What's up with my eyes, so depressed

Eye care
1

Hi all,

for the last two months I've been having real issues with my eyes. I first started to notice there was a problem when they felt slightly swollen on the top eyelid on waking. The swelling would go down withina an hour, hour and a half, but then they still continued to feel irritaed throughout the day. I then started to notice a dry, very, very slightly red, patchy "arch" around the outer area of my eye below my eyebrow. This dryness is not anywhere on the immediate eyelid area itself. 

I went to my GP who told me to use a mild steroid cream (great help) as he thought it was mild eczema due to the hot weather. I decided not to use it as it's quite dangerous to put that stuff near the near.

I struggled on, sometimes wearing eye makeup, sometimes not in order to give my eyes a break yet the problems have persisted. When I say eye irritation, i mean,

dry, itchy, sometimes stinging and burning. I went to the optiians and had an eye test. She said my tears were evapourating really quickly, like 4 - 5 seconds which is bad for someone of my age, so diganosed dry eye and prescribed eye drops. I've been using these for a few days now and they have helped slightly. 

However, I'd like to know what the underlying issue could be. I was concerned it was blepharitis as my eyes are itchy along the lash area but no inflammation was seen. However I had not been wearing eye makeup so thought perhaps it might have cleared because of that  - would it be possible for blepharitis to clear within a couple of days of not wearing eye make up?

My main questions are these

Does this sound like blepharitis? I really hope it isn't as the maintenace e.g. no make up sounds like hell

Woul;d dry eye cause a dry skin arch around the outer area of my eye?

What causes dry eye? I work on a computer all day but now take regular screen breaks. I've seen that blepharitis is a main underlying cause of dry eye so what else could this be.

I've also noticed that my eyelids have started to get more oily. Not massively but there's a sheen. I can't work out whether this has come from my facial moisturiser or whether this is a new thing. I don't suffer from acne but my face can be quite shiny in other areas. Could this be the cause?

I know the best advice is to go to my GP but they're so usless with everything. And I know I'll have to fight to see a dermatologist. 

Any advice/comments/help would be greatly appreciated. 

FYI - I'm female, 28, work in an office. Don't wear glasses or contact and have perfect 20/20 vision. 

Thanks. 

 

2

I have had an itching eye and eyebrow/forehead for four months now, due to dry eye and complications after having shingles inhe eye in April!! I know how annoying and uncomfortable it is, I have been seen at the eye clinic regularly since the red eye started, it comes and goes and even with various drops and gels it never goes permanently. I suggest you go to an eye clinic, as they are so thorough and look at the back of the eye as well as the front, and at least then you might be able to find out what is causing the discomfort etc, Good luck with it.

3

Hi Jane, sorry to hear about your problems. It's so frustrating isn't it. Especially when it's on your face. Are you based in the UK? I only ask because I wasn't aware that there were eye clinics in the UK. Thanks.

4

https://patient.info/health/blepharitis-leaflet

 

5

There are plenty of NHS eye clinics in the UK.

6

I live in Surrey, where i know of at least 2 hospitals with an eye clinic

7

When I lived in Edinburgh they had an eye hospital. I twice went there as a walk in patient and was seen. I live in Sussex now and when I had a problem last year I phoned the hospital and asked the switchboard if I should go to A&E. They put me through to ophthalmology. I explained my problem and a nurse phoned me back and said to come in and I would be seen but that it might be a bit of a wait. It was!