Can you help with my Mother's eyes?

May 30, 2006 8:03 PM

My mother has been experiencing severe swelling under her eyes at night. None of the doctors she visited have helped. More inside...

The swelling goes down to just "bubbles" above her cheekbones during the day. She is taking high blood pressure medicine, which has this symptom as a side effect, but her doctor says the medicine is not the problem. She also quit taking it for a time and it didn't really make a difference. Her doctor, and several other specialists, think it is an allergy but she went to an allergist, who found nothing. Does anyone have any ideas?

posted by frogmoses to Health & Fitness (3 answers total)

I had this symtom when I had Iritis, which is a swelling of the iris. Tell her to go visit an opthamologist.
posted by SpecialK at 8:18 PM on May 30, 2006

I had this a couple of months ago every couple of days or so - turned out I had developed an allergy to down. That was the extra comforter that I would throw on the bed when it was really cold. No allergy medicine worked to reduce the swelling - I just had to wait it out. Got rid of the comforter 3 months ago and haven't had a problem since. Of course, this was after I switched all of my shampoo/soap/detergents and rewashed every darn thing in my house with them, which would be the next thing I recommend to her if her allergist tested for ALL allergies - food, chemical, pollen, dust, and dander. A lot of times you have to ask for the food and chemical, it is not automatic.
posted by blackkar at 3:46 AM on May 31, 2006

I get this whenever I go camping (e.g., sleep on the ground, outdoors/in a tent), or when I stay in people's vacation homes that are musty/damp -- probably moldy.

I have very fair, somewhat sensitive skin, so I've just attributed it to an allergic reaction to something airborne. Has she tried Benadryl? That might help some. Also, keep two spoons in the fridge and apply the curved parts to the under eye area when they're puffy -- it helps to bring down the swelling somewhat.
posted by penchant at 7:17 AM on May 31, 2006