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My eye is poofy and practically swollen shut

So I woke up this morning to find my left eye really poofy and practically swollen shut and I thought it must have been from me keeping my contacts in while I slept.  The wierd thing is that there is no puss or any other type of white or yellow (or any other type of) residue coming from the eye.  And the eye is white, no redness whatsoever which would lead me to think the eye isn't irritated at all.  So because there was no residue and the eye wasn't irritated I thought I could just sleep it off, well I've just slept for about 6 hours and the eye is still poofy and almost completely shut yet there is still no residue and the eye is still white, any help on what's the deal here and how I can treat it (quickly as I don't want to have to call in sick a second straight day)??????

P.S. I tried the doctor forums but it wouldn't even let me post a question saying there were already too many questions posted for the day or something like that...

The quicker I get a reply on how to get my eye back to normal the better, thanks guys!!!
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Avatar universal
This is the fourth time I've woken up with my left eye lid swollen shut. No swelling from bottom of eye. I wake up, my eye is itchy, and thirty minutes later it is about half way swollen shut. The doctor said she saw nothing wrong and that's it was probably just irritation (from sleeping in contacts). This made sense, until this morning! I did not sleep in my contacts last night! Any ideas? I usually take Benadryl throughout the day and sleep it off and it goes away within 12 hours.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Benadryl  dries the mouth and eyes and may be contributing to your problem.  Other causes include sleeping under fan, sleep apnea and wearing CPAP machine, application of moisturizers around face and eye especially if scented.  You would need to start by seeing a Eye MD ophthalmologist. In the meantime you can try putting a lubricating gel in both eyes at bedtime such as Genteal Gel or Refresh Liquigel
177275 tn?1511755244
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1 Comments

Rae0028
This is the fourth time Ive woken up with my left eye lid swollen shut. No swelling from bottom of eye. I wake up, my eye is itchy, and thirty minutes later it is about half way swollen shut. The doctor said she saw nothing wrong and that  it was probably just irritation (from sleeping in contacts). This made sense, until this morning! I did not sleep in my contacts last night! Any ideas? I usually take Benadryl throughout the day and sleep it off and it goes away within 12 hours.
177275 tn?1511755244
You will need to see an ophthalmologist that can examine your eye to give you a reasonable answer.
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Avatar universal
Help every time I wake up my eye lids are swollen shut. They are red and kind of ichy. This happens ever time I wake up. What do I do?
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Avatar universal
Help every time I wake up my eye lids are swollen shut. They are red and kind of ichy. This happens ever time I wake up. What do I do?
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Avatar universal
I have had one eye or half a lip swell spontaneously my whole life. The eye would swell almost shut and the lip would turn inside out. The only medication the worked was prednisone. I always felt it was an allergic reaction but Benadryl and eye drops never helped. Now I have a list of autoimmune disorders. I can't help but think all of this swelling was a part or beginning of the autoimmune disorders as now I will have spontaneous swelling in different places all over my body usually upon waking up.
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177275 tn?1511755244
Please note the original post was 2007.
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177275 tn?1511755244
You should call your pediatrician immediately. If the child is ill or has a fever and you cannot get your pediatrician immediately then go to the hospital ER.  It is important to rule out a tissue infection.

JCH MD
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Avatar universal
My 20 month old woke up yesterday morning with a swollen left eyelid. I put cool compress on a couple times yesterday. But this morning it has gotten bigger almost completely closed shut. Please help
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177275 tn?1511755244
Yes it could be something other than allergy. This is not a typical "allergic" problem. I would see an ophthalmologist or optometrist to have it evaluated.

JCH MD
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Avatar universal
Hi, my eyelid on my left eye has been swollen for almost 4 months, my Dr. said its an allergic reaction and there is no infection. But its not getting better and when I put a cold compress it just makes it worse. Could it possibly be something else?
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Avatar universal
I have been having Symptons of puffy eyes for a week or so, but Last Night OMG!!! My Skin is Breaking out everywhere in like a redish rash os heat bumps or something! This Morning after putting cool water all night on my eyes, I woke up barely being able to Open them! They are Swollen surronded by Redness and look like they are also turning black! the Right is worse than the Left! and Im Itchy, They do not burn but i see like a little mucious in them they are heavy and beginning to hurt
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233488 tn?1310693103
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Since that is a hot dry environment using artificial tears during the day and at bedtime would be helpful and avoid air blowing on your face when you sleep it dries the eyes out.  Use the search feature and archives and read about the treatment of dry eyes.

JCH MD
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Avatar universal
hello sir. I moved to UAE about 2 months ago. From last two weeks when I woke up in the morning my eyes are swollen and also the under eye area. the area around my eyes got very sensitive. what should I use, the area around eye turning to dark colour also. my age is 26. im very worried, please help me
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233488 tn?1310693103
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Ask for a referral to an Eye MD ophthalmologist.
JCH MD
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Avatar universal
Hello, my left top eye lid is swollen to where my eye is almost shut. It has been like this for the last 7 days now. My lymph node on the side of my neck (left side) is swollen too and hurts to touch. Doesnt seem to be getting better. Saw my PCP yesterday and started me on Amox Clav and Benadryl. Nothing seems to be getting better only worse. Today it looks like a thin layer of film is trying to cover the inside of my eye.
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233488 tn?1310693103
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Call your ophthalmologist and/or your personal physician immediately and try and get in today  if not possible consider going to the emergency room

JCH MD
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Avatar universal
I have a metal plate in my left eye, just woke up today and yesterday with that eye swollen shut. should I go get a ct to see if something is wrong? maybe its infected?
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233488 tn?1310693103
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
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Avatar universal
I have the same problem...has been going on for about three years now. One eye swells, sometimes completely shut. Unfortunately, I haven't had any luck finding an eye specialist that knows what is causing it. They always want to call it an allergy or contact dermatitis. I'm pretty sure it is neither because the meds they prescribe really do nothing for it. The swelling is mostly gone after 36-48 hours depending on severity. My next stop: a visit to a "neuro opthamologist" (if I'm spelling that correctly). I had a skull fracture years ago and I'm wondering if that has anything to do with the recurring swelling. I will post information on the doctor's findings. Please do the same if you have any luck. Thanks!
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2 Comments
i have the same eye problem.  Did you ever find a solution?   Did you ever consider it was feathers or dust mites on your bedding?  
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233488 tn?1310693103
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Sorry I can't tell you any of those things. It requires an examination of the eye. He should get in to see an Eye MD ophthalmologist. Ask your family MD to refer you or if you live in USA go to www.geteyesmart.org and find one near your.
JCH MD
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Avatar universal
Hey, My boyfriend's eye usually swells 3 or 4 times a month sometimes.However it is a typical swell, it swells at the corner the entire upper lid almost up to the eyebrow, and the lower lid as well its always only one eye at a time and switches to the other rarely.He says he can feel it coming because it starts to itch, sometimes it swells and acts like it will stop and  suddenly start back up again. He told me its been going on for 2 maybe even 3 years now. Nothing stops it once it starts and the medicine he takes? it acts as if it didn't even do anything at all . He takes eyes drops if he knows for a single second he will be exposed to dust and such, always wears glasses when outdoors, and washes out he eyes out when ever he feels it coming, and right before bed if it is swollen he takes two benadryl tablets and puts more drops in , and only wakes up it find it worst. It happened lastnight, so bad he had to miss work, because safe regulations will he allow him to work if his vision in temperarly impaired.Is his immune sysytem low, or does he have allergies that BAD? Can you please tell me what he should take? does he need a higher dosage, something stronger? what is this called and what can we do? thank you so much
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3 Comments
did you ever find out what was causing it?  I have a similar problem.  
I have the same problem.  No one knows why. However mine seems to be psychological...meaning there is a trigger that I notice before it happens almost every time.  It had never happened in my life until I found out about my husband having an affair before we got married.  Now, almost every time I think about that, my left eye swells almost shut.  It itches and gets warm and then swells. I don't cry or anything, it just swells.  Do you have anything that seems to trigger yours?  It is awful - far worse than the passing moment of anger that seems to cause it.
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233488 tn?1310693103
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
If he is not sick, seem ill, no temperature, no pain in eye, no reduced vision then usually an ER visit is not necessary.  During the summer months we see a lot of this in the office. It's like a "hive" on the eye. The medical name for it is "chemosis".  It's usually allergic in nature. When only in one eye the cause is often something that has gotton on the hands and been rubbed into the eyelids. Often it occurs after yardward or handiwork.  

Systemic allergies like hayfever or food allergies usually affect both eyes.

Home treatment is probably limited to warm or cool compresses. If Benadryl over the counter doesn't make you sleepy you could try that. Fallback is to see an ophthalmologist tomorrow if you're no better.

JCH III MD Ophthalmologist     Eye MD
Helpful - 0
5499976 tn?1368871696
Hi my husband went to sleep a couple of hours ago and we were woken up by our 2 year old when i looked at him his eye was swollen half closed very watery and he told me it was hurting, i immediately turned the light on and the inside of his eyeb(not the iris) looks like it has a bag of watery discharge that wants to pop in there. Im scared, should we go to the hospital or try home remedies? Help please.
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