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itchy red swollen eyelids,,,not Blepharitis - please help me!!!!
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~~
thanks
~~k~~
ok that all makes sense - i've cut out alcohol, sugar and gluten and ramped up the antioxidents and raw vegetables
i already knew i had a high level of candida but i've had that for some time and didnt connect the dots
i'm on about day ten of no rash - yay!!
i already knew i had a high level of candida but i've had that for some time and didnt connect the dots
i'm on about day ten of no rash - yay!!
> http://rosacea-support.org/demodex-mites-treatment/comment-page-4#comment-78201
> http://www.livestrong.com/article/165497-list-of-high-phenol-foods/
> http://www.sheilashea.com/candida.html
> http://www.livestrong.com/article/165497-list-of-high-phenol-foods/
> http://www.sheilashea.com/candida.html
Research: OVERGROWTH DEMODEX FOLLICULORUM. Essentially, your naturally-occurring skin microflora are out of control. Something is missing that normally keeps them in check. WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT THAT THING IS.
SUCCESS!
After much experimentation and research, I have come to the conclusion that I was suffering from 2 different manifestations: one a histamine reaction, the other a microbial overgrowth. They may very well be related in their root cause, but they have slightly different manifestations (at least for me).
The histamine reaction produces a hot sensation in my body, to the point that I sometimes cannot sleep. Within minutes or hours (sometimes as late as the next day) I get a "butterfly rash" on my face--around my eyes, upper cheeks and lower forehead.
The microbial reaction will manifest in the same general area, but with out the "heat flash" symptoms. The most intensely effected areas include the eyelids (upper and lower), eye lashes and eyebrows. Symptoms here include dry, flaky skin with intense itching as the skin is drying and peeling.
The reason I suspect these symptoms are interlocked is that high-histamine foods would cause the rash to set in. But the itching and peeling would often be delayed by a few days... with a period of light swelling (more akin to bloating) in between.
Microbial symptoms would increase dramatically during sleep--indicating that there was some sort of blood-born component. After the initial itching would follow a 24+hour period of swelling. When the swelling went down, the peeling would start. Best way to treat the peeling--which manifests much like dandruff--was to take a long, hot shower... allowing the skin to absorb moisture, then using a gentle washcloth to remove excess skin flakes.
Anyway, after reaching the conclusion that the problem was probably microbial overgrowth--specifically Demodex folliculorum--the most logical approach was to apply a 2:1 mixture of Castor oil to Tea Tree oil. Both--according to my research--are anti-fungal and anti-microbial.
Since Tea Tree oil has intense drying effects, it was deemed wise to avoid over-exposure to the eye area. So after mixing up the oil, using the recipe above, I used a cotton-ball to apply the mixture to the effected areas--eyelids, cheeks and forehead--paying close attention to the areas around the eye were wrinkles form. (If the oil did not hit the wrinkled area of skin, that area might harbor more of the offending microbes, which would then re-grow quickly.) I TOOK GREAT CARE TO MAKE SURE MY EYES STAYED CLOSED BOTH DURING THE APPLICATION AND FOR 5 TO 10 MINUTES AFTER APPLICATION to prevent adverse reactions to the eye itself. Afterwards, I soaked up remaining oil with a paper towel.
I commenced with this application 3 times over the course of a week. Treatment always occurred about 2 hours before bedtime. Day 2 showed dramatic improvement with almost no residual scaling remaining. Day 3 showed minor change in symptoms. (I intended to repeat treatment on Day 3, but forgot.) Day 4 brought a minor increase in scaling and itching. A repeat application occurred that night, before bed. Day 5, again, showed no symptoms. But I decided to repeat the application again before bed. By Day 6 I was symptom free and continued to be so--even through a high-stress weekend at work--until consuming a bottle of red wine (high-histamine food).
Today (Day 8) I have a slight itching on the forehead which manifested after drinking the wine. Minor scaling on the outside corner of the eyes.
I await tomorrow to see how symptoms change.
After much experimentation and research, I have come to the conclusion that I was suffering from 2 different manifestations: one a histamine reaction, the other a microbial overgrowth. They may very well be related in their root cause, but they have slightly different manifestations (at least for me).
The histamine reaction produces a hot sensation in my body, to the point that I sometimes cannot sleep. Within minutes or hours (sometimes as late as the next day) I get a "butterfly rash" on my face--around my eyes, upper cheeks and lower forehead.
The microbial reaction will manifest in the same general area, but with out the "heat flash" symptoms. The most intensely effected areas include the eyelids (upper and lower), eye lashes and eyebrows. Symptoms here include dry, flaky skin with intense itching as the skin is drying and peeling.
The reason I suspect these symptoms are interlocked is that high-histamine foods would cause the rash to set in. But the itching and peeling would often be delayed by a few days... with a period of light swelling (more akin to bloating) in between.
Microbial symptoms would increase dramatically during sleep--indicating that there was some sort of blood-born component. After the initial itching would follow a 24+hour period of swelling. When the swelling went down, the peeling would start. Best way to treat the peeling--which manifests much like dandruff--was to take a long, hot shower... allowing the skin to absorb moisture, then using a gentle washcloth to remove excess skin flakes.
Anyway, after reaching the conclusion that the problem was probably microbial overgrowth--specifically Demodex folliculorum--the most logical approach was to apply a 2:1 mixture of Castor oil to Tea Tree oil. Both--according to my research--are anti-fungal and anti-microbial.
Since Tea Tree oil has intense drying effects, it was deemed wise to avoid over-exposure to the eye area. So after mixing up the oil, using the recipe above, I used a cotton-ball to apply the mixture to the effected areas--eyelids, cheeks and forehead--paying close attention to the areas around the eye were wrinkles form. (If the oil did not hit the wrinkled area of skin, that area might harbor more of the offending microbes, which would then re-grow quickly.) I TOOK GREAT CARE TO MAKE SURE MY EYES STAYED CLOSED BOTH DURING THE APPLICATION AND FOR 5 TO 10 MINUTES AFTER APPLICATION to prevent adverse reactions to the eye itself. Afterwards, I soaked up remaining oil with a paper towel.
I commenced with this application 3 times over the course of a week. Treatment always occurred about 2 hours before bedtime. Day 2 showed dramatic improvement with almost no residual scaling remaining. Day 3 showed minor change in symptoms. (I intended to repeat treatment on Day 3, but forgot.) Day 4 brought a minor increase in scaling and itching. A repeat application occurred that night, before bed. Day 5, again, showed no symptoms. But I decided to repeat the application again before bed. By Day 6 I was symptom free and continued to be so--even through a high-stress weekend at work--until consuming a bottle of red wine (high-histamine food).
Today (Day 8) I have a slight itching on the forehead which manifested after drinking the wine. Minor scaling on the outside corner of the eyes.
I await tomorrow to see how symptoms change.
i dont know what i did but it suddenly cleared up - its been gone for about a week now
i've been trying everything from no alcohol to meditation so i have no idea what actually worked!!
bliss, first time in nearly a year that i havent had the rash, swelling and itch
i've been trying everything from no alcohol to meditation so i have no idea what actually worked!!
bliss, first time in nearly a year that i havent had the rash, swelling and itch
I'm so glad I found this forum! I thought I was the only one. My symptoms are a litte different than many of yours. My redness, itch, and irritation is primarily in the crow's feet of my left eye but does involve the lower corner of my eyelid. I am 47 years old and my systems started about two weeks ago. The only thing I've tried so far is baby rash ointment. I use a thin layer before bed and it seems to help for several days and then it will flare up again. I don't completely wash the ointment off in the morning so it provides a barrier under my makeup (mineral) and also masks the redness. Anytime I wash the area it only seems to irritate it further. I have watery eyes anyway and have thought that maybe the crow's feet has created a crease and that when my eyes water it stays in the crease rather than run off, thus the irritation. That sounds kinda wierd but seems like the only diagnosis, at least for me. Isn't it funny how most of us are 40-something women? It must be hormonal related somehow. I've written down several of the remedies you all have mentioned and plan on a trip to Walgreens later today. Please keep the suggestions coming.
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