EYE ALLERGIES
What Causes Eye Allergies ?
Eye allergies also can be caused by reactions to certain cosmetics or eye drops, including artificial tears used for treating dry eyes that contain preservatives.
Food allergies and allergic reactions to bee stings or other insect bites typically do not affect the eyes as severely as airborne allergens do.
Eye Allergy Relief
To
get relief from your eye allergies and itchy, watery eyes, you can take a few
approaches:
Avoiding allergens. As the old saying goes: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." (By the way, Benjamin Franklin said that — the same guy who invented bifocals!) The best approach to controlling your eye allergy symptoms is to do everything you can to limit your exposure to common allergens you are sensitive to.
For example, on days when the pollen count is high, stay indoors as much as possible, with the air conditioner running to filter the air. Use high quality furnace filters that can trap common allergens and replace the filters frequently.
When you do go outdoors during allergy season, wear wraparound sunglasses to help shield your eyes from pollen, ragweed, etc., and drive with your windows closed.
Removing your contacts. Because the surface of contact lenses can attract and accumulate airborne allergens, consider wearing only eyeglasses during allergy season. Or consider switching to daily disposable contacts that you discard after a single use to avoid the buildup of allergens and other debris on your lenses.
Often the best choice if allergies are bothering your eyes is to discontinue wearing contacts altogether — at least until all your allergy symptoms are gone. Also, wearing eyeglasses with photochromic lenses can reduce allergy-related sensitivity to light and can help shield your eyes from airborne allergens.
Over-the counter eye drops. Because eye allergies are so common, there are a number of brands of non-prescription eye drops available that are formulated to relieve itchiness, redness and watery eyes caused by allergies.
If your eye allergy symptoms are relatively mild, over-the-counter eye drops for allergy relief may work very well for you and may be less expensive than prescription eye drops or other medication. Ask your eye doctor to recommend a brand to try.
Prescription medications. If your allergy symptoms are relatively severe or over-the-counter eye drops are ineffective at providing relief, you may need your eye doctor to prescribe a stronger medication.
Prescription eye drops and oral medications used to relieve eye allergies include:
Eye Allergies And Contact Lenses
Contact lens discomfort is a common complaint during allergy season, leading some wearers to question whether they are becoming allergic to contact lenses.
The issue of being allergic to contacts also comes up from time to time when a person starts wearing silicone hydrogel contact lenses after successfully wearing standard soft (hydrogel) contact lenses and experiences allergy-like symptoms.
Studies have shown that the culprit behind eye allergies associated with contact lens wear is not an allergic reaction to the contact lens itself, but to substances that accumulate on the surface of the lenses.
In the case of switching from regular soft contacts to silicone hydrogel lenses, the surface and chemical characteristics of the lens material may attract lens deposits more readily than the previous lens material, causing discomfort.
Many eye care practitioners believe the best type of soft contact lenses for people prone to eye allergies are daily disposable lenses that are discarded after a single use, which decreases the buildup of allergens and other debris on the lens surface.
Silicone hydrogel often is the preferred lens material for these lenses, because it allows significantly more oxygen to pass through the lens, compared with conventional soft contact lens materials
Avoiding allergens. As the old saying goes: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." (By the way, Benjamin Franklin said that — the same guy who invented bifocals!) The best approach to controlling your eye allergy symptoms is to do everything you can to limit your exposure to common allergens you are sensitive to.
For example, on days when the pollen count is high, stay indoors as much as possible, with the air conditioner running to filter the air. Use high quality furnace filters that can trap common allergens and replace the filters frequently.
When you do go outdoors during allergy season, wear wraparound sunglasses to help shield your eyes from pollen, ragweed, etc., and drive with your windows closed.
Removing your contacts. Because the surface of contact lenses can attract and accumulate airborne allergens, consider wearing only eyeglasses during allergy season. Or consider switching to daily disposable contacts that you discard after a single use to avoid the buildup of allergens and other debris on your lenses.
Often the best choice if allergies are bothering your eyes is to discontinue wearing contacts altogether — at least until all your allergy symptoms are gone. Also, wearing eyeglasses with photochromic lenses can reduce allergy-related sensitivity to light and can help shield your eyes from airborne allergens.
Over-the counter eye drops. Because eye allergies are so common, there are a number of brands of non-prescription eye drops available that are formulated to relieve itchiness, redness and watery eyes caused by allergies.
If your eye allergy symptoms are relatively mild, over-the-counter eye drops for allergy relief may work very well for you and may be less expensive than prescription eye drops or other medication. Ask your eye doctor to recommend a brand to try.
Prescription medications. If your allergy symptoms are relatively severe or over-the-counter eye drops are ineffective at providing relief, you may need your eye doctor to prescribe a stronger medication.
Prescription eye drops and oral medications used to relieve eye allergies include:
- Antihistamines. Part of the body's
natural allergic response is the release of histamine, a substance that dilates
blood vessels and making the walls of blood vessels abnormally permeable.
Symptoms caused by histamine include a runny nose and itchy, watery eyes.
Antihistamines reduce allergic reactions by blocking the attachment of
histamine to cells in the body that produce an allergic response.
- Decongestants. Decongestants help
shrink swollen nasal passages for easier breathing. They also reduce the
size of blood vessels on the white (sclera) of the eye to relieve red eyes. Common decongestants
include phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine. Combination drugs are available
that contain both an antihistamine and a decongestant.
- Mast cell stabilizers. These medications cause
changes in mast cells that prevent them from
releasing of histamine and related mediators of allergic reactions. Because
it may take several weeks for the full effects of mast cell stabilizers to
take effect, these medications are best used before allergy season starts
as a method to prevent or reduce the severity of future allergic reactions
(rather than to treat acute allergic symptoms that already exist).
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. NSAID eye drops may be
prescribed to decrease swelling, inflammation and other symptoms
associated with seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, also called hay fever.
- Steroids. Corticosteroid eye
drops are sometimes prescribed to provide relief from acute eye allergy
symptoms. But potential side effects of long-term use of these medications
include high eye pressure, glaucoma and cataracts, so they typically are
prescribed for short-term use only.
Eye Allergies And Contact Lenses
Contact lens discomfort is a common complaint during allergy season, leading some wearers to question whether they are becoming allergic to contact lenses.
The issue of being allergic to contacts also comes up from time to time when a person starts wearing silicone hydrogel contact lenses after successfully wearing standard soft (hydrogel) contact lenses and experiences allergy-like symptoms.
Studies have shown that the culprit behind eye allergies associated with contact lens wear is not an allergic reaction to the contact lens itself, but to substances that accumulate on the surface of the lenses.
In the case of switching from regular soft contacts to silicone hydrogel lenses, the surface and chemical characteristics of the lens material may attract lens deposits more readily than the previous lens material, causing discomfort.
Many eye care practitioners believe the best type of soft contact lenses for people prone to eye allergies are daily disposable lenses that are discarded after a single use, which decreases the buildup of allergens and other debris on the lens surface.
Silicone hydrogel often is the preferred lens material for these lenses, because it allows significantly more oxygen to pass through the lens, compared with conventional soft contact lens materials
Eye Allergies
And in some cases, eye allergies can play a role in conjunctivitis (pink eye) and other eye infections.
8 Tips for Eye Allergy Sufferers
- Get an early start. See your eye
doctor before allergy season begins to learn how to reduce your
sensitivity to allergens.
- Try to avoid or limit your
exposure to the primary causes of your eye allergies. In the spring and
summer, pollen from trees and grasses are the usual suspects. Ragweed
pollen is the biggest culprit in late summer and fall. Mold, dust mites
and pet dander are common indoor allergens during winter.
- Protect your eyes from airborne
allergens outdoors by wearing wraparound-style sunglasses.
- Don't rub your eyes if they itch!
Eye rubbing releases more histamine and makes your allergy symptoms worse.
- Use plenty of artificial tears to
wash airborne allergens from your eyes. Ask your eye doctor which brands
are best for you.
- Cut down your contact lens wear or
switch to daily disposable lenses to reduce the buildup of allergens on
your lenses.
- Shower before bedtime and gently
clean your eyelids to remove any pollen that could cause irritation while
you sleep.
- Consider purchasing an air
purifier for your home, and purchase an allergen-trapping filter for your
heating or cooling system.
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