Help!

[PacificBlue]

I woke up this morning and my eyes are swollen. I wasn't crying either. I have eczema on my eye lids and after I washed my face last night and the night before I noticed the skin around my eyes burned slightly. I think it was the change in soap. I've taken some Benadryl thinking I'm having an alergic reaction. My health insurance hasn't kicked in yet and I really can't afford to go to the eye doctor ... any other thoughts?

 

[Willing and Unsure]

does your health insurance cover a regular doctor visit? cuz i'd say a trip to the doctor would work rather well for that too.. he may not be an expert, but he should be able to help some

 

[april-wine]

PB give the Benedryl some time to work......Get a cold cloth and put that over your eyes as well.........I woke up one morning in much the same position........From drinking herbal bloody tea......I swelled up like a balloon.........the Benedryl should help, and the cold cloth will help with the burning.......Hugs April

 

[PacificBlue]

Will do April-Wine. It's not unusual for me to have allergic reactions that make my eyes swell like this. I had one about a year ago in reaction to cat hair. It could have been something I ate yesterday or the soap or a whole host of things. Be calm. Be calm. I have 45 mintues before I leave the house and I look like I've been crying for hours... *sigh*

 

[april-wine]

No problem.........Maybe flushing your eyes with cool water too......Will stop the burning..............Have a great day........April

 

[PacificBlue]

They don't burn anymore...just immediately after I washed my face last night which is why I think the soap is the culprit. I took a shower shortly after that to rinse my eyes and my face off. Some probably got in my eyes which is why I'm swollen. I have sensitive skin and a sensitive system in general. I swear I'm getting worse as I get older. You look sideways at me and I'm likely to break out in hives.

 

[april-wine]

Me too lol.......You are supposed to GROW out of allergies......I seem to find more and more things I am allergic too lol.........Herbal Tea the newest culprit lol........

 

[Weird Harold]

Will do April-Wine. It's not unusual for me to have allergic reactions that make my eyes swell like this. I had one about a year ago in reaction to cat hair. It could have been something I ate yesterday or the soap or a whole host of things. Be calm. Be calm. I have 45 mintues before I leave the house and I look like I've been crying for hours... *sigh*

Visine Clear Eyes, or other over the counter eye drops with a topical antihistamine will provide faster results than taking Benadryl orally when this happens.

The Benadryl will have a longer lasting effect and I've never had any trouble with using both at the same time. (Actifed or Tavist 1 would work as well, but they do make some people very drowsy.)

 

[PacificBlue]

Thank you Harold. I will remember that and stock my medicine cabinet accordingly. All I could remember from my previous experiences with swollen eyes is to take Benadryl. My eyes look better tonight. As soon as my medical insurance kicks in I'm making an appt. to have my eyes checked out. I looked like such a freak when I went to class this morning. Ah Well...

 

[LukkyKnight]

grow out of allergies?

No, not usually.

Certain developmental changes which include hormonal changes may change your sensitivity/tolerance for some things, but most modern theories of allergy suggest the effects are for most purposes cumulative. You become allergic after, for example, 100 bee stings (if that's your own personal threshhold) no matter if you knock over a hive and it happens all at once or if it happens over the course of years.

Pregnancy, in particular, can have some effect in my observation, probably owing to the combination of metabolic and hormonal changes. Aging, unfortunately, tends to exacerbate not mediate allergies.

Hope you fared OK.

 

[PacificBlue]

Actually, it's 6:20am and again I have really puffy eyes. When I get out of the shower you can see where the skin is really red under my eyes and then when it dries you can't see it anymore although I still look like I've been crying for hours. I don't know what's happening to my skin and it's distressing to me.