getting immunotherapy? I keep beating that drum - but when you can actually train your body to stop reacting, that's so much better all around than treating the symptoms, even if you still have to use meds for breakthrough symptoms. Generally - an optometrist/opthalmologist isn't going to have the expertise dealing with allergies that an allergist will.

[jessmarimba]

I'm in a similar boat, only my itchy is also inside my eyelids (GPC). My optometrist gave me some eye cleaning wipes that helped, and taking Allegra regularly (when I remember) keeps it under control but doesn't eliminate it. See an allergist if you can! I'll be back again when I'm on a laptop and not an iphone.

[indysteel]

In addition to an allergist, I would consult a dermatologist. There are several conditions that have the same symptoms as an allergy. Blepharitis comes to mind. I'd want to rule out bacterial causes of your problem.

[limewave]

All good advice. I will check with a dermatologist and my naturopath doctor.
Thank you!

[jessmarimba]

Ok, back. I think mine is somewhat sweat-related too. The morning after running or biking with contacts in, my eyes are puffy and crusty and itchy as all get-out. Like today. Which makes me want to wear my glasses, but then the bumps inside my eyelids will rub on my eyeballs all day. And even though I'm not supposed to wear contacts when my eyes are acting up, it seems to help keep my actual eyeballs from getting red and inflamed.

I wanted to suggest (if you aren't still doing daily contacts) that using the Clear Care solution has also helped me. And it has to be the name brand, unfortunately - there's something in the generic stuff that makes my eyes itchy too.

Anyway, I wish you luck.

[zoom-zoom]

I'm dealing with horrible eyelid itchy issues right now. Whatever is blooming...I wish it would stop. I think once life settles down into Fall a bit I'm going to finally go get allergy tested and start immunotherapy shots. I am so tired of being sick every Spring and Fall, since this is the time of year when the most fun running and biking stuff takes place.

[ny biker]

Unfortunately this will only muddy the waters for you, but my vast experience with contact dermatitis has shown that an allergen will usually cause a reaction everywhere that it touches me, but not always.

Years ago when sunscreen still contained PABA, it would cause an itchy rash on my forearms, but nowhere else.

More recently I had a a patch of red, itchy, scaly skin on the browbone and eyelid of my left eye. Only the left eye. Eventually I determined it was caused by the Almay eye makeup remover I was using. And I used it on both eyes, but it only caused a problem around the left one.

So if your problem is contact dermatitis, then it might be caused by something that is not only coming into contact with your eyelids. It might be contacting you elsewhere but only causing a reaction around your eyes.

Now, having said that, since you mentioned pillowcases -- have you tried a different pillow made of different materials than the one you use now? Like maybe switching from poly- or down-fill to memory foam? You can also try to rule out or confirm that the cause is related to your pillow/mattress/etc. by sleeping somewhere else for a few nights, like in a recliner in the living room if you have one and can get comfortable enough.

[tulip]

Maybe you have an allergy to some product that your new cleaning lady used.

[limewave]

Must have been an allergy. After two solid months of swollen, red, flaky eyelids (I looked seriously diseased) it's cleared up over the weekend. Weird.

[malkin]

That must be quite a relief!
Glad to hear it has left you.

[limewave]

Okay, so after two days of symptom relief it came back strong. ugh. Another doctor told me to use Aquaphor. That seemed to alleviate the symptoms, but again, that only lasted for a day or so.

SO, I just went to my naturopath doctor. She gave it a good look over. She is confident its a yeast infection, not allergies. She said she can actually see the yeast.
Treatment: A small variety of oral supplements to help kill the yeast, no dairy or added sugar, use teatree oil hair and facial products. Put coconut oil on eyelids at night before bed.
We will see if this works!

[Sky King]

wow, interesting, keep us posted. just hope you aren't allergic to coconut :) - like me

I am extremely allergic to Sagebrush and rag weed, both of which are in full bloom. I gave up years ago and do use nasonex - 2 x's a day through the month of Sept until the first hard frost. I also take a really old drug - rynatan - dirt cheap generic. Between the two I can now actually enjoy fall. I figure I am not on the steroid for that long so am willing to do it.

[OakLeaf]

In the past I've had good luck treating fungus infections with topical probiotics. If you're allergic to milk you probably don't want to use dairy yogurt, but maybe some unsweetened non-dairy yogurt or just open up a probiotic pill and suspend the powder in water to apply?

Good luck, anyway, that sounds miserable.

[limewave]

So. . . . treating this as directed is not working. It is getting a LOT worse: spread from my eyelids to circling my eye and is now creeping down my face. I'm going to the urgent care center first thing in the morning. Starting to get headaches from this . . .

[zoom-zoom]

Yikes, I hope you can finally get a diagnosis and treatment. And I really hope whatever it is is benign.

[limewave]

My "diagnosis" this weekend was Edema. Which is pretty vague. As far as I can tell it means swelling. He prescribed Steroids. Ugh. Not happy . . . I think I may just have to threaten my doctor so I can get a referral to see a dermatologist. I hate the politics of medical insurance.

[OakLeaf]

That doesn't even make sense. I wonder if on top of everything else you've got a typo/handwriting recognition problem, and what he meant was eczema (which is what it sounds like).

This sounds awful. Hope you get it sorted very soon.

[zoom-zoom]

That doesn't even make sense. I wonder if on top of everything else you've got a typo/handwriting recognition problem, and what he meant was eczema (which is what it sounds like).

This sounds awful. Hope you get it sorted very soon.

I wonder this, too...I had eczema around my eyes when I first started running. Turns out I am allergic to my own sweat! :rolleyes: I now have to always wear a wicking headcover and I carry a hanky to wipe excess sweat from my face when I workout. I had to use Cortizone cream around my eyes until it cleared-up.

[ny biker]

Edema is swelling, like from fluid retention.

Definitely worth a phone call to the urgent care place to clarify, and also a visit to a dermatologist.

[limewave]

Just called to confirm, the diagnosis is Edema. The doc was pushing on my face and saying a lot of hmms and huhs and talking about fluid build up. But he also noted the skin is raw and very thin. I did try cortizone cream on it at one point but it was far too painful to try reapplying and it did not seem to help.

[OakLeaf]

Well, edema is a clue that there's some sort of regional or systemic inflammation going on, but it's not a diagnosis of the skin issue ... and steroids will exacerbate thinning skin ...

Have you done a challenge diet? Edema, and especially facial edema, is one of the primary symptoms I get from food allergies, and those also contribute a great deal to my total allergic load and make my inhalant and topical allergies worse when I'm exposed to something external.

[limewave]

Well, edema is a clue that there's some sort of regional or systemic inflammation going on, but it's not a diagnosis of the skin issue ... and steroids will exacerbate thinning skin ...

Have you done a challenge diet? Edema, and especially facial edema, is one of the primary symptoms I get from food allergies, and those also contribute a great deal to my total allergic load and make my inhalant and topical allergies worse when I'm exposed to something external.

Oooh, Challenge diet! Sounds fun (not really), worth attempting. I'll have to look that up.

[limewave]

Fingers crossed . . . I think I'm getting to the bottom of this. I believe it may be a corn allergy. . . .

[Blueberry]

Very interesting! Here's hoping you get a resolution. That sounds completely miserable!

[OakLeaf]

Good luck! (If it is corn, goodbye processed foods ... but we're all trying to do that anyway, right? :p)