WOW.....and Ouch! Sounds really uncomforable, I would talk to a doctor or a pharm. I have had this happen before and it was a yeast infection..... hope it gets better!

It feels higher than the eyelash area though, it's more like in the folds of the lid. Makes me wish I were oriental and didn't have that fold.

I've had blepharitis. The oil gland in your eyelid gets clogged. The treatment is putting warm, damp cloth (or tea bags) 4x/day for 15 min on it to get the gland unclogged. Nancy I know a good eye doctor at Scripps Ximed, Dr. Nanduri. I used to get it when I was around a lot of dust or irritating chemicals in the lab, allergies can trigger it too. If your kind of prone to those you can wash around your eyes with a q-tip and baby shampoo.

I'll go see a doctor on Monday and try to get this diagnosed. Its definitely gone from being a twice a year thing to pretty much constant.

It sounds to me like you have conjunctivitis. It's common on the eyelid and doesn't have to transfer to the actual eyeball (which is infected conjunctivitis)
You need some cream which here in the UK you can pick up at the pharmacy for a small charge or get it from a doctor.
Itching, puffy skin is most common symptom. It may be from mascara ... you shouldn't have your mascara longer than 3 months.
The fact that it's transferred to the other eye tells me that it's prob conjunctivitis too. Does any of your eyelid skin appear dry, scaley or flaking too? Another symptom.

Wouldn't put alcohol on it. Irritant. Chamomile or calendula ... chamomile tea bags, made damp.

Rinse eyes out with salt water. Don't itch whatever you do.

I don't wear mascara or any eye makeup.

Well, we'll find out what the mysterious eyelid thing is on Monday (hopefully!)

Nancy, you don't wear contact lenses by any chance, do you? I wear the gas permeable type and (due to finances) tried to wear them too long without replacing them and my eyelids puffed up and were itchy, etc. One of my eyes at one point nearly swelled shut. This was due, according the eye dr., to too much protein build-up on the lens. She said no amount of enzymatic cleaner can get it off after a certain time. They just need to be replaced. Just a thought.....

Nope, don't wear contacts. Thanks for thinking of solutions for me though!

We should put bets on what we think it is.... I've got $10.00 riding on the yeast infection.

I missed the part that it spread to the other eyelid. I'm betting a protein bar its bacterial! I've heard of women that have yeast infections using yogurt for it. Maybe you could put some on your eyelid!

Hhmmm...... (still thinking -- this is very puzzling) You're very welcome

I'll place my bet with yours -- sounds like you're pretty confident it's the yeast!

LOL! I thought the same thing but then it occurred to me that the yogurt beasties probably couldn't survive on eyelids... maybe if I left it all gooped up and walked around with it dripping down my face.

Well, darn it all, I waited until monday and now all my symptoms are gone. I won't waste my time going to the clinic until it comes back. *sigh*

Doh!

Now I'm really curious. I wonder if you have an allergy to face cream or some soap? That would explain it disappearing like that.

You know, a light clicked on for me. I recently lowered my dose of thyroid meds because I was feeling a bit hyper... that's when this swelling really started. Then I was reading around a saw one of the symptoms of hypothyroid was swelling around the eyes. Now, I'm not 100% convinced because of the burning of the eyelid too when it is bad. But its a possibility.

Anyway, I just shot off an email to my hormone doc and I'm going to ask him for a change in thyroid meds and perhaps that might fix this issue.

Hi, Nancy...

welcome to my world!!!

this is the eye problem I've been talking about for at least three years.

No doctor could really tell me what it was, but it seems to be part and parcel of the wheat/fibro connection.

This is how it goes: go to bed fine, wake up swollen up (usually more the "weak" eye than the other), it bothers me to try to focus for a while, and so does bright light. Hurts to touch. Tried putting drops in...doesn't help. Nothing stops it completely except staying low carb and part of that may be the lack of fluid retention.

Anyway, if I try to go back and eat "normal" it starts up again quickly. Sometimes it has like a headache (but not quite a headache) to go with it. I call it my eye headache and my DH knows what I mean.

I've had all kinds of tests that come back "normal" and it's very frustrating to know something is wrong but not have an explanation. Sort of like the fibro thing.