Eye allergies can happen anytime and can cause itching, redness, swelling, burning, or watering. For anyone who suffers from allergies, these symptoms can be a daily annoyance. Luckily, eye allergies work much like your other allergy symptoms in that they’re triggered by the same irritants and can develop in the same way. This means you can treat your eye allergies similarly to how you would treat nasal or sinus allergies. We’re going to cover a few treatment options and home remedies, but first we need to establish what causes them.
What causes eye allergies?
Eye allergies develop like your other allergy triggers do; your body’s immune system develops a heightened sensitivity to something in the environment around you and causes a reaction. Eye allergies can be triggered by the same irritants as well, like pollen, grass, pet dander, and mold. But things like cigarette smoke, perfume, and diesel exhaust can also cause your eyes to get itchy or watery.
How can I manage my eye allergies?
Of course you’ve heard the “keep your windows closed” and “don’t go outside” tips, but those aren’t really logical tips when the weather is gorgeous, right? One thing that you can do while outdoors is wear sunglasses. The big lenses can help keep that pesky pollen from getting in your eyes and irritating them.
It won’t hurt to wash your hands frequently as well so that if you do touch your eyes, you’re not introducing any irritants directly. Remember to never rub your eyes! Rubbing can cause your body to release more of the chemicals that caused your eyes to itch in the first place. Just try a cool compress when they’re too itchy to deal.
Another option is to carry artificial tears with you to help flush out your eyes and keep them moist if they do get irritated. These are good for temporary relief but isn’t ideal for long-term relief. There are also antihistamine drops that can help with itching in particular. These drops are not suitable for everyone so you’ll have to speak to a doctor to get a prescription.
Treatment Options for Eye Allergies:
If your eye allergies are bothering you to a point where it disrupts your daily activity, you may want to consider professional treatment. Like stated earlier, treatments for eye allergies are the same as general allergy treatments. Immunotherapy is a highly effective and custom way of treating allergies.
There are 2 types of immunotherapy; the first is the standard injection therapy and the second is called sublingual immunotherapy, or allergy drops. Like allergy shots, sublingual immunotherapy can be done from home with intermittent visits to your allergist, but unlike shots, allergy drops are pain-free. Either form requires first that you undergo allergy testing to find out what allergens trigger your symptoms.
If you’re ready to treat your eye allergies with medicated drops or through immunotherapy, make an appointment with us today! Dr. Pasha can create a convenient and custom treatment that targets your allergy triggers so you can enjoy the outdoors.
