Eye Allergy

The sensation that something is in your eye is the most annoying thing. However, eye allergies may be to blame if your eyes are irritated and red and you can’t see anything in them. Keep reading to find out more about an eye allergy as well as effective ways to treat and manage it.

Symptoms

You may get symptoms of eye allergy as soon as the allergen comes into contact with your eyes, or you may go two to four days without experiencing any symptoms. Eye allergy symptoms include:

• Red and irritated eyes
• Runny or tearing eyes
• Itchiness
• Swollen eyelids
• Sensitivity to light
• Soreness, pain, or burning

Diagnosis

Accurate diagnosis is crucial because certain eye illnesses and eye allergies have similar symptoms. Visit an allergist if symptoms worsen or over-the-counter medications are ineffective. The allergist will examine you, go over your medical history, examine your symptoms, and perform tests that may detect an allergy to the eyes.

One of those examinations might involve using a microscope, which will reveal enlarged blood vessels on the eye’s surface. In addition, a specific form of white blood cell that appears in allergy-affected eye areas may be tested for by your doctor. To do this, a healthcare professional will carefully scrape the conjunctiva, which is the inner lining of the eyelid, to check for those cells.

Management and Treatment

The most common course of treatment for ocular allergies is avoiding the substances, or antigens, that are causing your symptoms. Pollen, pet dander, dust, and grasses are examples of antigens.

The short-term management of eye allergy symptoms may involve the use of cold compresses, chilled eye drops, over-the-counter vasoconstrictor/antihistamine combination eye drops, and prescription antihistamine. The most effective treatment for eye allergy is immunotherapy (allergy shots).

The shots must be given by an allergist for a predetermined period of time.

How Can We Help?

Let Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology help with your eye allergy and eliminate the discomfort associated with it. Our experts will help with the diagnosis and treatment of the problem. To make an appointment, please call us on 850.969.2340.