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]

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]

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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]

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]

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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]

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