Itchy, Puffy, Bloodshot Eyes

[Laurenlovespink]

Hi,

I am not diagnosed but I have a question about this eye thing that I just read a thread on. For the past 2-3 years I have been getting this itchy, red, puffy, almost cartoon-like eyelids. I thought that it was just allergies (even though I have NEVER had allergies before). My mom gave me some steroid cream and I went on my way. So for the past few days my eyes have been getting progressively more itchy, swollen, scaley etc. I use the same makeup that I have for years(everyday the same stuff) and this only comes randomly. When I first got it, it was spring time so I thought of course it was allergies. It is now End of November and cold and its happening again. Does anyone think this could be related to celiac and if so would it come randomly even if I use the same makeup daily? Along with that, my eyes always seem to be red and bloodshot. It never fails. My eye doctor said that they were prob just dry and to use some artificial tears. Does this sound familiar to anybody?

Thanks alot!

[Mother of Jibril]

Hopefully, you've been using the same brand of makeup for years... not the exact same packages!

Allergies and autoimmune disorders can both flare, depending on the season, what you're eating, how much stress you're under, etc... It's not necessarily an environmental allergy causing the problem. It could be a food intolerance/allergy like gluten intolerance. I don't think it's a good idea to use steroid cream on your own (without a prescription), but you should tell your doctor if it worked for you. Also, eye drops can help, but if you have an underlying problem you want to know about it and try to fix it if you can. Dry eyes might seem like no big deal, but over time your corneas can become scratched and that will damage your vision.

[sbj]

Could be allergy-related, could be rosacea-related, could be related to skin conditions. Blepharitis is common and it is not known precisely what causes it but it is often seen in folks like me with various skin conditions. I suppose it could be related to wheat allergy in some fashion(?).

My understanding, basically, is that the glands in the eyelids get gunked up and are unable to secrete normally. I am not so sure that steroid cream is the best treatment - it certainly is NOT what my ophthalmologist recommended! Also, the doctor who told you to use eyedrops gave you crappy advice. Please visit an ophthalmologist. S/he will need to rule out other more serious conditions. You don't want to mess with your eyes.

You should stop wearing eye makeup when this occurs. (If this happens regularly I am afraid you may want to stop wearing eye makeup entirely.) You should use an eyelid cleaner - available at any drug store. (You can also use a q-tip dipped into a weak solution of Johnson's and water - rub right along the eyelid near the eyelash line - that's where the pores are.) Basically you need to clean your eyelid so that the pores/glands are clean and clear and can do their normal job of releasing stuff. You should use a hot compress right on the eyes up to five times a day for five minutes at a time. This gets the stuff in the glands to the proper consistency so that it is released through the glands. Again, an eye doctor can give you the details. S/he will want to schedule a follow-up to make sure everything is going smoothly.

I'm not so sure that a gluten-free diet will have any impact. I have been gluten-free for some weeks now but still have eye issues due to allergies. I live in SoCal and my eyes have been very dry and alternately watery and red for the last few weeks. I have bad hay fever (pollens, dust, furs, etc) and we have had a lot of smoke from fires lately, too. I hope that going gluten-free has some impact but in the meantime I am not going to take chances with my eyes. When the lid gets red or especially if it swells I recommend a call/visit to an ophthalmologist.

[mushroom]

I believe gluten, or the Plaquenil I was taking for my rheumatoid arthritis, contributed a lot to problems I had with my eyes. My eyes used to run all the time, not be dry, but the solution was the same. The ophthalmologist said I made poor quality tears and I had to use eyedrops. I no longer have this problem having gone gluten free and also substituted sulfasalazine for the Plaquenil.

I also used to get the red, itchy, puffy eyelids for which I was prescribed a special antibiotic. I have not had this problem in some time now, and am hopeful that, one year gluten-free, it has gone away.

[Laurenlovespink]

Thank you for all your advise. I am still going through the diagnosis process(could take years apparently) and I have not gone gluten free yet. I guess I will have to see after I do.

[sbj]

Thank you for all your advise. I am still going through the diagnosis process(could take years apparently) and I have not gone gluten free yet. I guess I will have to see after I do.

Hi Lauren - good luck with your eyes. Be sure to see an eye doctor and not just your regular intern.

Regarding the years of diagnosis comment - I don't understand? When you read on this forum about folks who have gone years without getting diagnosed it is because they hadn't heard of celiac disease and their doctor never tested for it. If you have symptoms consistent with celiac disease then keep a list. (What are your symptoms?) Bring this list into your doctor along with a description of celiac disease that you can find on the internet. Explain to your doctor why you think you should be tested for celiac. Then ask him/her for the celiac blood panel. That will be a good start. Once your doctor gets those results s/he will have a much better idea of what to do next - whether it be endoscopy or some other testing.

Getting the celiac blood panel done while you are still eating gluten may help you to avoid the 'years of misdiagnosis' that others have had to suffer. You shouldn't have to suffer with misdiagnosis because we now know a lot more about the symptoms/causes, and the blood tests (while not perfect) are more accurate. If you end up negative for celiac this will also give your doctor valuable information. The only reason you need to wait years to diagnose something is if your doctor is not doing a good job. If that's the case you should switch doctors.

[Gina C.]

OK- Finally something I know about!!

I am a certified ophthalmic technician and I deal with Blepharitis all day long!

Blepharitis is essentially when someone's glands lining the edges of your eyelids secrete excess oils than say a "normal" person. When this happens you can get a "gunky" build-up along the ledges of your eyelids which can accumulate into a chalazion or stye. You will also get a kind of crusting along your lids which is sometimes visible.

What can come of this is a foreign body sensation, redness & puffiness around the eyes.

The best way to take care of this and prevent a build-up is to take a warm wet washcloth and soak your eyes a couple times a day (am & pm). This essentially loosens up the gunk around the eyes. Then you want to take a non-sterile gauze or a baby washcloth (something with texture) and rub gently across the ledges of your upper and lower eyelids.

This condition is chronic and something you will deal with on and off your entire life. It makes a huge difference to continue with the hygiene routine I mentioned regularly.

IF you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Also, this condition is not related to celiac or gluten intolerance.

Gina

[darlindeb25]

The only reason you need to wait years to diagnose something is if your doctor is not doing a good job. If that's the case you should switch doctors.

Not necessarily true. Doctors were taught that celiac disease is very rare, and they may never come across someone with it, so, it's not upper most in their thinking. If you feel you may be celiac, ask your doctor to have you tested. Just in case s/he says they aren't sure which test to run, be ready to list the tests you know of. If the doctor is really listening, s/he will check into what needs to be done. If not, then move on. My sons have a doctor who mistakenly think all celiac's must be skin and bones, or they can't be gluten intolerant. They have heard, "You don't look celiac!"

I agree that soon, most doctors should know about celiac disease. My PCP knew very little about celiac disease, and he admitted that to me. That doesn't make him a bad doctor, and he is learning more and more all the time, as it should be.

Take care of your eyes, they are the wondows to our world.

[Laurenlovespink]

Not necessarily true. Doctors were taught that celiac disease is very rare, and they may never come across someone with it, so, it's not upper most in their thinking. If you feel you may be celiac, ask your doctor to have you tested. Just in case s/he says they aren't sure which test to run, be ready to list the tests you know of. If the doctor is really listening, s/he will check into what needs to be done. If not, then move on. My sons have a doctor who mistakenly think all celiac's must be skin and bones, or they can't be gluten intolerant. They have heard, "You don't look celiac!"

I agree that soon, most doctors should know about celiac disease. My PCP knew very little about celiac disease, and he admitted that to me. That doesn't make him a bad doctor, and he is learning more and more all the time, as it should be.

Take care of your eyes, they are the wondows to our world.

Well I guess I should give you guys some background . I am 23 yo female and I work in a hospital- I am actually a dietitian. The major symptom that made me think I might have celiac is peripheral neuropathy. It started about 1 1/2 years ago out of the blue. I was researching what could be the cause of this and I came across celiac. Now granted this is a nutrition related condition, I know WAY more about celiac from this forum than I ever learned in school/work. Here is a list of all my sympoms:

Dx of IBS in high school

Peripheral neuropathy

Abdominal cramping

Mucus in stool

General change in BM's past couple of months

Green stool

Cramping after eating something with gluten

Brain fog(I have been thinking I have been going nuts with the diziness ect)

Thought to have TMJ

Hx of low iron- although now it is fine

Hx of colon cancer in family

Occasional bleeding

I have been to a GI doctor. First visit( about a month ago) doctor did a CBC, Tested B12 and only ONE of the celiac tests..i think IgG. Doctor said that it is a possibility I have it.

Get my test results back. B12=373. Elevated bilirubin and ALT. Negative for whatever celiac test he did and all else was normal. Immediately said I dont have celiac and moved on.

Had a abdominal sonogram done to see what could be causing the elevated liver enzymes- still have not heard the results from that.

I am having a flex sig done to figure out where the bleeding is comming from on 12/1(this monday).

He does not think I need an endoscopy as he does not think I have celiac because of the ONE test he did.

I do not want to stop eating gluten because I want to get the full celiac panel done whch I am going to ask for when I get my flex sig on monday.

About the B12 levels. Mine were 373 and he said that was "normal" but I have been doing some research that claims the Unitd stated has too low of a standard for B12 and many other contries use 500 as the lower end. My GI said that my B12 was NOT the cause of my peripheral neuropathy- which I now think it is and he is nuts. Do any of you know about B12? i have read that between 200 and 500 can cause some of the neuro symptoms that I have.

Any thoughts? Does this sound like celiac to you guys? (sorry for the length!)

[neesee]

Hi,

I am not diagnosed but I have a question about this eye thing that I just read a thread on. For the past 2-3 years I have been getting this itchy, red, puffy, almost cartoon-like eyelids. I thought that it was just allergies (even though I have NEVER had allergies before). My mom gave me some steroid cream and I went on my way. So for the past few days my eyes have been getting progressively more itchy, swollen, scaley etc. I use the same makeup that I have for years(everyday the same stuff) and this only comes randomly. When I first got it, it was spring time so I thought of course it was allergies. It is now End of November and cold and its happening again. Does anyone think this could be related to celiac and if so would it come randomly even if I use the same makeup daily? Along with that, my eyes always seem to be red and bloodshot. It never fails. My eye doctor said that they were prob just dry and to use some artificial tears. Does this sound familiar to anybody?

Thanks alot!

I had chronic blepheritis as a child. My Dr. prescribed an antibiotic ointment and good old vitamin A. It cleared right up. My eyes are still sensative and I still need extra beta carotene.

neesee

[newburyport]

Hi there,

I am a 28 year old, 120 lb. female, generally healthy until about a year ago when I started having constipation, bloating and styes on my eyes every single day. One eye, then the other, top lid, bottom lid, totally random. I would wake up with my eyes sort of crusty or stuck closed.

My opthamologist told me I had blepharitis and suggested the washcloth/baby shampoo method suggested above for life. I felt that something else had to be going on, since I had never had this happen before. A sty here and there like once every few years, but not daily.

Over this year I have gone off any medications I was on (iron, birth control),stopped eating dairy, tried everything I coudl think of.... and only this November did I realize that when I stopped eating wheat for 2 days it completely cleared up. Completely. After a year of suffering.

I had an allergy skin prick test and am allergic to wheat - am waiting for the blood test for it too to see how severe. Am also going to get tested for celiac if I can, though it is so uncomfortable to be eating wheat now that I know what is triggering this eye irritation,

Just thought I'd let you know my story, as I could not find much information about styes and wheat or celiac. I told my opthamologist later and she hadn't heard the connection either. An anti-inflammatory diet is helping the constiption bloating (from naturopath...i switched after regular physician told me "you're just getting old").

Take care,

Newburyport!

[Mother of Jibril]

Sjogren's syndrome can also cause blepharitis, eye inflammation, and constipation... it can dry out everything in your body (eyes, mouth, nose, lungs, skin, genitals, digestive system, etc...). This is a good place to start for more information: Open Original Shared Link