Oh I Have a BIG Problem!

Updated on August 10, 2006
C.G. asks from Fort Worth, TX
18 answers

I'm going to start that originally I thought this was an embarrassing problem but now I'm not so sure it's not something more serious. Yesterday I woke up and noticed my face was really breaking out. It had been for a couple of days. In fact I had a huge "zit" on the left side of my nose about 3days ago that I had (of course who can resist!) popped and doctored and it was in the process of going away. So yesterday I decided I would put a clay mask on that I have used many many times. I rinsed my face and carried on about my usual day. Around 4 or 5 in the evening I noticed that when I would look downward I could see my face. I know that's a little vague but mostly when you look down you can't actually see your face beneath your eye.My glasses were sitting a little funny on my nose and normally those don't touch my face beneath my eye. I seriously thought they were bent or something. I don't wear them enough and I thought maybe I was reading in bed and bent them...By this time you'd have thought I would at least look in the mirror! So my husband get's home at 7 pm and asks about my eye. I look in the mirror and sure enough it's huge! I told him I thought it was my zit and it must've gotten infected (by my glasses or something).But it was just so big! I doctored the offending zit with alchol and applied Neosporin and when I went to bed and layed on that side of my head I could feel the wieght of my eye.
I woke up this morning and my eye is almost swelled shut. There is no pain, no discoloring, just a big, fat eye! I'm pretty sure nothing has bitten me. The only other symptom I have is that occassionally when I blink it's a little gooy, but my eye is not weeping or red. My eye doesn't feel dry. I don't think it's the zit anymore! My husband says that maybe I got a staff infection from messing with the zit and it's under the skin. But still...looking at the zit it looks like nothing now. And the swelling goes way beyond the area of the side of my nose. It's more in my eye and under my eye.
I would love to describe how huge my eye has gotten but it would be impossible. It's heavy and other than the pressure of the swelling it is causing me no pain at all.
I'm relatively new to the area and I have a doctor that I've seen once and I have a call into him. I'm wondering if it could be a clogged tear duct or something and I really don't know who to call. I'm hoping it's something minor because I don't have insurance! If you've had this happen or you know what this might be OR you just have some crazy wivestale for me to try (nothing that might affect my vision) then would you please help me?!

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So What Happened?

It's staph. Cellulitis exactly. It's very dangerous this close to the eye and it would not have gone away had I not went to the doctor. I actually have to take two rounds of two different antibiotics (staph is very common and very resistant to the anitbiotics used to treat it)and go back tomorrow to make sure I'm responding to the antibiotics. Thanks for all of your responses but the reason I'm writing back is to tell everyone LEAVE THE ZITS ALONE! This is very common and it's horrible to wake up with this problem.

Featured Answers

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K.D.

answers from Dallas on

I would definitely have it looked at, but I am allergic to Neosporin and it causes a severe rash and has caused severe swelling around my eye before. I would refrain from using Neosporin and see if that helps but I would still have it looked at in case it is a staph infection. That can be very dangerous.

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J.M.

answers from Dallas on

C.,

Be very careful. Something very similar happened to my stepmom back in May and she ended up with a very serious staph infection. Wash continually and don't touch anyone unless you have to. Not to scare you, but my stepmom did nothing for 4 days and ended up in the hospital for 5 and very sick. Find a dr. asap.

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K.M.

answers from Dallas on

OH YOU POOR THING!!! I just went through the very same thing, after having a facial at a spa. I woke up the next morning and my eye was HUGE! Well...by saying my eye, I mean the my eye lid and underneath the eye! I applied cold compress & took benadryl, and put a cortosone cream under my eye and it seemed to work..but be very careful with creams under the eye. Maybe you have already solved your problem by now...just wanted you to know that the exact same thing happened to me just last week....and it was just an allergic reaction to the products from the spa that were suppose to be for sensitive skin. Your product might have affected you differently since you had kind of an open area there already. Hope this helps!!

K.

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A.H.

answers from Dallas on

Hi C.!

I just thought I'd let you know that if you tell your doctor's office you don't have insurance they will sometimes discount the price of the office visit for you :) Glad to hear you went to the doctor and got some medicine!

God Bless!

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S.

answers from Dallas on

Your husband is right. It sounds exactly like a staph infection which often mimics a spider or insect bite. You should get it taken care of right away because staph can turn into a serious problem. It is spread easily by contact and you do not want your kids to get it because it can be very painful.

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M.H.

answers from Dallas on

Hi C.,

I'm sure that you are fine. You may have rubbed the juice from the zit into your eye. Also your eye lashes have small pours and can get infected. Try putting a hot/warm wash cloth on your eyelid for a few mins. Sometimes the pours on your eyelid needs to be opened up and drained. I worked for an optomestrist for 4 1/2 years. I've seen all times of crazy things.
If you are needing a dr to look at it, go see Dr.Wilhelmus at Eye Care Texas ###-###-#### He will look inside and make sure it's not something else that would require and antibiotic.

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T.K.

answers from Lakeland on

I agree with the eye doctor. I have had an eye infection and styes and it doesn't sound like either of them.
Cold Compress is a good way to start to help the swelling go down, also if it's an allergic reaction which it sounds like to me, try taking some benedryl and maybe even get some bedndryl cream to put on the spot. I don't think you need the cream. The little capsules will probably do fine.
Although allergic reactions usually causes itching, burning or something involved when I had an allergic reaction to bleach my eyes swelled shut and the bendedryl worked for me. I didn't get bleach on me it was just the fumes that caused an allergic reaction because I was cleaning the bathroom with the bleach cleaner. My eyes didn't even itch or burn. They just swelled.
The benedryl can't hurt you and it's worth a try isn't it?
I would probably see someone though.
Here's a thought for you. Even though you had used the mask many times, is it possible that the mask did actually get into the open skin from the previously popped zit and cause an allergic reaction or infection? If it's an infection, cold compress, neosporin is good and you may need an antibiotic to take. A Dr. visit would be a good thought...
Okay, I am done rambling...Let us know how it goes....
-T.

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R.N.

answers from Dallas on

Oh no! I'd definitely have it looked at ASAP. If it's an infection, time would be an issue. Where are you located? I have a couple of wonderful Family Prac drs around here (FW) if you're out this way. I don't even know what specialist you'd see for that opthamologist or dermatologist?? Guess the GP could tell ya.
Good luck and email if you live in FW for those names!
R.

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C.M.

answers from Dallas on

When you have a staph infection it is swollen, red and hard and it hurts, the only thing that takes it away is antibiotics.

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P.

answers from Dallas on

PLEASE get to the doctor or hospital immediately. That sounds like a staph infection and there is an MRSA loose in our community (my daughter spent 8 days in the hospital fighting for her life - others have died).. Go to www.WebMD.com and look up MRSA for more detailed info. This needs to be taken very seriously.

An MRSA can masquerade as an insect bite.

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L.B.

answers from Dallas on

I would go to an Opthamologist as soon as possible, but it sounds like you may have a Chalazion. My daughter had one and her eyelid got so swollen that it looked horrible....though it didn't hurt her that much. We ended up having to clean her eye/eyelid with soapy water 4 times a day and holding HOT compresses on it after each cleaning for 15 minutes, continuing to re-heat the rags every few minutes. We did this for 1-2 weeks and it went away and has not come back. I hope this helps. The good news is there is no long-term damage to the eye from Chalazions. Take care. L.

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I.

answers from Dallas on

definitely not a stye (like you can see on the picture at the internet link that's only a small bump). Also not a clogged tear duct (can not swell that big, is only at the nose side.) Both things would never cause swelling on the upper eye lid.

Sounds a lot like an allergic reaction, with all the swelling. I would wait one day, if the swelling has not gone by itself I would contact a docter. Often you'll never find out where you're allergic to. Try apply cold compresses.

An infection has 5 thinghs how you can recognize them:
Red, Swelling, Hot, Pain, disfunction of the body part.
You've only the swelling, so its probably not an infection.

But if you're unsure, just contact your doctor. I'm only a optomotrist.

good luck, and let us know what happens next. I'm intrested!

I.

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J.C.

answers from Dallas on

Hi C.!
oh my gosh! i would go to an eye doctor. i doubt they would charge very much to see you just for that. you poor thing!
it could also be a spider bite in stead of a zit!
i wouldn't wait and not go to the doctor. it would be terrible to lose an eye over this! and, if it is a staph infection it could be very serious..
good luck!!
J.

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S.C.

answers from Dallas on

I had something similar twice and the doctor thought it was a spider bite -- probably got it while sleeping. Definitely have it checked out, but hopefully it's nothing major.

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A.C.

answers from Dallas on

This sounds like something I had a year ago. I woke up with my eye swollen and though maybe I was getting pink-eye. Well it got huge fast and I had no discharge and it wasn't pink. I went to my eye doctor and she said it was an infection probably caused by bacteria from my mascara. She put drops in my eye and gave me a perscription for a bottle of the drops. It was noticeably better the next day and was all gone by day three. By the way the my eye doctor said it wouldn't have gotten better on it's own. Good luck!
A.

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N.

answers from Dallas on

I wouldnt mess around with that so close to your eye - you are worth what ever it cost - go to the doctor!!!!!

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M.

answers from Dallas on

Hard to say exactly...I described to hubby who is med...he says that it could be one of two things...either Staph or bite of some sort...
Either way, just in case it is Staph, you need to go get it checked immediately to make sure. Staph (Staphalocaucus I think?) can take hold and spread rapidly inside of your body. People can die if not given antibiotics...and the right ones in time. Not something to mess with, esp near your eye, so go get it looked at and don't waste your time on Mamasource! Hope it gets better quickly!

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