Red rash around the eyes that will not go away

Rosehip seed oil is very soothing and an excellent product to use around the eyes even during times of no rash. Coconut oil is also good for the eye area. (Get the raw, unrefined type of coconut oil for this.)

In my case, the skin irritation and itching started on the eyelids and then eventually progressed to my neck, chest, and wrists. I had some success alleviating the symptoms by taking Singulair and Zyrtec and topical hydrocortisone, but the irritation would come back as soon as I quit taking it.

I ruled out laundry detergents, and an allergist ran some tests to rule out any plant allergens.

Certain foods like skyr (similar to Greek-style yogurt), or medications like Alleve (naproxen sodium), made my eyes even more itchy and red than normal--almost unbearable, to the point where even the medications and hydrocortisone provided no relief. Then I realized that all this trouble began when I started drinking coffee regularly (3 cups a day). Previously I had been drinking maybe 2 cups on Saturday.

What coffee and skyr have in common is that they can be high in histamines. So it makes sense that Zyrtec, an antihistamine, would be helpful. After doing some more reading, I learned that histamines form in foods as they age. Fermented foods such as yogurts, sauerkraut, ripe cheeses, bananas can be high in histamines. Elsewhere, I read that certain foods or NSAID medications like ibuprofen or Alleve can trigger the release of histamines in the body, even if those foods/medications don't themselves contain any, which might also explain the extreme eyelid itching when I took them. Some sources also cite coffee as being high in histamines.

In my case, eliminating the daily coffee cured about 98% of my symptoms, and eliminating bananas got rid of the other 2%. For a while, I took a diamine oxidase (DAO) supplement with meals, as it is reputed to help break down histamines in food. But it's quite expensive and I've found that it isn't necessary. As long as I stay away from the coffee, I can pretty much eat whatever I want and I have no problems with the eyelid rash.

I'm not a medical professional, so it's possible that histamines have nothing to do with any of this. But all the pieces seem to fit together in my case.

I'm sure there are many possible reasons for eyelid rash; I hope this helps someone. Good luck!

_removed_

My eye rash that lasted 6 months , went and came back many times , swollen scaly itchy sun glass like rash on my eyes , was spreading down my face slowly , with all the ointments and treatments they tried , in the end it was staph infection and I needed a drug called Sulfatrim, the say I took the medicine my eyes cleared it’s been 3 days since the 7 days of medicine ended , the rash is still gone!!! Hope this helps