talkhealth forums

On behalf of Sheena, a guest visitor:

For the last 8 months, I've been getting recurring sore swollen eyes I've
tried changing all products, face & hair, cutting out wheat & dairy, I've
been given a high daily dosage of antihistamine, steroids tablets, eye drops &
cream. My condition clears for a while & for some unknown reason it reappears
at least once a month - any ideas?

Hi,

This sounds like it could be eczema on your eyelids. I used to suffer from this - it also used to affect inside my ears - so I know how sore and itchy it can be - and how it can affect your appearance.

You could settle it down with a tiny amount of hydrocortisone 1% cream applied to the eyelids, but avoid getting it in the eye. I know some people warn against using this cream on the face, but Helen Pugsley, Dermatology Senior Lecturer at Cardiff University informed me when I wrote my book (50 Things You Can Do Today to Manage Eczema) that in her opinion at this strength, hydrocortisone cream is safe to use on the face. However NHS Choices warns against long-term use in case of skin thinning.

What has also helped me a lot is taking an omega 3-6-9 oils supplement such as Boots' or Holland & Barrett's, which helps to damp down inflammation in the body and prevent flare-ups.

Bear in mind too that stress can cause eczema flare-ups - so make sure you take time out each day to relax and avoid overstretching yourself.

I hope this helps.

Wendy