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!!!

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

Suggestions:

1. See a Eye MD that specializes in cornea/external diseases
2. Consider seeing a allergist or dermatologist.

JCH MD