dry red sore itchy bumpy under eye skin

[jezabella]

Last year I suddenly developed dry skin on the left eyelid and was prescibed hydrocortisone.  Unfortunately it spreaded to the right eyelid the to the bottom of both eyes.  The hydrocrtisone did not work, instead peeled away a little skin.  I continued wearing make up (mac) as my dark circles are very bad.
I went to see an optician who thought it was bletharitis, but I don't think it was.  And I had an allergy test (machine tested me on 3000 products).  I was told that I was allergic to lanolin (sheep wool fat),dust, basil and squid.  I was also told that my boots sensitive mascara did not agree with me.  I am not aware of ever having used lanolin.  I stopped wearing eye make up and only used vaseline around the eyes.
Approx. 2 months later it suddenly vanished, not sure how?  I had put up with the problem for 11 months, gradually becoming worse.
And now after 2 months of it having gone away, it has returned again. This time it happened much quicker, starting on the right lower eye, then moved to the left.  The right under eye is very red, sore and dry.  It feels so rough to touch.  I have not worn make up today and have only applied vaseline and aqeous cream.

I haven't changed any toileteries or make up in the last 2 months.  I am not sure what it could be?  I don't think it is eczema, but believe it could be an allergic reaction to something.  I can't seem to work out what it could be?  Could it be an allergic reaction to something i am using around the eye or a food product?  Please help me.

Thanks
Jezabella

[sash15]

I relate to this totally. I have sufferred with excema most of my life at different times. In the last 4 years (since my seperation from my husband), which might or might not hae something to do with it), I have sufferred badly withexcema type redness,swellings and itchy eyes.  It is so distressing as the swelling and lines sometimes almost reach my cheek under my left eye!! I have aged 15 years in the last five and after each breakout, when it clears I seem to be left with more lines and baggy skin from the swellings.  As a youngster my mother was given hydrocorisone creams to smoothe under my eyes, without any warning that these products majorally think the skin, especially in such deliate places, but for all that in my twenties and thirties I was free of lines and looked no different to anyone else my age.  Obviously this problem erodes confidence when I am at a period in my life when I need  more than ever to be able to get on with my life, but when this flares up it normally lasts weeks, and I have tried just everything.  To date after all these years I am no closer to know what the trigger is !  I like a glass of wine, particularly red, and have now read about the sulphites in wine and salt often affect under eye excema sufferrers, so for now I am completely off both.  Infact my diet for the last three weeks has been so so limited I felt I must hae lost lbs in weight. Unfortunately no such luck can you believe!?!  Please if anyone can throw any light on this subject that is literally ruining my life, my looks and inevitably my health I would be so so grateful. Fed Up..

[lcmazzit]

Ditto on all of the above.
I had all of these symptoms 1 year ago and after looking at several posts at the time, someone had mentioned that they had problems with Olay products - which was what I was using. So, I immediately stopped using them, went back to Clinique and tried a variety of the suggestions that had been posted. What worked for me was a combination of the Aveeno eye cream followed by the Clinique 'RepairWear" eye cream, L'Occitaine shea butter facial moisturizer and then finally some vitamin E oil over the top. Sounds like alot I know, but I let each soak in before applying the other and it worked like a charm! I now have it back - started under my right eye and is starting to move to my left. Will try what I did last time and let you know if I have the same success. BTW, first time around I also went to the Dr. who had no idea what it was but told me to take Benadryl to see if it helped - it didn't. This is almost exactly a year from the first flare-up so I really am wondering if it's an alleric reation to something in the air...

[jlschoff]

Check your vitamins and minerals that you take.  I had the red dry skales all around my eyes.  They were itchy.  They would come and go.  I haven't taken my vitamins in 2 weeks.  They are completely gone.  I am going to slowly bring back each vitamin and see which one was causing it.  I will let you know when I find out.

[sdguy1]

I think you are right about the fungal part.  Similar story here too...itchy rash , scalp....swollen eyes..etc. Went to several Doctors and they kept telling me that i was alergic to 'something'...exactly what they didnt know.  I finally sumbled across a doctor who said that he felt it was fungal.  He gave me a Kenalog shot to calm my reaction to it and then a month of Terbinafine tablets ( one a day  ...same thing as Lamisil).  I am on day 5 and this is my first day in about 7 months of no itching and my eyes actaully look normal!!!!  I know its still early, but this is the first time something appears to be working.  Since day one, doctors would give me Cortizone ointment, which does sooth and reduce swelling, but just temporarily.  My doctor said that the symptoms are alergic reactions to the fungus, and that if that is in fact what is going on he said it should be gone by the end of the 30 days.  So my earlier doctors were partially right with the alergic reaction part, just didnt know what was causing it.  I will keep you posted on the outcome.  I hope this may help anyone in the same situation...let your doctor know about this.

[Eyes_Hurt]

This thing just started for me.  I got a stye in my right eye that had to be operated on to remove the stye.  Months later, I get this red scaly skin just under my right eye.  Sometimes it gets to my left eye, but not as much.  Itches and burns.  The ophthamologist called it blepharitis and told me to soak it with warm compresses and use AzaSite.  It seemed to work, but as soon as I'm off it, the redness and scaly skin comes back.  Another ophthamologist in the group says to use Lotemax.  That works for awhile too, but as soon as I'm off it, the thing comes back.  The warm compresses seem to do the best thing.  No matter what I take, that seems to take care of it.  Now I'm trying Zaditor in hopes that it is some type of allergy.  I'm going to try taking some Zyrtec too.  I also get some mild flakes of skin of my face.  Does anyone else get that too?    

[seemu114]

  Thanks for sharing your post. Actually my problem started a year ago in may when my area under my left eye started to itch and then became red and starting to peel. I also got discoloration on this spot. I used desonate the topical steroid cream and it all cleared. But it came back in this may right after a year. So I am not sure if it is seasonal or what? My skin regime is the same. Anyone any suggestions pls.....