How to stop an itch?

[EmmaF91]

It’s not really about my asthma this time, but asthma and allergies are totally related so someone may have an idea 😅

I’m currently sitting here having a reaction to substance unknown (which seems to happen to me a lot 🙄), luckily this time it’s mainly effecting my eyes!

I usually get by, by taking another antihistamine (on top of my daily fexofenadine 180mg) and being stubborn and ignoring it. This time the itchy left eye just will not go! I have tried my antihistamine, cold compress and washing it out... I still can’t ignore it and have to sit on my hands to stop me from rubbing it!

I now look like a toddlers gone to town poking it (it’s nice and bloodshot 😅), and my eyelid eczema is starting to complain about the excess water production/skin sensitivity from when I give in and rub 😂🙈

Any other ideas on how to stop it itching? 😅

Many thanks

Emma

[Wheezycat]

I have had severely itchy eyes from cats - at times could have ripped my eyes out, they used to blister as well. One thing I didn’t get due to cost and short shelf life was antihistamine drops specifically for eyes. It certainly used to be over the counter. And it worked on the rare occasion I got it. My itches were self limiting.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Wheezycat]

Thanks. I remembered earlier that I had some antihistamine eye drops left over from the early summer. Technically they were out of date (cause had been open for more than 3 months or whatever) but tried them anyway and it seems to be starting to calm down... I also used my nasal spray on the assumption that the steroid would be absorbed and have some kind of effect on the irritation!

It’s now at the ignorable level so I’m good to go 😊

[Hidden in reply to EmmaF91]

One warning about using out of date eyedrops - there are cases of people who have ended up with really rather nasty eye infections as a result of doing that. It’s not recommended.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

Thanks. It’s seems to be good today so hopefully I’ve avoided any infections! X

[Hidden]

With me, itchy eyes are usually the warning sign that something is triggering allergic rhinitis. If I can stop the itching I can usually halt the attack (apparently it’s all to do with halting the production of histamines - rubbing the eyes only makes things worse).

That said, when I was perimenopausal I suffered from an increased sensitivity to things. This didn’t hit my asthma so much, but I had a terrible time with itchy eyes. It took a while to find suitable eye drops as my eyes would react and swell up in response to anything that had to be taken on a daily basis; eventually I ended up on otrivine antistin eyedrops which I could use on an as and when needed basis. That did the trick. Now clinically postmenopausal, I don’t have the problem any more.

One other thought, there’s no chance you have an ingrowing eyelash is there? My mother used to get these, and so do I occasionally. It starts with a pricking sensation in the inner corner of the eye which of course sets up itching. An optician or your GP should be able to see if you have one of these (and they aren’t easy to spot on your own) and will be able to deal with it.

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

The only times my eyes usually go is when I’m in contact with animals which I’m allergic to (which didn’t happen last night so 🤷‍♀️). My sinuses and nose stayed out of the party tho so I was happy 😊

It seems to have calmed down so I’m hoping that it was a one off 🤞🏻(I’m used to hives and angioedema 😅)

Thanks for your advice x