Hi! I'm going through my second bout of some odd eye 'ezcema'. Imagine big bags under your eyes (mine are huge!) - the whole of one side has turned red, rough textured, and is very sore - and half of the other eye. There's a tiny patch on my eyelid too.
The first occurance was 3/4 weeks ago. My usual creams (moisturiser, Lush Ultrabalm, aloe vera and some aqueous cream my DD uses for ezcema) didn't clear it up, and were burning when I put them on. After a week I visited my local pharmacist, who inspected (at a socially acceptable distance!) and she agreed it was probably ezcema and suggested Cetrabem (emollient), and suggested I make a GP appointment in a week if it didn't clear up for some very weak steroid cream suitable for the eye area.
The Cetrabem burned whenever it went on, but my eyes did clear up - hard to know whether that helped or not (I applied it several times a day; it seems to hurt less when moisturised). I therefore never made the GP appointment.
Over the past couple of days its come back! Our pharmacy now has regular 2+ hour queues (a community with a lot of people with health concerned - not their fault, but currently being worked off their feet), and I don't want to bother the GP unless I have to. I've considered phoning reception for a phone appointment and sending a photo of my dragon eyes over to them to send to the GP! However, I was wondering if anyone had any advice.
I think it may be ezcema that's caused by hayfever, as it has flared up whenever my hayfever has been at its worst so far this year. My questions are:
- Should it burn when you put cream such as Cetrabem on ezcema? I can't tell if that's a sign that I shouldn't be using it, or a sign that my skin desperately needs it.
- Can you think of anything else that might soothe rather than burn, and be beneficial (and safe to use near eyes?).
- Is there anything I can pick up over the counter/from a pharmacy without having to get the advice of a pharmacist that might help?
Thanks in advance!