# My eyelid **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 11, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-eyelid/160598 "2003-03-11T17:21:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![horhay\_achoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@horhay\_achoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/horhay_achoa)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-eyelid/160598/1 "2003-03-11T17:21:03Z")
My eyelid is slightly swollen, redish in color, and a bit itchy. It is tender, and almost feels bruised. It is only my left eyelid that is like that, but both of my eyeballs are itchy, which makes me think it might be allergy related. Anyone ever have this, or know what it might be? ---
**Author:** ![skaterboarder87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@skaterboarder87](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skaterboarder87)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-eyelid/160598/2 "2003-03-11T18:08:52Z")
Do you wear contacts? I had the same symptoms and it turned out to be a massive eye infection. The next day, I couldn’t even see out of my eye, not to mention it hurt like hell. I had to wear an eyepatch. Odds are your problem isn’t this, but just thought I’d throw it out. ---
**Author:** ![Eirik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b19c9b/32.png) [@Eirik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eirik)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-eyelid/160598/3 "2003-03-11T19:28:01Z")
Itch tends to be a good sign that it’s an allergy, which is easy to take care of with simple treatment as a rule, but the tenderness is slightly more concerning. It doesn’t sound likely to be an infection, but it could be something like a viral conjunctivitus. Your best bet is to see an optometrist or ophthamologist and get it checked out. Even if it’s something as simple as an allergy response they should be able to give you something to sooth the irritation. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-eyelid/160598/4 "2003-03-11T19:38:08Z")
It could be [blepharitis](http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/blepharitis/) or [conjunctivitis](http://www.stlukeseye.com/Conditions/Conjunctivitis.asp). As one of the sites mention, a good treatment is periodic warm compresses, and scrubbing your eye with warm water and baby shampoo. If you have an infection, though, you may need to see a doctor. There are topical antibiotic eyedrops/ointments that can be put in the eye. If it is an infection, be aware that such infections are very contagious. If you touch the affected eye, wash your hands afterwards. BTW, IANAD. YMMV. [Insert any other necessary disclaimer here.] ---
**Author:** ![horhay\_achoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@horhay\_achoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/horhay_achoa)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-eyelid/160598/5 "2003-03-12T14:38:59Z")
Thanks! It seems to be going away. I have just been putting eydrops in, and trying really hard not to rub my eyes. IT is much better today, so I am hoping it will be gone by tomorrow. Thanks again! ---
**Author:** ![Jammers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@Jammers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jammers)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-eyelid/160598/6 "2003-03-12T14:42:57Z")
I get these quite a lot (I have one now), and went to the doctors who told me it was a cyst that formed in my eyelid, as a result of blepheritis. I did go to an eye hospital to have it removed once, but they clamped my eyelid inside out, and cut it out under local anaesthetic. Naturally, I fainted. So now i just leave them to it, and eventually, (a month or so), they go away.