puffy, swollen eyes

woke up in the middle of the night with my eyes puffy & swollen -- it's probably some kind of topical allergic reaction... but how do I get the puffiness to subside? I took Claritin at midnight and then some children's benedryl at 4 -- but they are still HUGE

[Dr_Veena]

Hi,
     Sudden swollen puffy eye lids could be due to allergies, infections or stye or due to an insect bite, but the latter usually does not affect both the eyes. If this has developed gradually kidney disorders and thyroid function should be evaluated. In case of allergic disorders antihistamines like Claritin or Zyrtec can help. It would be better to let it settle on it’s own in a couple of days, but if this is chronic then placing tea bags, cucumber slices, drinking plenty of water, avoiding eye make up are some of the measures to control the situation. Hope this helps. Best.