A WOMAN who became a recluse after developing severe eye eczema after menopause has found a “miraculous” cure.
Serena Fenton, 55, from Leeds, said her skin has always been one of her “best assets” until January 2023, when her eyelids became severely swollen and red.
The doctor confirmed that her eczema-ridden eyes could be a side effect of the menopauseAlamy
Her eyes were so sore the grandmother was even forced to wear sunglasses at all times, she explained.
Serena even “started apologising in advance” when meeting up with people as she was “very self-conscious” of her eyes.
The condition also impacted Serena physically.
“It actually makes you feel quite drained because you have a bad night’s sleep from waking up at night with the itching and burning.
“I also had quite low moods, and I did not want to go outside,” she explained.
Serena tried putting Vaseline and aloe vera gel on her eyes, and nothing seemed to help the redness and swelling, so she decided to visit her GP at the end of January.
She was prescribed hydrocortisone cream – a steroid treatment – after her GP diagnosed her condition as eczema.
She said: “I used the hydrocortisone for the whole month before contacting my GP to explain it was having no effect and in fact was actually making it slightly worse.
“I decided I must start researching for myself to find something to help me.”
In March 2023, after doing some digging about her condition online, Serena stumbled across Hydrosil Dry Eye Gel which had rave reviews, so she decided to give it a go.
After one day of using the product, the itching stopped, and after a week, “the redness and swelling was practically gone” and “the relief was incredible”.
“After trying the gel, my awful red swollen toad eyes were back to normal after months of suffering, doctor visits and trying endless products that did nothing or made them even worse,” Serena said.
“The relief was incredible – for me, it was miraculous.”
Serena visited her GP again, and they confirmed that her eczema-ridden eyes could be a side effect of the menopause.
Serena said: “Nothing quite prepares you for just how strange things are going to be with the menopause.
“I’ve come from a generation where my mother and my grandmother would not discuss or mention menopause, so I did not really know what to expect.”
She added: “But when the doctor actually said my eyes could be because of the menopause, it made perfect sense.
“I can see that my body could somehow get super sensitive.”
She said: “I wish we knew more about the menopause – but hopefully the next generation will be better set up than my generation.”