itchy eyelid bump?

[aeroangie]

I have had this itchy area on my right eyelid for the past 4 months. Sometimes, it seems to diminish, then it sort of flares back up, always in the same place. Not really noticeable until I scratch the heck out of it. I have tried hydrocortisone with limited success.

Anyone have any idea what this could be? It's really bothersome at times. I scratch it in my sleep and it swells. :help:

[Nancy LC]

Hmmm... might want to see a doctor. It could be an allergic reaction to something. Before I went gluten free I would have periods where one of my eyelids (it changed) would swell up to a huge size, looked like a tire, and would itch. I don't have an allergy per se to gluten, but I do have an intolerance to it. Never had that happen again after going GF.

[aeroangie]

I don't think I have any gluten anyway? Breakfast and lunch - eggs, bacon, chicken salad - Dukes, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion, sour cream then Dinner - steak and green beans, or pork chops w/ cabbage, plus big salad with Ranch or Blue Cheese - snack on string cheese or almonds, or a ham and pickle roll up. Occassional dessert w/ heavy cream/cocoa powder, vanilla extract + liquid sucralose. That's pretty much it.

See any gluten? No beer ever, just wine or occassionally vodka with SF mixer.

[Nancy LC]

I'm not saying it's gluten, just could be something you're eating that you're sensitive to, or something else in your environment. The biggest allergy things are dairy, soy, eggs, wheat, ... 3 more but I'm drawing a blank. If it's a food intolerance you'll probably have to do an elimination diet to figure it out. If it's an allergic response then consulting an allergist would help. They can test you for a bunch of stuff.

[Citruskiss]

Do you wear eyeshadow? One of my stepdaughter's friends has problems with eyeshadow sometimes, getting an itchy sort of rash on one eyelid. She now wears 'primer' under her eyeshadow when she wants to wear it. She doesn't wear eyeshadow all the time, but apparently, the primer helps for those times when she does. It creates a 'barrier' between the skin and the makeup.

Also - Nancy could be onto something - there's gluten in a lot of different makeup, and skin care products. I don't know about any particular brands of eyeshadow, but found three different types of wheat ingredients in my foundation makeup - so switched to a different kind. (I'm definitely intolerant to gluten).

Even if you didn't wear any makeup at all, if you've got a gluten issue - rashes are one of the 'symptoms'.

Aside from gluten - look to eye creams, eye makeup - and see if there's a correlation there...maybe change brands?

Hope it clears up soon Angie - sounds really annoying!

[glendarc]

Ham and packaged lunch meats often have gluten in them. Look for "hydrolized vegetable protein" - that's usually wheat!

On the other hand, it could be an old-fashioned stye that's recurring - check with a pharmacist, or better yet, your doctor for a recommendation to get rid of it once and for all.

[Nancy LC]

Ham and packaged lunch meats often have gluten in them. Look for "hydrolized vegetable protein" - that's usually wheat!
Actually, in the US they have to label it as wheat if it contains wheat, same with any of the big 7 allergens.

[aeroangie]

Thanks everyone. All very good points to consider. Man, if its my new Bobbi Brown eyeshadow, I am going to be sick! Think I will try the primer suggestion. I am going to a dermatologist soon (about a rash on my neck, right across my inflamed thyroid nodule.) My endo says it is unrelated to having Hashimotos. I think its all some autoimmune thing going on.

[awriter]

I have had this itchy area on my right eyelid for the past 4 months.
Is it on the lower lid, or the upper lid under the eyebrow? Either way -- this is going to sound strange -- dab a bit of coconut oil on the spot first thing in the morning, mid-afternoon, and just before bed. Coconut oil has anti-bacterial properties, and when I occasionally get a skin flareup (regardless of cause) the coconut oil gets rid of it completely within a week. Stops the itching almost instantly too.

Lisa

[aeroangie]

Lisa - what brand? Could you send me a link?

THANKS!

[awriter]

Lisa - what brand? Could you send me a link?
I use Tropical Traditions Extra Virgin Gold just cause I love the taste and the way it's made (see: www.tropicaltraditions.com ) (http://www.tropicaltraditions.com%29), but it's very expensive. I only buy it when they have their monthly 'buy one, get one free' special -- you can sign up for their email specials on the site and they never spam -- but I can't imagine that any brand wouldn't work for this purpose.

This is how good coconut oil is: yesterday morning I made smoked pork belly for breakfast. It smelled so good I grabbed a small piece right out of the pan without thinking and popped it in my mouth. Ow! Burn! I grabbed the bottle of coconut oil, put some on my finger and ran it across my tongue and the finger that touched the hot pan when I made my grab. Two minutes later, the burn feeling was gone in both, and within an hour it was as if it never happened. Without it, I'm sure I would have had a blister on my tongue, if not my finger as well.

Lisa

[feelskinny]

Have you switched makeup/cleansing brands?

I had some facial skin issues when I switched facial cleaners some months back.

[pmezak]

Blue cheese salad dressing can have gluten which is part of making blue cheese....it would be small amount, but still is gluten.
Also, thyroid disease and gluten intolerance can be related....

[aeroangie]

Awriter - all I could find today was a refined type (in a small mayo jar kind of container.) I am trying the aloe at the moment. If not better tomorrow, I will try this for sure.

Feelskinney - yes, I did switch but only after the problem occurred. I switched to OcuCleanse pads that are in the eye drops section at Walgreens from the Almay Sensitive eye makeup remover pads.

Pmezak - I'll have to consider that. I have Blue Cheese a couple of times per week. I have another appt. with my endo and a dermatologist on the same day June 9th (in fact, they are in the same building) so maybe I will figure it out then if one of these home remedies doesn't work!

THANKS ALL!!!

[Nancy LC]

Thanks everyone. All very good points to consider. Man, if its my new Bobbi Brown eyeshadow, I am going to be sick! Think I will try the primer suggestion. I am going to a dermatologist soon (about a rash on my neck, right across my inflamed thyroid nodule.) My endo says it is unrelated to having Hashimotos. I think its all some autoimmune thing going on.
Dermatisis Herpetiformis (http://www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologic_diseases/dermatitis_herpeti.html) perhaps? If they biopsy it, make sure they take the biopsy from healthy skin near the rash, not the rash itself. Lots of doctors apparently mess that up.

[aeroangie]

Oh Nancy - thank God - nothing like that going on anywhere! However, would you friggin' believe my husband got bit by a Brown Recluse over the weekend? It looks like it is healing well, and his doctor says he is lucky that it either didn't inject him with much venom or he has a very strong immune system and he didn't have a bad reaction to the bite. Told you I couldn't catch a break!!!

[kelly77]

THis could also be a simple stye. It can happen on upper or lower lid - right where the eyelashes grow. This is a bacterial infection that can be caused by using old makeup/brushes/eye cream. If you keep using these same cosmetics, it can cause the stye to come back over and over. I just had a condition like you described on my upper lid that had been with me for a bout a month. I ceased the use of all eye makeup and it cleared up on it's own in about a week. The doc can give you an ointment for it too, but it will clear up on its own if you cease using the cosmetics that contain the bacteria and wash they eye daily with simple soap and water. We tend to use the same stuff for years cuz it can last that long. But it does begin to grow bacteria at some point and can cause a stye.

[aeroangie]

Thanks Kelly - actually, the bump is no where near the lash line. It's on the middle of the eyelid. I did change all my makeup, changed make up removers, etc. It's still there. I tried the coconut oil and it did seem to help the itching. It isn't "flared up" at the moment, though it's definitely still there.

[kelly77]

In that case, I'd check it out with a Dermatologist because you could end up chasing your tail on this for quite a while when they could probably get it cleared up pretty quickly. I'm sure it's not serious, but I know an itchy eye is a misery.

[zeph317]

i have had a bump on my eyelid for months now. at first i thought it was a stye but it just hasn't gone away. if i got them in the past, i'd hold a warm washcloth to it several times a day and it would be gone in just a few days. but this one has stayed. it's occasionally looked infected, getting a white head on it. but i started using the coconut oil on it after reading this thread and it's beginning to look better. i'm hoping it's going to completely go away but it's not nearly as noticeable. no idea what it is but hopefully this will work.

[CaddyM]

Hello Areoangie,

I had a bump on my eyelid too. I was treated for HYPOTHYROID, and the bump went away.

Maybe you could get your thyroid checked.

Just a thought

CaddyM

[aeroangie]

Man - I just lost a whole post somehow!!!

I have just recently been diagnosed with Hashimoto's. WHat a coincidence. I am on a low dose of Synthroid because my TSH is still normal. I have lots of other hypothyroid symptoms, but they think TSH is most important. I want someone to treat the symptoms.

The second endo was more concerned about my reactive hypoglycemia, and thinks the weight I have gained in the past two years is due to insulin resistance so wants me to focus on that now. She said I am on the Synthroid for when my thyroid does fail, as a back up, but right now it is still working. I have sooooo many symptoms of hypothyroid, but they want to try to say it's menopause or something else unrelated to the thyroid. I think that is bulls__t!

If I didn't have an obvious goiter, I doubt anyone would have tested me for anything! So frustrating! Especially when I read things like this!

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Thyroid/Euthyroid-Hashimotos-symptoms/show/263588

At least the second endo was concerned that I couldn't lose 13 pounds, and had been trying since January. I am a retired fitness professional, and I KNOW my body. If I am not losing weight, am losing hair, have no sex drive, I don't think this is perimenopause. I think we are still in the dark ages on thyroid problems!

[aeroangie]

I think I may have a Chalazion?

http://members.tripod.com/manisha_b/Eyelid/Itchy_eyelid.htm

[CaddyM]

Hi Areo,

Wow that is quite a coincidence!

What is your TSH level?

As per About.com:thyroid disease it should be about 1 or 2.

You should check it out. Mary Shoman is very up on the topic.

Let me know what you find.

CaddyM