red itchy swollen eyelid (ONE eye only)

[si50]

Hi,
for the last year or so I have had a strange problem with my left eyelid - the part of the upper lid right above the crease swells up (I can see a "pocket" swollen with fluid - that's the only way I can describe it) so that it reaches (falls) all the way to my upper lashes (normally the whole part of the upper eyelid that touches the eyeball is visible). In a day the part that was swollen becomes reddish right above the crease and itches, in the next two-three days it becomes scaley and dry. The whole thing happens ONLY on the left eyelid, never on the right one. I saw an ophtalmologist a year ago, he said I was allergic to an eye cream, should use Cetaphil instead, put cortisone ointment and prescribed Patanol drops. I followed the directions, the problem subsided, and after several weeks came back, again on the left only. In the meantime, I stayed away from any eye creams and only used Cetaphil or nothing at all. And it's been like this, off an on all the time. I did not use any eye make up at the time. Several months ago I started using make up again, had no problems, and then out of the blue, again, my left eyelid got swollen, then red, then itchy and then scaley. The skin on my eyelid is so stretched now that even when it's not swollen, it droops over my eyelashes. I went to see an ophtalmologist again recently, but he said he it was probalbly from sleeping on my side (which I did not really buy).

I started looking for solutions online, came across this board and started following the advice I found - wash my eyelids with SteriLid by TheraTears and put Aquaphor ointment. It seemed to help at first, I was thrilled for a week, and then again, after five days of my therapy, last Saturday I woke up with the left eyelid swollen, the part right above the crease reddish and itchy, same on Sunday, and it's been like this until today, itchy, reddish and scaley. I am also feeling pressure on my left eyeball from the top, like coming right from the part where the eyelid becomes red. Please, someone help!!!! I am going crazy with this. It seems putting eye creams away does nothing at all - I get this thing with no cream at all. HELP!!!

[Ruchenblooger]

Could this be a symptom of an allergy to Cetaphil? My sister has recently had the same problem (last week it was both eyes and this week just the left one) and has been using nothing but Cetaphil moisturizer. She said she feels like she looks like Sloth from The Goonies. She went to an urgent care facility and they told her it was an allergic reaction, but they suspected it was caused by a new skincare set for acne (w/ salicylic acid) she had recently started using. She has since then stopped using it and it has returned. I thought it might have been this the first time we went in, since I have heard that skin allergies may not always appear immediately and she has very sensitive skin along with Eczema. She does not have a nut allergy so that it not the cause of the reaction. I've been looking around for other people with the same problem online and have found a few similar cases, but no one seems to be sure of what is causing their pain.

[jimdel74]

I have had this condition mainly in the fall to winter months for the past 6 years.  Both eyelids, red, dry, cracking skin on the eyelid as well as below the eye...and no matter what I used nothing worked.  I went on the internet this year ot see if anything changed and came accross more than a couple of people detailing how Mario Badescu Control Creme (sold at Norstrom's for $30,...Amazon...$17), took away the the dryness the redness and itching in anywhere from 2-4 days.  Needless to say I was sketical but it was one of the few positive comments I came accross.  I ordered from Amazon.  I recieved it on Saturday (afternoon) and to my amazement most of the symtoms were gone when I went to work on Monday (AM-2 days)and completely healed by Tuesday (3 days).  Needless to say I was very impressed and had to pass on the news of this remarkable creme knowing how frustrating this condition can be.

[Gilly111]

I had a red, flaky, itchy eyelid for about a year.  It was driving me crazy.  It started with a steroid cream prescribed by my eye doctor which I had a reaction to.  I tried everything to no avail.  
While visiting my dermatologist for other reasons, I asked about this.  He said he thought I might be allergic to the Formaldehyde that is in newsprint and magazines.  I would touch the newspaper every morning, then I would scratch my itchy eyelid.  He recommended Aquaphor and keeping my hands off my eyelid.  Handwashing helps too.  It took awhile, but I am 99% cured.  Ladies, fake nails and polish have formaldehyde too.

[coop5678]

I have the same issue, my eye lid only on the left side is red, itchy, and swollen when i wake up. Then the swollen goes away after 20 minutes, then it swells up the next morning. What is the cause of this????

[jgodec]

i too had itchy, red eyelids for about a month when i finally started searching for an answer.  i think the thing that probably everyone on this forum has in common is putting products on our skin (cosmetics, shampoos, face washes, EVERYTHING) that is filled with undisclosed dangerous chemicals.  even the fragrance-free varieties of most beauty products are full of phthalates, SLS, and parabens which make us sick, and the thing is THEY DON'T HAVE TO LIST THOSE INGREDIENTS.  everything under the sun can be put under "fragrance," for example.  the skin on the eyelids is so sensitive, it makes sense that they would be the first to react.

in the long run i think you'll need to cut out everything that has anything unpronounceable in it and start treating our skin like any other organ:  if we won't eat it, we shouldn't put it on our skin, because it's being absorbed in the same way.

what worked for me:  CASTOR OIL - food grade from vitamin cottage.  within three days my eyes were 50% better.  to bump it up i added a tiny bit of neem oil to the castor oil and one drop of high grade german chamomile essential oil (the blue kind - hard to find) and now, after 6 days, my eyes are completely back to normal:  no itching (the worst!), no puffiness/wrinkles which aged me by 20 years (no, maybe that was the worst!).  i also had red dots which showed up around  my eyes for at least six months and those are gone too.

hope this works for some of you!

[Your_Average_Joe]

It's a seasonal allergy, to some sort of pollen, where you live. You should have an allergist test you, thoroughly, for the various grasses, trees and pollens, that are indigenous, to your area (with specific focus, on ones that commonly pollenate, during the months, in which you are having your urticaria).