AHH!! My eye is swolen!

[IamBelle]

I woke up this morning and looked in the mirror and saw that the area between my eyelid and eyebrow was swolen! It looks like it is engulfing my eye!! I can feel it is heavier than my other eye, and because of this, it is more closed than the other eye. I have no idea what to do. Is there anything I can do to make it go down?? I was fine last night, and had it this morning. Thanks,
IamBelle

[Marker]

AHHHH!!! Mine too!! But I think mine is just allergies. (hope it's not pink eye)

[mgmnut]

Try a warm facecloth or warm tea bag over the swollen eye. Not sure what caused it but this might help bring the swelling down.

[Stitchahula]

Does the eye hurt at all? If it does I would go get it checked out you could've scratched the eye some how, and you only have the 2 so you need to take care of them. If that isn't the case maybe it's allergies, but I would think that it would be both eyes. I don't have allelrgies so I couldn't tell ya. I still think calling your doctor to get it checked out though.

[WDWFanatic]

Another vote for allergies, but if it doesn't get better during the day, I'd have a doctor check it out.

Or you could just pull out the pirate patch...too bad talk like a pirate day was a couple weeks ago ;).

Good Luck

[LauraleeH]

My eyes are sometimes swollen in the mornings with allergies. If it doesn't go away by afternoon, it's probably something else.
You know it's weird, but a few times I've had a pimple on my eyelid and even though I couldn't actually see it, it made my eye so swollen that it shut and wouldn't open. My dad has had the same thing. He looked like he had been beat up...so yes, it can happen to people who don't have acne and at any age.

[Marilyn Michetti]

If there's no injury, I'll pass along something that REALLY works. When you wake up with bags under your eyes or puffiness, put a hemmroidal tissue, (preferably cold), on your closed eyes, and give it a couple of minutes. The puffiness will disappear, and no harm done. I do it all the time, especially during allergy season.:D

[SurferStitch]

That happened to me in WDW (of all places) one time. Turned out I had gotten bitten by a mosquito during the night, and the upper portion of my eye (below the eyebrow) swelled up something fierce. Some creative eye makeup and a pair of sunglasses fixed it until the swelling went down.

I slugged some Benedryl, and it went down in a couple hours. I have also noticed that a pimple can do a similar type of swelling (had that once, too).

Spider bites also swell up like a bugger. Got one right near my lower lip once during the night at a friend's house, and woke up to a swollen lip. Again, a couple slugs of Benedryl, and it lessened greatly.

[TinyDancer]

This happens to my sister Anna sometimes. I'd get it checked by a doctor anyway, but in the meantime try getting one of those sample sizes of baby shampoo and litterally wash your eyelashes. Anna had something called bliferitis (however you spell it), basically dandruff of the eyelid! It clogged up her lashes and caused the swelling. The baby shampoo cleans it and won't hurt your eyes.

Good luck!!!!

[jrkcr]

I had this a few times as a teen on my eyes, and then it spread into swollen lips, and rashes, and sore skin all over my body. Took about a week to figure out it was an allergy to make up!

I mean I had REALLY swollen eyes and lips!! Like Botox gone Bad!!

Hope you figure out what is causing it and feel better!!
:pixie:

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

This happens to my sister Anna sometimes. I'd get it checked by a doctor anyway, but in the meantime try getting one of those sample sizes of baby shampoo and litterally wash your eyelashes. Anna had something called bliferitis (however you spell it), basically dandruff of the eyelid! It clogged up her lashes and caused the swelling. The baby shampoo cleans it and won't hurt your eyes.

Good luck!!!!

This is what I was thinking too since I just had it and it's taken months of antibiotic ointment to get rid of it! See below:

Blepharitis refers to inflammation of the eyelids, particularly at the lid margins. It's a common disorder and may be associated with a low-grade bacterial infection or a generalized skin condition.

Blepharitis occurs in two forms: anterior blepharitis and posterior blepharitis. Anterior blepharitis affects the outside front of the eyelid where the eyelashes are attached. The two most common causes are scalp dandruff and bacteria.

Posterior blepharitis affects the inner eyelid and is caused by problems with the oil (meibomian) glands in the eyelid. Two skin disorders are the cause: acne rosacea and scalp dandruff.

Blepharitis Symptoms and Signs
Regardless of which type of blepharitis you have, you will probably have such symptoms as eye irritation, burning, tearing, foreign body sensation, crusty debris (in the lashes, in the corner of the eyes or on the lids), dryness and red eyelid margins.

It is important to see an eye doctor and get treatment. If your blepharitis is bacterial, possible long-term effects are eyelash loss, dilated and visible capillaries, ectropion, thickened lid margins, trichiasis and entropion. The lower third of the cornea may exhibit significant erosion.

Blepharitis Treatments
Blepharitis can be difficult to manage because it tends to recur. Treatment depends on the type of blepharitis you have. It may include applying warm compresses to the eyelids, cleansing them, using an antibiotic and/or massaging the lids. If your blepharitis makes your eyes feel dry, the doctor may also prescribe artificial tears or lubricating ointments or suggest silicone punctal plugs. Sometimes steroids are used to control inflammation, but the potential side effects speak against long-term use.

The warm compress portion of treatment is designed to loosen crusts on your eyes before you cleanse them; it can also warm up and loosen the plugs blocking the meibomian glands in meibomianitis. Wash your hands, then dampen a clean washcloth with warm water and place it over your closed eyes. When you first begin treatment, your eye doctor will probably suggest that you do this four times a day, for about five minutes each time. Later on, you might apply the compress once a day, for a few minutes. Your doctor will tell you the specific treatment needed for your eyes.

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Cleansing the eyelids is essential to blepharitis treatment. Your doctor will recommend what to clean them with: warm water only, salt water, baby shampoo diluted with warm water or a special over-the-counter product specifically made for cleansing the lids. First wash your hands, then dip a clean washcloth, cotton swab or gauze pad into your cleaning solution. Gently wipe it across your lashes and lid margin. Rinse with cool water. Use a different washcloth, swab or pad for your other eye, and repeat the process. When you first begin treatment, your doctor may have you cleanse your lids several times a day. Later on, he or she will probably instruct you to cleanse them about once a day.

Antibiotic treatment is recommended only for certain types of blepharitis. Your doctor may prescribe either a topical antibiotic ointment or an oral antibiotic.

If you have meibomian gland dysfunction, your doctor will probably recommend massaging the lids to remove excess oil. He or she will show you the correct technique.

Recently, some authorities have suggested using flaxseed oil supplements (omega-3 fatty acid), either by pill or by liquid, to stabilize the meibomian secretions associated with meibomian seborrheic blepharitis. Be sure to discuss any supplement use with your doctor.

Because blepharitis tends to be chronic, expect to keep up therapy for a prolonged period of time to keep it at bay. Depending on the type of blepharitis you have, if you wear contact lenses, your doctor may want you to discontinue wearing them during the treatment period and even beyond. Some patients who wear soft contact lenses are prescribed RGP contacts instead. Others are urged to replace their soft lenses more frequently because of the potential for excessive deposit buildup. Some people simply don't do well with contact lenses and will have to consider other options.

Not wearing eye makeup is also a good idea, since it can get in the way of eyelid hygiene and massage treatments. With some kinds of blepharitis it is recommended that you use an anti-dandruff shampoo for your scalp and eyebrows; be careful not to get the shampoo in your eyes, as it can be very irritating.

Some portions of this text were adapted from the article "Managing Lid Disease in Lens Wearers" by Dr. Joseph P. Shovlin and Dr. Michael D. DePaolis, originally published in Review of Optometry in September 2002.

[Page updated December 2006]

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[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

Did you ever find out what was causing the swelling?