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[irhack]

Attractive, huh? This is my third year of experiencing this. It comes with the cooler weather and stays till spring. The past two years it was just my left eyelid, this year it's my right. It's as the title says: red, puffy, flaky and itchy. I have tried cortisone cream (meh) and baby shampoo (works alright). Any other suggestions? Anyone else experience this? I would go to the doc, but it's unpredictable when it will flare up, so who knows if it would be bad the day I got my appointment. I do wear eye make up, not much and nothing new. I don't wear contacts anymore, a couple years ago (around the same time?) they started making my eyelids feel super heavy. Help!

[tuxedo_cat]

This old thread has some suggestions:

http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,47246.0.html

. . . although people talk about a variety of dermatological ailments.  I think one of the posters starts asking about flaky eyelids towards the end of page 1.

And I have *no* idea why I happened to run into this discussion last weekend!

Good luck, sounds very aggravating!

[senay]

This happened to me when I started using a "natural" eye cream that contained bee pollen.  Turns out I was allergic to bee pollen!  Do your make-up or your creams/scrubs contain bee pollen?  Do you change up your skincare routine for the seasons?

Senay

[lizzy]

This happened to me a couple of years ago. I solved it by switching to all hypoallergenic products for my face and by using a humidifier in my bedroom.

[peppergal]

This is how some of my allergies present themselves.  In particular, I notice this when I sleep with a down pillow or comforter (goosedown only -- eiderdown is fine).  Do you switch to a down comforter in the cooler weather?

[mignon]

I have this.  It's blephritis and/or conjunctivitis. 

[irhack]

and mignon, have you found an effective treatment?

I went to the doctor. The medical assistant said it used to happen to her until she stopped using maybelline mascara. So I switched out my eye makeup, which was all maybelline, to almay which claims to be hypo-allergenic.

The doctor said it was eczema, which she defined as "dry skin taken up a notch." She said I could use .5% hydrocortisone cream, which I haven't done yet. I have 1% at home but she says that's too strong.

I did just start using the humidifier in the bedroom at night, maybe it will help.

[dellaroux]

I was going to guess conjunctivitis as well.

I once got it through (I suspect) the ventilation system at a hospital where I was temping as a staff assistant over the summer.

When I came in red-eyed and puffy, the next assistant over said, "Oh, you've got it, too, hunh? Everyone who works here seems to get that," and went on with her work.

I was ticked, that they'd know and neither warn me or care about doing something about it.

Rx: Antibiotics, and a topical cream, and don't wait to fill the prescription.

I ended up with tiny petechiae on each cheek, just under my eye, where the puffiness ended; the exudate must have blocked a couple of tiny capillaries. They're still there.

grrr......Can you spell "iatrogenic," people?

[theblondeassassin]

If you have regular recurrences and it's not helped by allergy medication, get checked for blepharitis, which is especially common with age,

Blepharitis is sometimes mistaken for recurrent acute conjunctivitis (it can cause red scratchy eyes) but is an infection of the eyelids -- either inner or outer -- which might require antibiotics and regular hygiene.

Obviously, get rid of any old eye makeup, as it can reinfect you.

Do not google pictures, unless you like disgusting things. Especially chalazions. Ergh.

[irhack]

Well my eyes aren't affected at all, just the eyelid. And just the right eyelid. Would you still say conjunctivitis?

[irhack]

Hmm, how do I edit my posts?

It's not around the eyelashes either, mainly the part of the eyelid that covers the eye, the redness and flakiness doesn't extend to the brow.

Googling blepharitis (but avoiding pictures) I got a very humorous google ad, it read something like "Do you have schizophrenia? Top five signs. Things the doctors aren't telling you!"

[theblondeassassin]

If you've only seen a GP to date, I would consult an opthamologist, unless you're certain that it's eczema. In that case a dermatologist might be better.

Note: Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, but the same bacteria can also infect the eyelids (inner surface or along the margins), the blephera.

On edit: Sounds like a visit to the dermatologist is in order.

[macaroon]

No, go see the optometrist.

I have blepharitis, and the optometrist has the tools to see well enough and enough experience to figure out exactly what eye part is in trouble - I think they can do a much better job than a GP or a dermatologist. For the blepharitis, it's caused by some glands that get plugged up with fluid if the fluid gets too thick.  I got a special eye wash and I have to do hot compresses, then massage my eyes.  I only get it in the winter, and it's not an infection.

[irhack]

optometrist or opthamalogist?

[macaroon]

Right - the latter is a physician.  I think it depends on your insurance and what's covered, and whether or not you can get / need to get a referral.  Some health care plans only pay for the opthamologist because it is a doctor, but some pay for a few visits to the optometrist.

Personally, I got my blepharitis taken care of by an optometrist - the optometrist was plenty qualified to figure out what was wrong.