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Inside of eyelid sloughing
I have continually had issues with the inner skin of my eyelids (that touches the eyeball) sloughing off during some sort of allergic reaction. My eye will itch and burn, swell up, and I'll have the cold sort of discharge in my eye. Then the inside skin or tissue will start scratching my eye. If I pull the eye lid up you can see it coming off. I typically have to use a wet washcloth to "scrape" the rolled up skin off so that it stops scratching my eye - I can't leave it there-it's way too painful. I have tried drops for blepharitis, steroids, allergy meds, acupuncture, everything I can think of. It has been happening for the past 10 years - sometimes it won't happen for days or a couple of weeks, then it comes for a while. I will say that it typically happens at night - I do believe it's an allergic reaction to my cats because it never occurs when I'm out of the house & away from them. This is why I won't get more pets after these 2 are gone but I need to find relief for this now because it's absolutely miserable and painful. I've had it all day today and it's making me crazy - the drops and prednisone drops have not worked at all.
It sounds like what is being describe is pseudomembranous conjunctivitis. I encourage you to google it to look at the various recommendations, which remain for symptom relief (unless it is viral for which there is antiviral treatment, or bacterial for which antibiotics are recommended). Causes are on point with other conjunctivitis, including chemical burns, SJS, etc. I hope that helps!
1 Comments
Hey I have some input here.
So I've just turned 21 in June and for the past 24 years I have been suffering with the same thing you have been (minus the cats) but not minus the allergy.
So how it happens is I notice a piece of gooey membrane on my tear duct or somewhere around the eye and I take it out with my finger. All is good. Except now I notice more and flip my eye lid so see more so I pull on it gently and it peel away from the inner eye lid literally peels like a thin onion layer. So I think okay I'll be fine now I've peeled that off it won't rub against my eye like sand paper now. But it doesn't make it better it makes it worse and worse and eventually I realise after two hours has passed by and I've done nothing but peel my inner eyelids,I've made them very swollen very bloodshot and gunky. It gets so bad sometimes that my eyes are swollen shut and it looks like a golfball on my face. Sometimes I tear away at my eye so much that I make my nose bleed because the glands are all connected. But here's the thing. I've been to many doctors, optometrists, opticians, eye clinics etc and they tell me the same thing. It's conjunctivitis here's another prescription for another dose of drops or ointments etc which don't actually help. It's gotten so bad that it doesn't even give me momentary relief. But now the good part. The one constant I've had with making my eyes better is 2 clean face cloths. One dipped in hot water one dipped in cold. I compress my eyes with the hot then the cold then the hot and repeat. Then I just simply leave my eyes alone. I Dont touch them and after a couple hours the swelling has gone down. And the next day they're normal looking eyes. Doctors used to say don't wear make up cause that's the reasons why it's happening but it's not (only started wearing makeup when I was 15). So now I just take an antihistamine everyday to try ensure my eyes don't react or start watering to pollens etc and start it up again. I have recently finally gotten the right diagnosis and I am the problem. I did have an infection once upon a time. And it permanently affected my mucus glands. So my eyes produce too much now that's why they get irritated. But I have a condition called Mucus Fishing Disorder. Basically it means that I have s bad habit that I need to break. Just leave my eyes alone and they will be fine. People who suffer from this usually don't admit that they can spend hours and hours peeling at their eyes and it's such a bad habit it makes them really badly swollen and gooey. To anyone that bothered to read all of this novel, admit this to your gp if you do this and ask the about the disorder if you want to. Basically what I'm trying to say it my hay fever ad allergies to pollen etc make my eyes water and i make my eyes worse so please everyone leave your eyes alone. Find something to keep your hands busy. Ignore the pain for a little while. You can do it. And I promise your eyes will be fine after. Sorry for such a long message but I hope it helps
So I've just turned 21 in June and for the past 24 years I have been suffering with the same thing you have been (minus the cats) but not minus the allergy.
So how it happens is I notice a piece of gooey membrane on my tear duct or somewhere around the eye and I take it out with my finger. All is good. Except now I notice more and flip my eye lid so see more so I pull on it gently and it peel away from the inner eye lid literally peels like a thin onion layer. So I think okay I'll be fine now I've peeled that off it won't rub against my eye like sand paper now. But it doesn't make it better it makes it worse and worse and eventually I realise after two hours has passed by and I've done nothing but peel my inner eyelids,I've made them very swollen very bloodshot and gunky. It gets so bad sometimes that my eyes are swollen shut and it looks like a golfball on my face. Sometimes I tear away at my eye so much that I make my nose bleed because the glands are all connected. But here's the thing. I've been to many doctors, optometrists, opticians, eye clinics etc and they tell me the same thing. It's conjunctivitis here's another prescription for another dose of drops or ointments etc which don't actually help. It's gotten so bad that it doesn't even give me momentary relief. But now the good part. The one constant I've had with making my eyes better is 2 clean face cloths. One dipped in hot water one dipped in cold. I compress my eyes with the hot then the cold then the hot and repeat. Then I just simply leave my eyes alone. I Dont touch them and after a couple hours the swelling has gone down. And the next day they're normal looking eyes. Doctors used to say don't wear make up cause that's the reasons why it's happening but it's not (only started wearing makeup when I was 15). So now I just take an antihistamine everyday to try ensure my eyes don't react or start watering to pollens etc and start it up again. I have recently finally gotten the right diagnosis and I am the problem. I did have an infection once upon a time. And it permanently affected my mucus glands. So my eyes produce too much now that's why they get irritated. But I have a condition called Mucus Fishing Disorder. Basically it means that I have s bad habit that I need to break. Just leave my eyes alone and they will be fine. People who suffer from this usually don't admit that they can spend hours and hours peeling at their eyes and it's such a bad habit it makes them really badly swollen and gooey. To anyone that bothered to read all of this novel, admit this to your gp if you do this and ask the about the disorder if you want to. Basically what I'm trying to say it my hay fever ad allergies to pollen etc make my eyes water and i make my eyes worse so please everyone leave your eyes alone. Find something to keep your hands busy. Ignore the pain for a little while. You can do it. And I promise your eyes will be fine after. Sorry for such a long message but I hope it helps
5 Comments
14 years. Duh
Thanks for the information. Mucous fishing is very common. Fingers in the eye don't help any eye condition.
This was so helpful and relieving to read. It has given me so much comfort to know I am not alone (or crazy, as I was beginning to believe.) Almost everything you described applies perfectly to me. Likewise, I have been to several doctors who have diagnosed me with multiple cases of conjunctivitis and blamed my make up and make up remover, despite me assuring them this wasn't the case. I was beginning to believe I was the only person in the world that went through this awful ordeal. I have just stopped "mucus fishing" around 10 minutes ago - it was an hour long session that has left my eye extremely sore, red and swollen with blurry and out of focus vision. This always ends with me panicking - googling why the inside of my eyes are peeling, or whether I'm going to wake up blind. My searches usually come to a dead end, leaving me none the wiser, until I came across this site and your answer. Thank you so much for sharing your story and advice. I recently turned 20 and it's unbearable to think I could possibly spend another 60+ years "mucus fishing" if I don't break this awful habit soon. I will definitely be trying the hot and cold face cloth method, and I will be working on my self discipline to leave my eyes alone! Hopefully this is the last time I'll have to google any self-inflicted eye problems!
THANK YOU. I have the same thing and it is very painful to wake up in the middle of the night and get up to deal with this. not much info in the medical world (Im a nurse and have been to 3 eye doctors who have no clue. i spend so much time cleaning my eyes so I dont look like I just got out of bed or have an eye infection. The other issues is that after 3 years of this my eyes are starting to really wrinkle. I look so much older from this issues. It is sooooo frustrating. I have tried all types of prescribed drops even steroids, is it allergies, dry eyes, water eyes, infection, or WHAT.? I carry tissues and hand sanitizer and eye drops every where......ughhh!
This is 1000000% accurate for me. I can spend hours peeling at my eye no matter how many times I tell myself to stop. Eventually, I'll force myself to stop and focus on a tv show or something to get my mind off my eye. Usually, within 30 minutes it's already feeling tons better. It's still puffy and swollen but no longer feels like sandpaper. Also, I completely agree with the warm and cold washcloths. I have found that this helps as well! Once the sandpapery feeling is gone, I use Redness Reliever eyedrops to help with the puffiness and (obviously) the redness and then use the cold washcloth to help sooth it.
I also have OCD and I have read articles that link Mucus Fishing and OCD together in some cases. Not saying if you have one you automatically have the other but they basically point out that Mucus Fishing can be someone with OCD's worst nightmare. Now that I am more aware of what it is and that I'm causing it, I'm much better at not letting myself touch my eyes to the point of no return. However, I still give in on occasion..usually when I'm abnormally stressed about something. For me, it's sort of like someone biting their nails to the point of pain when they are stressed or nervous. At first, it's something to get your mind off of whatever you are stressed about but next thing you know you're in pain/bleeding from biting them too short. It's almost somewhat calming....until it's not.
I also have OCD and I have read articles that link Mucus Fishing and OCD together in some cases. Not saying if you have one you automatically have the other but they basically point out that Mucus Fishing can be someone with OCD's worst nightmare. Now that I am more aware of what it is and that I'm causing it, I'm much better at not letting myself touch my eyes to the point of no return. However, I still give in on occasion..usually when I'm abnormally stressed about something. For me, it's sort of like someone biting their nails to the point of pain when they are stressed or nervous. At first, it's something to get your mind off of whatever you are stressed about but next thing you know you're in pain/bleeding from biting them too short. It's almost somewhat calming....until it's not.
It's me again - but I cancelled my old email so I had to log in with my new one and a new user name - here's what I found that is helping, and thank you so much to all that commented with ideas! I use homeopathic pellets and cell salts. Natrium Muriaticum 6x helps a lot, along with Argentum Nitricum 200ck. And my 2 cats did pass, and after I grieved, I went out and adopted 2 more. I refuse to sacrifice the joy and comfort of companion animals when I know that the creator has provided us with all we need to live well - I just had to find it, and I did! :)
1 Comments
I have the same problem, it started 2 years ago when I moved to Texas where allergies are worse. I’ve went to multiple doctors and ophthalmologists about this and I was getting misdiagnosed every time. My eyes get watery, burn and itch. I get little strands of mucus in my eyes every so often but they are usually perfectly fine until spring time rolls around. They get so bad during spring and summer and clean up in the fall, when they get bad the skin on my conjunctiva will peel, my eyes will swell and droop and I wake up with them crusted completely shut. I thought it could be mucus fishing syndrome but sometimes it’s only one eye and it’s a certain time of the year. I try my best not to touch them. Eventually I went to an ophthalmologist who diagnosed me with allergic conjunctivitis and the best way to treat this is to go to an allergist to figure out what allergen could be causing it (: hope this helps anyone who finds it
1 Comments
THANK YOU. I have the same thing and it is very painful to wake up in the middle of the night and get up to deal with this. not much info in the medical world (Im a nurse and have been to 3 eye doctors who have no clue. i spend so much time cleaning my eyes so I dont look like I just got out of bed or have an eye infection. The other issues is that after 3 years of this my eyes are starting to really wrinkle. I look so much older from this issues. It is sooooo frustrating. I have tried all types of prescribed drops even steroids, is it allergies, dry eyes, water eyes, infection, or WHAT.? I carry tissues and hand sanitizer and eye drops every where......ughhh!
1 Comments
I have the same thing, but I believe mine is from not wearing the sun lamp glasses when I sat under a sun lamp almost 20 years ago. I bought the sun lamp on Ebay but they never said anything about glasses.
I remember I was literally blind for 3 days.
Then my vision returned but ever since then, every month n half or so this comes back.
I cant count how many hours Ive stoid in front of mirror...many times for days straight...non stop.
Its miserable n painful.
U can NOT just walk away. Its nearly impossible.
Its hell.
It gets worse with age but this time it hasnt gone away...n its been 3 weeks. My vision is completely blurry in 1 eye.
Dont know what to do.
No drops will help. Absolurely none.
I damaged my eyes not wearing sun lamp glasses but I didnt know any better, I was young n dumb. That Ebay seller SHOULD have mentioned something about glasses in the listing. Think about it, any kid could have bought that sun lamp...well, that kid was me.
N for the rest of my life, I will have to suffer with this n there is nothing I can do except MAYBE surgery n like Ive got THAT kinda money. Yeah, right.
I remember I was literally blind for 3 days.
Then my vision returned but ever since then, every month n half or so this comes back.
I cant count how many hours Ive stoid in front of mirror...many times for days straight...non stop.
Its miserable n painful.
U can NOT just walk away. Its nearly impossible.
Its hell.
It gets worse with age but this time it hasnt gone away...n its been 3 weeks. My vision is completely blurry in 1 eye.
Dont know what to do.
No drops will help. Absolurely none.
I damaged my eyes not wearing sun lamp glasses but I didnt know any better, I was young n dumb. That Ebay seller SHOULD have mentioned something about glasses in the listing. Think about it, any kid could have bought that sun lamp...well, that kid was me.
N for the rest of my life, I will have to suffer with this n there is nothing I can do except MAYBE surgery n like Ive got THAT kinda money. Yeah, right.
1 Comments
This was so relieving to read. I thought I was the only one. But Im so glad to know Im not. This is probably the most annoying thing I go through and the pain is exhausting. What drops are best for conjuntiva?
1 Comments
Artificial tears: Remember like food they are not all the same and what works for one person may not help at all for others. Keep a list of drops you try and give them a grade. If they sting or burn give them an F if they make the eye feel better but only for 30-60 minutes a C what you want is something that makes the eyes feel great for 3-4 hours and relieve the feeling of needing to 'fish mucous" there are many excellent drops some examples: Soothe, Refresh, Celluvisc, Retain, Systane, Genteal, Tears natural, Refresh Liquigel, Theratears liquigel, Blink.
How nice to hear of a good outcome due to your sensible approach to the problem!
1 Comments
I have the same exact issues as u but no cats dealing with, have u found the your solution yet?
Hi,
An allergist can tell you if it is the cat. I suspected my cat and so my allergist tested me. Not the cat in my case.
I'm and eye patient and a community leader.
Write back if you need to.
An allergist can tell you if it is the cat. I suspected my cat and so my allergist tested me. Not the cat in my case.
I'm and eye patient and a community leader.
Write back if you need to.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Get rid of the cats or put up with it till they're gone.
JCH III MD
JCH III MD
3 Comments
I have had same issues for 3 years and no pet. I don't even suffer from allergies!
See an ophthalmologist. The most common cause is blepharitis. This is an extremely common, chronic eye disease.
Lol - even my allergist said "Most people will get rid of their allergist before they get rid of their cats." !
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