Eyelid Swelling due to Allergies

A swelling of the eyelid is problematic for reasons more than one - not only is it very unsightly, but it also leads to a lot of discomfort and, at times, even obstruct the person's vision. There exist many different conditions that can lead to this condition. It can be attributed to a problem with the white portion of the eye, the eyelid or may even be systemic in nature. At times, eyelid swelling is caused as a result of some allergic reaction. In this case, the person may or may not have other symptoms accompanying this condition.

Causes

There may be many different factors that could lead to swollen eyelid/s as a result of some underlying allergic reaction. The most prominent of these include:

Angioedema: One of the conditions that is responsible for the swelling of the eyelid is angioedema. It is basically a condition wherein there is swelling of the dermis and the subcutaneous tissue at a very fast rate. Though the exact cause of this condition is not known, it is usually triggered due to an idiosyncratic allergy, like as a side effect of a medication taken. This may lead to swelling of not just mucosal surfaces of the skin, but also result in swelling of the eyelid skin - which may eventually hinder its movement and obstruct vision.

Contact Sensitivity: The most common cause of an eyelid swelling due to some allergen is contact dermatitis or eyelid dermatitis. This is also known as allergic dermatitis or atopic dermatitis. It is usually caused due to direct contact with an allergen, like insect spray, lemon peel oil or certain alcohol based substances. At times, this is also seen in cases wherein an allergen is transferred to the surface of the eyelid by the hands. At times, this is caused as a result of insect bite or bee sting. Another cause of swelling, particularly when it is unilateral, is when the person has lactose intolerance and ingests a large amount of dairy products.

Symptoms

The swelling of the eyelid in itself is a symptom, rather than a medical condition or disease. At times however, there do surface various other symptoms accompanying this symptom, some of which are enlisted below:

• There is usually itching, but no pain in case of an allergic reaction.
• Swelling of lips may also be seen, which includes swelling of half the lip or of the complete lip.
• The eyelid may or may not be red in color. Sometimes, it may become pale in color.
• There may be reddening and soreness of the conjunctiva as well.
• Constant tearing of the eyes may occur as a response to the swelling. However, there is no crusting of the eyelid.
• Depending on the extent of the swelling, the person may or may not have slight obstruction of vision.

Treatment

Unfortunately, there is no fixed protocol that can be followed to completely get rid of an allergic eyelid swelling. In most cases, along with giving it time to heal itself, the extent of the swelling can be controlled by giving the person antihistamines. These help to prevent the severity of symptoms, especially the extent of the swelling, and reddening, if at all. If a person is prone to these attacks, then he may also be prescribed antihistamines on a regular basis, as a treatment and as a preventive measure as well. A higher dose of antihistamines may be required if the person has a severe or high frequency of repeated attacks.

If a person has a systemic condition that is triggering the eye related symptoms, then treatment of the underlying condition is a must in order to ensure that the symptom is dealt with. In some very cases, especially if the person also has an autoimmune disease, there may be need to prescribe steroids to the person to mitigate the symptoms, till the allergen is tracked down. Other than these medications, some simple remedies, like cold water and ice compress, may also come handy in easing the discomfort associated with it.

The condition is not very uncommon and thankfully, is rarely a very serious or irreversible condition. As in most cases, prevention is always better than cure. So, if possible, especially in cases where the person has a history of repeated attacks of allergic swelling of the eyelids, he should try to find out the allergen responsible for it, and take measures to ensure that he does not come in contact with it in the future.