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~~

[gingerbaker]

OMG hasn't anyone here figured out that their eyes/skin?
It is commonly caused by Demodex mite, a tiny inssect that stays burrowed and lays eggs in the eyelash follicles. Look up Demodex Blepharitis.
Once the source of the problem is understood and accepted, you can begin realistic treatment, principally with tea tree oil and mustard powder made into a paste.

[gingerbaker]

If you have recurring blepharitis, or dry-eye (meibomian gland dysfuction) then it is incredibly likely that it is caused by a bug that your doctor probably knows diddly about. Demodex Folliculorum and Demodex Brevis are tiny (less than half mm) spider-like insects that are colonized on roughly 90 percent of the population. These bugs live on our skin, but their life cycle involves egg laying in the base of hair and gland follicles. Very unpleasant, and slightly sci-fi, I know, but it is coming to light that rosacea, acne and blepharitis are caused by flare ups when the demodex population dramatically increases due to weakened immunity or stress. Don't take my word for it, Wiki Demodex!
The two most consistent treatments involve making a paste with mustard powder, and tea tree oil, both of which are applied topically, like every day, for about a year. Maybe you can eradicate Demodex, more likely just control their numbers. This is the kind of info that your doctor is afraid would cause mass hysteria. And he's right, because chronic blepharaitis is only worsened by knowing that the die-off from me killing them in my pores is met by their bodies decomposing within my follicles, leaving waste and possibly bacteria behind. Lovely day! Eyelid and eye sockets are notoriously poorly washed areas, and it's time to start paying attention to eyelid hygiene. Every day. When forced out of the eyelash follicles where they dwell during the day, these mites migrate to the scalp, cheeks, ears, nose... Ive even had a couple borrow in my thighs! So the entire body must be addressed, or they can literally be chased out of the eyes out to other body areas. I swear I am not making this up. It's time to face the truth. I've been using tea tree oil (100 percent) on a cotton swab. I brush the base of upper and lower eyelids and leave on for 10 minutes. Stings like hell and dries out my eyelids something awful. I do this every day, twice. Tea tree oil shampoo keeps Demodex from taking refuge on my scalp, though they do try. I'm suddenly plunged into an obsessive set of rituals. It's either that or go back to denial, and suffer constant tearing of my right eye, and swollen, red inflamed lids. The problem, literally at the root of your eyelashes.

[artcoolie]

ITCHY EYELIDS
Just want to share my success with someone.  Itchy eyelids made me crazy for a couple of months.  Much better now because:
1- immediate relief by applying ice on my eyelids.  Just wrap some crushed ice in a moist soft cloth.
2- more relief by patting my eyelids with a soft cloth moistened with oatmeal powder mixed in water (I just used oatmeal from my pantry that I hammered with a mallet into powder)  You can do this as often as you like.
3- moisturize around eyes with Aquaphor
4- clean eyelids twice daily with TheraFresh sterilid foam cleanser
5- moisten eyes with Refresh Plus preservative free eye drops
6- clean contact lenses with Clear Care hydrogen peroxide cleanser
Sorry about the brand names, but this is exactly what has worked for me.  The last 3 steps form an easy daily regimen that feels good too.  I'm fine now and can wear makeup again.

[BMacD]

Today I am almost clear.  For me it is seborrheic dermatitis.  By chance I found another blog/post about SD, and found this one post that was the answer.  It involves the simple steps of doing a salt based face bath morning and night using unrefined salt.  It is a yeast problem, and this will kill the flare up.  The next step is to determine the underlying cause of the flare ups, but this is an easy and very low cost treatment for the reaction, and you'll soon be able to go outside again!  Good luck everyone.  Please read:
http://www.curezone.org/forums/am.asp?i=2057688

[BMacD]

**Seborrheic dermatitis may be the most common skin condition to occur at the same time as rosacea.  The most common sites on the face include the creases around the nose, the forehead, the inner eyebrows and the external ear canal. The upper eyelids and eyelid margins may be involved.  When seborrheic dermatitis appears with rosacea, a safe and effective antifungal alone may often be prescribed because the long-term use of topical steroids is associated with rosacea-like symptoms. This condition is known as steroid-induced rosacea. Treatment of seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp may include medicated anti-dandruff shampoos.

Is this it?  For more:
http://www.rosacea.org/patients/seborrhea.php

[AlleyD]

I think this is what I may have, after extensive on-line research - Am seeing a dermatologist in the next week for a skin biopsy to confirm.

[BMacD]

I just read this--interesting commentary on inflammation and rosacea and high glycemic diet, menopause, etc. etc.  An interesting pattern continues to emerge here.

http://www.everydayhealth.com/rosacea/experts-are-diet-and-alternative-treatments-effective.aspx