The Eyes

ndl06 · Sea Monkey Joined: 19 Nov 2006 Posts: 10

Hi, what can I do about the swelling of the eyes? Is this the medication now or is it the Lupus itself? Do we decide to buy sunglasses or an eye patch when we go out. SOmetimes it's bad, swelling top & bottom. Other times I don't worry how it looks. And what treatment can we use??

Thanks.

MARYCAIN · King of the Jungle Joined: 03 Aug 2006 Posts: 1576

A lot depends on what is causing the problem. By swelling, do you mean that your eye itself is swollen, or the tissues around the eye are puffy? If you notice a lot of puffiness or swelling around your eyes when you first wake up in the morning, this could be a sign of fluid retention. You might also notice that your ankles appear to be puffy pr swollen. If this is the type of swelling you are concerned about, you need to being it to your doctor's attention because it could be an early symptom of kidney involvement. So you need to get it checked out.

If your eyelid is swollen, then it could be a blocked tear duct, an infection, or other problem with the eye. If your eyes are red, or painful, you need to let your doctor know because you could have inflammation or infection in the eye, which needs to be treated. Sunglasses which block UV radiation are a good idea for all lupus patients, but the problems you are describing are probably not related to sun exposure. Many eye problems can make your eyes more sensitive to light. Most lupus-related eye problems will require medical treatment, so this is a not a good area to try to self-diagnose - you need to get your doctor involved to rule out any serious problem.