I’ve been dealing with ongoing eye issues for a while now and I’m struggling to get clear answers, as I’m getting conflicting advice from different professionals.
Main symptoms:
-
Dark circles under eyes
-
Puffy / slightly swollen eyelids
-
Tired, sunken appearance (this started around December — older photos of me look completely normal)
-
Occasional eye twitching
-
Sometimes mild irritation, but not consistently itchy
I went to Midland Eye Specialist who said it was likely an allergy and prescribed steroid eye drops (Softacort). However, a GP I saw afterwards disagreed and said it’s not an allergy, advised me not to use the steroid drops, and instead just recommended regular lubricating drops and moisturising.
I’ve also had blood tests done, but nothing showed up that explains these symptoms.
What I’ve tried so far:
-
Lubricating eye drops (Hycosan) for a couple of weeks
-
General eye care (keeping eyes clean, avoiding rubbing, etc.)
-
Cold compress / eye mask (including a “Shark” style mask)
-
Other eye care tools/devices aimed at reducing puffiness
-
Short course of prescribed drops from the clinic (minimal improvement)
-
Looking into environmental factors like dust, mould, air quality
Current situation:
-
One specialist says allergy → steroid treatment
-
GP says not an allergy → basic drops only
-
Nothing I’ve tried has made any noticeable difference
-
The appearance doesn’t really change day to day, if anything it feels like it’s getting worse
I’m based in the Midlands (Walsall, near Birmingham) and I’m open to trying anything at this point. I’m considering allergy testing, dermatology, or another eye specialist, but I don’t want to keep going in circles or wasting time/money without direction.
Has anyone had similar symptoms or gone through this kind of back-and-forth diagnosis?
What did it turn out to be and what actually helped?
At this point I just need a clear direction on what to actually do next, as it’s starting to really affect me day to day.