What do I do?

[bluntforcemama]

My eyelids hurt! I think my tear duct might be infected, it's swollen a bit, and the other eye, well, the lower lid feels bruised. Any idea what could have caused this? I don't think it's serious enough to go to the doctor yet, but I wonder if it'll go away if I take antibiotics. Does anyone else get weird ailments like this or is it strickly an imp disease?

 

[Beebeeblue]

Hey girlie.....the little bbb gets those all the time. There's not much you can do except a warm compress and keeping it clean.

 

[OUTSIDER]

Sounds like an allergic reaction to me, have you had contact with anything new like food, animals, perfumes or make up ?

If you have then stop using it and see if that helps.

 

[bluntforcemama]

Ah good! Thanks, Beebs. I should probably stop wearing my contacts for a while, too, right?

 

[Mischka]

How long have you had your eyeliner or mascara? If they are over six months old, bacteria built up in the tube or on the tip can infect your tear ducts. Thoroughly clean your eyes, and go sans eye makeup for several days.

If you wear contacts, remove them immediately, and then clean them with an enzymatic cleaner overnight. This should help stop any infection from reinfecting your ducts. (This applies whether or not you wear eye makeup.) Also, do not reinsert the contacts until the infection clears up.

 

[bluntforcemama]

Well, the tear duct thing started about two days ago, but I don't wear makeup, and I haven't worn my contacts (except for today) in over two weeks. I'm allergic to my cats, but I have been for years and years, and this has never happened before. I can't think of anything new I've come in contact with, though right before the tear duct swelled, it felt like something was pricking me there. But I'll take out my contacts, and maybe flush my eyes.

 

[TN_Vixen]

Mysty-hon

don't let this go any longer before seeing a physician. Sometimes very minor eye ailments can cause a loss in vision. You should take this very seriously and see a doc ASAP.

 

[OUTSIDER]

How long have you had your eyeliner or mascara? If they are over six months old, bacteria built up in the tube or on the tip can infect your tear ducts. Thoroughly clean your eyes, and go sans eye makeup for several days.

If you wear contacts, remove them immediately, and then clean them with an enzymatic cleaner overnight. This should help stop any infection from reinfecting your ducts. (This applies whether or not you wear eye makeup.) Also, do not reinsert the contacts until the infection clears up.

Thats really really good advice there.

Good show Mischka

 

[Guest]

Myst,
You could try taking an antihistamine, like benedryl. If it's an allergic reaction, it can ease the pain and irritation. A warm washcloth can help, as well.
It may, also, be a cyst. If it doesn't go down, go see a doctor.

Well wishes!

 

[bluntforcemama]

Thanks guys! I didn't think of some of these things. I'm off to take a shower and then a nap before my practicum.

 

[beckbabe]

They sell this eye wash stuff with a little cup that fits over your eye that's worked for me in the past.

 

[Cheyenne]

If you haven't worn your contacts in two weeks, you shouldn't wear them for a long stretch right away. My eye doc told me to work back up to a full day gradually if I haven't worn contacts for awhile for whatever reason. Otherwise, they can be the cause of irritating your eye.

 

[Dillinger]

A few months ago I ended up in the emergency room because I let some eye irritation go too long... it got worse and worse... I woke up one day in more pain then I'd ever been in my life... turned out I had somehow torn my cornea... everything is ok now (seems the cornea heals just like skin) - but it was a miserable and scary time...

See a doctor.

 

[Silverlily]

Untreated tear duct infections can also lead to cysts. Please don't let this linger for more than a few days without seeing a doctor.

 

[bluntforcemama]

I'm off to see my doctor. Hopefully she'll know exactly what's wrong without any sort of horrid tests. Although if I have to give blood.... hehehe. I love giving blood. I'll tell you guys what it is when I return. Thanks for all your suggestions and comments. *muah*

 

[Gilly Bean]

My 2 year old used to have a problem with his eyes getting 'gooey' when he was an infant. Make sure you don't touch the eye without a clean cloth, and if you do touch it, wash your hands. If it is an infection, this will cause it to spread, or get worse. Wipe at it with a clean wet cloth often to clean away any drainage that might appear. Don't wear contacts, don't wear any make up, and make sure your hands are always cleaned. That will help it go away. My son's ped had us get plain old eye drops and cleans the eye twice daily when it would happen, and that also helped clear it up.

 

[bluntforcemama]

Okay, I'm back from the doctor's. She said it was blepharitis and gave me some eye drops (it says Polymyxin B Sulfate and Trimethoprim), and told me to wash my eyes with baby shampoo and water daily. Apparently, blepharitis is very common, but I've never had it before, at least not to this degree.

Blepharitis is a generic term for inflammation of the eyelids, usually surrounding the lid margin and eyelashes. It is a very common condition that may be associated with a low grade bacterial infection (staphylococcal blepharitis) or a generalized skin condition (seborrheic blepharitis).

Blepharitis is seen most commonly in adults. Factors believed to contribute to blepharitis include abnormalities in oil gland function and an alteration in bacterial colonies that normally live on the skin. Blepharitis is not contagious and cannot be passed from one person to another.

The mainstay of therapy is improved lid hygiene. This alone may enable you to control symptoms and prevent further complications. Though traditionally a dilute (tearless) shampoo has been used to ameliorate the problem, many practitioners report better results can be obtained with commercial eyelid cleansers such as OCuSOFT® Lid Scrub. These solutions have been specifically formulated to rid the lash area of the crusts and scaling associated with this condition. In either case, these cleansers dissolve eyelash and skin debris that is often laden with bacteria. For more severe or chronic cases, your doctor may be required to prescribe topical and/or oral antibiotic medication.

Suddenly I feel REALLY grubby. EW!

 

[OUTSIDER]

Ahhhh, as soon as you said the name I remembered my best friend had this about three or four years ago, he had the swollen eye's and all the other good stuff to that comes from it.

He cured himself with what I thought was a very bad idea.....he took a cotton wool ball wetted it under a fawcet(sp) that put a little witch hazel on the wet cotton wool ball and wiped his eyelid...But you have to be really careful if your gonna do this cause witch hazel will burn fuck out of your eye if it gets in there.

But he doesn't suffer from anymore eye infections.

 

[bluntforcemama]

Ouch! I use witch hazel as a toner for my face after I get out of the shower, and I got it in my eye once. That wasn't my favorite experience in the world. I think I'll stick with the baby shampoo for a while, but if it's chronic, I'll pour witch hazel in my eye.

 

[OUTSIDER]

LOL, Just as long as you don't tell em it was my idea at the ER.

 

[bluntforcemama]

hehehe,.... you really think I'd be telling the ER techs that I was mimicing an act that I learned about on the bulletin board of an erotic website, and that I'd never met the man who told me about witch hazel in my eye? Well, you have a point... I won't tell.

 

[OUTSIDER]

LOL, Well now you put it like that ......

 

[bluntforcemama]

Ha! It could be a form of advertising for Literotica.

 

[OUTSIDER]

LOL, I don't think Laurel wants the site linked with the Darwin awards.......not just yet

 

[bluntforcemama]

LOL... but I'm the epitome of the Darwin Awards! I deserve to be honored for my stupidly heroic acts of nonsense! And I will be VICTORIOUS IN MY ENDEAVOR!