itchy red swollen eyelids,,,not Blepharitis - please help me!!!!

[kwinn]

here i go....so for the last 6 months i have had itchy eyelids...my eye doctor told me it was due to mild allergies and prescribed eye drops which didnt help in the least so i turned to over the counter allergy medicine which hasn't helped either (so i dont think it's allergies) and in the last 3 weeks not only are my eyelids itchy but when i wake up in the morning my upper eye lids are bright red and swelled up so bad that its embarassing!!!! i have switched makeup brands, stopped wearing makeup all together, changed pillowcases religiously, done the compresses, used mild baby shampoo on my eyes to clean them now, i take my vitamins, gone to the dermatologist who again prescribed more allergy medication (hasnt worked) went to an Ophthalmologist who said he didnt think it wasnt blepharitis but really wasnt sure what was going on so he prescribed me bousch & lombs neomycin and polymyxin b sulfates and dexamethasone ophthalmic ointment USP to apply to my eyelids which if anything in the last 4 days of using it has actually caused the swelled upper part of my eyelids to burn...typically the swelling goes down thru the day but by the time night hits theyre back to being all swelled up again...im 25 and done as much research as i can...this is literally killing me...(and i hate not wearing makeup!!!) please oh please if you have any ideas of what i may be doing wrong or what i can do to help my poor eyes let me know!!! anything will help at this point!
thanks
~~k~~

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Might consider stopping the neomycin as 10% of people taking it develop allergies to it.

Might consider just using the dexamathason for a 7-10 days.

I'm assuming you do not wear contacts. If you do the contacts are the cause 99% of the time.

There are many things that you could be allergic to that could cause this including cosmetics, hair coloring, nail polish, food allergies, perfumes, etc.

If you get no relief consider seeing a cornea/external disease ophthalmologist. You can use the Find An Eye MD feature at www.aao.org to find one near you. Let us know if you determine a cause.

JCH III MD

[Kelbo609]

I have the same problem as this red swollen itchy eyelids.  Don't have allergies like this.  I do wear contacts--why would they cause this?  I haven't been wearing the contacts for days now....

[John C Hagan]

Because when a person wears contact lens and has problems with redness, irriation, watering, sensitivity to light, foreign body sensation, discharge 90% plus its the contacts that is causing the problem.

JCH III MD

[kwinn]

i wish i had an answer to my original question on this page...who knows what was wrong with my poor eyes....so after seeing the eye doc. i got that weird prescription filled and never used it...i kept washing my eyelids with the baby soap morning and night, changed my pillowcases ALL THE TIME and changed my contact cleanser to the clear care solution (the kind that bubbles up) ----since then my red swollen eyes have gone back to normal (thank goodness!!!) but now i have fine lines alllllll around my eyes where they had swelled so bad in the weeks before...it's better than what i originally had but my eyelids (and under my eyes) have aged 10 years in the last 2 months from this...anybody know a good wrinkle cream?! ha....so i never found out what was wrong...possibly an allergy to something..!? good luck.....

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[LizGee]

My 5 yr old son wakes with red swollen eyes some mornings.  The swelling subsides during the day, but turn into dry flaky red and itchy eyelids.  Some days it is so bad that he can't open his eyes -on these days he ends up with what looks like bruising, or black eyes as the swelling subsides.  The rash responds well to protopic, but I have no idea what he might be reacting to in the first place -I've tried eliminating milk, then eggs, wheat, nuts...  No marked difference with any of these eliminations.  Any suggestions?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Food allergies are very unlikely. You should take your son to an ophthalmologist Eye MD physician, perhaps a pediatric one if available, for a proper diagnosis and treatment.

You can find one at www.aao.org using the Find An Eye MD feature.

JCH III MD

[bippy0926]

I have a similar prob as well.  My right eyelid gets itchy at night (weird), right in the area of my lashes.  I scratch and by morning its huge and red, sometimes painful.  My left eye is very different.  It is not as sensitive.  Gets itchy higher, not as much or as often and never swells.  After the "itch, scratch and swelling episode" the swelling goes away and I am left with VERY dry skin.  I apply lotions at night and after a day or two, I am left with wrinkles!

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[brookie_b]

I, as well, have googled "red, swollen itchy eyelids" because I am suffering the same problem. But my eyelids are swollen around my eyebrow area... NOT near my lashes. It's like the fatty part over your brow bone. When I wake up it's sometimes so swollen I can't fully see. I also have a small rash on the side of my face, below my temple, about the size of a dime. Could it be eczema? The inflamation reduces during the day but by morning I wake up with the puffy tightness again. I haven't changed make up, lotion, detergent or anything like that. And I don't wear contacts either. And the itching drives me crazy! My health insurance doen't cover dermatology :( so I'm trying to solve the mystery myself. Any help would be WONDERFUL!!!!

Thanks in Advance!
Brooke

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

It could be from your eyelids and you might have blepharoconjunctivitis and secondary lid swelling. Your problem cannot be diagnosed in a forum such as this and you should make an appointment to see an Eye MD ophthalmologist-physician. Find one at www.aao.org

JCH III MD

[cadoxie]

I have the exact same thing and went to see an eye doctor. He gave me prescription eye drops that don't work. I'm planning on seeing an allergist and a derm to find out what is going on.

[ploppy]

Did any of you have any joy? I have the same problem

[angela20]

I have swollen eye lids in the morning.  I 've tried warm compresses and restasis but this doesn't seem to help.  I am a contact lens wearer. I have started to limit the amount of time I wear the lenses but I have seen no improvement

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[gayce]

Has anybody found cure yet? I've had same problem since Christmas - thought at first it was because we were having painting done and I was allergic - but this finished ages ago. This flares up every few days and is particularly bad on lids - bright red then also moved to under eyes. Doctor prescribed hydrocortisone cream but I don't like to use it too often and also clarityn but these haven't worked. Haven't used make up or eye cream since before Christmas only E45 on eyes and simple eye wipes. Also have red rash on both sides of neck - don't know if this is connected?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[MsJen718]

I had no idea so many have the same problem. My problem started 7 months ago. Red burning skin around my eyes. At times, eyelid and upper eye area swelling. Sometimes just very dark red skin around my eyes. I have gone to 2 internal med specialists, 2 opthamolagists and 1 dermatolagist. Been treated for blepharitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and allergies. Whenever I start another treatment I have a short period of relief. It always comes back...longest time without symptoms 10 days. Like eveyone else, I have thrown all makeup, lotions, and soaps away. Washed sheets, pillow cases, and put pillow in the dryer. This has become debilitating and I am becoming depressed. I have a high profile job and don't want to be seen because I look like I have some awful disease. Can anyone suggest a next step? Surely somebody knows what this is and how it can be treated.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[trevoi]

I've had blepharitis for 15 years and the only people that talked any sense were Sunderland eye hospital
You may solve it (or make it easier, it's never solved)by bathing your eyes 4 times a day in salty water. Baby shampoo made mine worse.

[trevoi]

I forgot to mention because the eye consultant at Shotley Bridge Hospital was clueless and arrogant, my eyes got so bad that by the time i got to Sunderland eye hospital they also had to put me on antibiotics. Seems odd but i had to take these once a day for months.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

The newest and most successful product to keep blepharitis under control is TherTears SterLid which both removeds the oil and debris but also is antibacterial. It is over the counter, available on the internet. (disclaimer-I have no financial interest in this product). Works better than baby shampoo.

JCH IIIMD

[PuffyEyes]

I am 26 and have the same eye lid swelling that ALWAYS occurs in the morning upon waking up.  Mine do not itch though and everyone else seems to have the swollen redness along with the itching.  It always involves my top and lower eyelids and always both eyes.  I too have been to dermatologists and allergists (was prescribed allergy meds but he reallly could not tell me anything other than to keep a log of what happened or what I ate or came into contact with, etc)  My dermatologist could only tell me what to do to provide relief and she suggested warm milk on the affected areas.  I am writing this now with swollen eye lids and this is the first time in 2 years that it has come back.  It used to happen to me more frequently but that was 2-4 years ago.  I literally look like I've been in a boxing match and it makes getting out of bed near impossible.  I too have washed the sheets religiously, avoided harsh makeup and chemicals, tried to link this to some type of food allergy--and I can't come up with anything!  I will say that yesterday for the first time in a long time I began using the topical cream DUAC prescribed by my Dermatologist for acne.  It is 1% clindamycin and 5% benzoyl peroxide, and as I write this it is forefront on my mind that this stuff may be the cause (there has to be an obvious link between my sudden reoccurrance and my recent use of this cream--yesterday).  Perhaps some of the ingredients in this stuff are in something you use?  Please let me know if any of this sounds familiar to you guys or if you might be able to shed some light on this.  

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

See an ophthalmologist Eye MD physician. Find one at www.aao.org.  Take in some pictures of your lids when badly swollen.
JCH III MD