I've diagnosed myself with blepharitis.

[Laffy Kat]

It's an inflammation of the eyelid. My left upper eyelid is red, swollen, and itchy. I've been treating it with hot compresses which are soothing but won't cure it. It CAN be caused by....buckle up...mites! Eeeeek. They are disgusting and they live on all of us. Usually our immune response keeps their numbers down, but sometimes there is a population boom and that is what causes the redness and crusting. From what I am reading at 3:00 a.m., a diluted tea tree oil will kill them eventually. Guess I'll start that tomorrow.

Sweet dreams everyone.

[TexasTowelie]

1. I wouldn't take any chances with homeopathy regarding my eyesight.

Please get yourself into either your regular physician or your optometrist/ophthalmologist.

[Skittles]

2. I absolutely agree

[Laffy Kat]

21. Oh, I'm not a big believer in homeopathy woo.

I'm sure some of it helps, but I am more of a western-med. person. The diluted tea tree oil is recommended by legit. ophthalmic sites. I've also read to use it on your scalp if you have an eyelash mite problem because they live there, too. It is sooo gross! The mites thrive on the oil on our skin. I guess for the most part they are considered beneficial unless they get out of control. Still, the though of it...

[Nay]

11. I agree as well. Do NOT put tea tree oil in your eye, even if it is diluted. It will burn and

cause irritation. Tea tree oil is only to be used on skin (and it must be diluted by another oil), NEVER on mucous membranes, eyes, inner ear, nose, mouth, genitals, etc.

And please don't assume it is mites. It might be any number of things, and you need to see a doctor.

[Laffy Kat]

12. No, I do not do holistic medicine.

I'm strictly a western-medicine person. The tea tree oil is what many of the medical-ophthalmic sites recommend. I will, indeed, see a doctor on Monday, too. I work in a clinic and the eye care department is literally right next to my work station.

[TexasTowelie]

31. That's great and I'm relieved that you will be following up with appropriate medical treatment.

I wouldn't want anything bad and irreversible to happen to you.

[Laffy Kat]

32. Awww. Thanks, TexasTowelie!

I work at the clinic and see my doc every day anyway, so I'm sure he'll order what I need. The pharmacy is also right down the hall from me.

[FakeNoose]

3. It could be something simpler

Laffy Kat, it might be a good idea to see a doctor (eye or skin specialist) about this.

I have had eyelid problems now and then since my early 20s and I'm 68 now. It has almost always been caused by eye makeup, either mascara, eyeliner or shadow. The problems I have are usually itchy patches of dry skin and maybe some scaly skin if I don't stop using the makeup right away. I haven't had swollen lids that I can remember.

When eye makeup gets older than about 6 months, it can be contaminated and we can actually give ourselves infections with old makeup. The cosmetics industry loves to tell us to throw it all away and buy fresh every 6 months. Or try using a hypo-allergenic brand that costs a little more but might be safer to use for a longer time.

If your skin is sensitive in other areas of your body (dry or itchy patches) then your doctor should be able to diagnose and provide some simple remedies for your eyelids. Good luck!

[Laffy Kat]

14. Yes, I'm throwing out all the eye make-up today and buying new.

I won't wear it again until this clears up. I'm also seeing a doctor on Monday.

[FloridaBlues]

4. I just had this lasted 3-4 days. Antibiotic gel for eyes from eye doctor

Worked for me. Try cool compress. Good luck

[beveeheart]

5. I agree with FloridaBlues.

The antibiotic gel helps reduce the inflammation right away. And a warm wet washcloth pressed against the eyelid area is quite soothing in the morning and at bedtime.

[Laffy Kat]

15. The warm compress is helping a lot.

I'll get the abx gel tomorrow. It looks terrible, so maybe I can get a day off work, LOL.

[Aristus]

9. Warm, not cool.

Bacteria are just like us; they like warmth. The warm compress will help to draw out the infective material. A cool compress will only encourage the bacteria to seek the warmth deeper in the body.

[2naSalit]

6. While you

are suffering, and you should go seek professional help but, for home remedy soothing try a tea bag, black pekoe, at a comfortable temp. Make yourself a cup of tea, then take the cooled bag and use it as a warm compress for a few.

[Laffy Kat]

16. That sounds good, actually. nt

[Major Nikon]

7. There's a much better solution at your local pharmacy or Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Eyelid-Cleaning-Wipes-Exfoliating-Hypoallergenic/dp/B07LBJHST7

Use twice per day for a couple of weeks.

Not a doctor, but I play one with my wife sometimes.

[Laffy Kat]

17. I saw those online! I wonder if I can get OTC somewhere. nt

[Major Nikon]

22. CVS and Walgreens sells them

[Laffy Kat]

23. Gonna pick some up today, then!

Thx!

[Major Nikon]

28. An ophthalmologist told me how to use them

You want to scrub right along the base of your eyelashes one direction about a dozen times with each eye. If your eyes are sore, it’s a good idea to pick up a small hot water bottle at the pharmacy. Fill it with very warm, but not hot water. Place it on your eyes for about 15 minutes, twice per day. This greatly helps with the healing process. It will probably feel much better the next day. It increases blood flow in the area and allows your body to heal itself.

After it clears up use a warm washcloth and gently scrub your eyelids twice per day. That should keep it from coming back. I do this every day and haven’t had a problem for a couple of years.

[eppur_se_muova]

34. Thanks. I used something similar from OcuSoft years ago.

Looks like their product line has changed a bit since then -- their Lid Scrub solution was just a very mild detergent solution. Now it reads as very "holistic" influenced.

http://www.ocusoft.com/eyelid-cleansing

[trueblue2007]

36. THANKS.... i just ordered these eye wipes.

[bamagal62]

8. My doctor told me to

Order an eye wash called, We Love Eyes. Only available online. It does have tea tree oil in it. It helps. But, mine doesn’t completely go away. It comes and goes and I’ve stopped wearing makeup.

[Laffy Kat]

19. That's what I read: it comes and goes.

We all have mites living on our face, it's normal. They are in the arachnid family. On youtube they even have a clip of an eyelash mite moving around. It's disgusting. When I finally DID go to sleep early this morning I dreamt of spiders trying to get in the bed.

[Ilsa]

24. Yeah, for awhile, at least, and

toss your mascara, liquid liners, etc, and wash your shadow brushes thoroughly and dip the bristles in alcohol. Get well!

[yellowdogintexas]

10. This could also be an ingrown eyelash

or a stye that decided to grow. Either way, see a doctor! If it is swollen enough it may require lancing to allow it to drain

I have memories of my 4th grade teacher lancing a giant stye in class, in front of all the kids. The student had them chronically and was in a great deal of pain. Drained out a lot. Teacher used a needle she sterilized with a flame.

Today that would be grounds for a lawsuit.

[Laffy Kat]

20. I know. I have had a sty before and it was incredibly painful.

This is more itchy and unsightly. I'm sure the doc will use a slit lamp to examine me tomorrow and rule out other causes.

[abqtommy]

13. Yeah, I wouldn't put tea tree oil at any dilution in your eye. When I was a youngster my Mom

got me eye ointment named STY to treat my watering eyes. I still use the product today. It's safe and effective to rub on eyelids and even get in your eye. I forget the pharmacy that I bought it at most recently, but a quick search should help out.

[Laffy Kat]

18. Thanks.

You don't put the tea tree oil IN your eye, you apply a 50% diluted TTO on the eyelash base, only. I guess it slowly kills the mites. They recommend using a Q-tip.

[Ilsa]

25. I've had Conjunctivochalasis recently.

The schlera in one eye was loose and saggy. It affected my vision and was irritating. I don't wear makeup most days, but I washed my face carefully several times a day, and it corrected over 2-3 days.

[Laffy Kat]

35. Did you use an antibiotic drop, too? t

[Ilsa]

37. No, it resolved in just a few days, faster than I

could get in to see a dr.

[Aquaria]

26. There are a lot of things that a red, swollen and itchy eyelid can be

Other than blepharitis.

Go to a doctor for a proper diagnosis. Even a GP will be able to determine what it is for sure, and provide an effective treatment.

You don't want to be messing with treatments that won't work, because self-treating could end up making everything much worse.

[Laffy Kat]

27. I am going to the doctor tomorrow.

I'll get an educated diagnosis, I promise.

[TexasBushwhacker]

29. Be sure and do a patch test on your inner elbow

before putting tea tree oil on your eyelid. Even diluted, some people have an allergic reaction to it.

[Backseat Driver]

30. You can also eliminate mites in your

sleeping environment -

Cleaning your carpets, especially in the bedroom;
Strip bedding; spray disinfectant on mattress and/or damp wipe with that tea tree and water or BioKlean's AntiBac that uses cleansing enzymes; air dry.
Wash and dry all linens/bedding in hot water; dry in sun or hot dryer cycle;
New pillows or next best spin on sterilize/or hot dryer cycles.

Alternatively, you can diffuse pure tea tree EO into the air of a closed room, but only if you have no pets due to respiratory toxicity for pets and people); followed by airing out. This time of year, clove and orange together which supposedly invigorates vagus nerve functions. Peppermint, cinnamon, or cedar oils diffused are also pleasant while white sage smudging is an "alternative treatment" for cleansing air. Your experience and research may vary regarding effectiveness.

Then get thee to doc for his best guess and therapy!

[Laffy Kat]

33. Yikes, that's a lot of work.

My dryer went out a few days ago but should be repaired by Tuesday. I'll have to make do until then. I do have pets, two dogs and a kitteh and we all sleep together on my bed. In my research on mites, I learned that all critters have them, but that canine and feline mites don't like to live on humans, and vice versa.