Hyper awareness of eyelids: allergy or not?

[PeteRA89]

Hello all,
I’m really looking for a little support more than anything, I’m not sure what else to do.
I moved flats in September last year and within a week or so I had irritated, watery eyes. I already have blepharitis so I thought it was a flare up of that due to the dust whilst moving but after a few weeks of using my heat mask there was still no improvement.
I got some basic drops from my doctor and they fixed the issue perfectly until about late January when they just stopped working. Since then I’ve had a near constant hyper awareness of my eyelids (usually the bottom, but sometimes the top). It’s safe to say it’s driving me crazy and badly affecting my mood.
I’ve been back and forth to a private eye specialist for about three months trying different drops and treatment. Steroid drops, antihistamines and antibiotics don’t seem to make any difference nor do the drops that he wants me to use as long term use.
What’s most frustrating is that he is convinced my eyes are looking better and that symptoms are very mild anyway. It’s true that to look at them the bottom lids are only slightly pink and that’s all but I can’t distract myself from an almost constant feeling that my awareness is in my bottom eyelids.
Other than that my eyes are slightly gunky when I wake up but otherwise fine to look at.
Note: I’ve now moved to a different apartment (3 weeks ago) to rule out that it was due to an allergen specific to the previous place.
Has anyone experienced this before? Does it even sound like an allergy? I’m looking for anything that could potentially help. So far I’ve found nothing online about this so any support would be great.

[MissCandyGirl]

You HAVE been suffering from an allergic reaction to something. I believe there was some material in your old apartment that started the itching and uncomfortableness. Therefore it is good that you moved. But something is still irritating your eye badly.

Your only option is to start ruling our culprits. I'd check the whole apartment for anything you brought with you when you moved. Check any pet hair situation. Find out what is irritating your eye through a process of elimination. Because your eyes won't heal by your doctor's help. And I believe you ARE allergic to something you've taken into your apartment or have been exposed to at work. Is there any chemical you use in the workplace? Does your workplace have toxic - or allergin - materials?

Find out about your workplace and begin eliminating from there, too.

[PeteRA89]

Hi, thanks so much for your response!

So a little more information as to why I'm questioning whether it is an allergy at all;

I have been living in a new apartment for a couple of months now and have seen no real improvement. I brought everything with me from the previous flat (where I didn't have any symptoms) to the one where the symptoms started and now again to my current one. I've actually gotten rid of a lot of things I owned during these moves - I'd be surprised if it was due to any of my stuff because why would I suddenly be allergic to it? That said when the issue originally started I changed all my bedding to special anti-allergen ones, I changed my washing detergent, I changed my shampoo and soaps (even though all of these were ones I'd be using for years) and I also bought a HEPA air purifier and later a chemical dehumidifier.
The house where the issue started was very dusty when I first moved and this was what I thought may have triggered my problem, however obviously I cleaned it well and kept up a good hoovering routine and never saw any improvement. The only thing that brought some relief was using sodium cromoglicate eye drops which worked perfectly for a few months and then stopped working. Nothing I've been prescribed since has made much difference.
I've sudden had an idea that the only thing that was different between the apartment where I had no symptoms and now is that I didn't have a lot of plants in the bedroom. I've just moved all the plants out of my room to see if this makes any difference.
And re: the workplace, I have actually only just gone back to working in an office for the first time since March 2020 (I've been working from home all this time due to COVID restrictions), so it can't be associated to anything in the workplace.

[MissCandyGirl]

I am positive there is something in the dust you hoovered up: some kind of allergen. The fact your eyes are still reacting to something means there is something in your home. You may think you've eradicated whatever it was in your apartment - so you think it now isn't anything in your apartment causing it - but I beg to differ. I think it is vital you have an allergen expert come into your home and test everything in it: dust and even mould.

It'll cost money to have your home tested, but I strongly advise you do: and sooner rather than later.

Guessing the causes won't work: you need someone who knows their stuff to test your entire home.