Many patients who visit our eye care center near Belmont, CA suffer of red, swollen, itchy eyes. These are the most common signs of ocular allergies.
What Ocular Allergies Are?
Allergic conjunctivitis is the scientific name for your eye allergy. It is caused, like any allergic reaction, by a mistaken triggering of your body’s immune system. Allergens cause your immune system “panic” causing it to react negatively to things which actually are totally safe for you. During an allergic reaction our body releases a chemical called histamine, which makes your eyes dry out and produce more tears. The main purpose of this action is to flush out foreign objects that your immune systems mistakenly thinks you have. The bloodshot look many of us see when we look at a person who suffers of an eye allergy is the result of blood vessels inflammation in the eye.
What Are The Symptoms Of Ocular Allergy?
Symptoms of an allergic reaction can vary and may include the following:
- Red eyes
- Irritated or itchy eyes
- Sensitivity to light
- Swollen eyelids
- Painful, sore or burning feeling in your eyes
- Excessive tearing
- Runny nose
- Sneezing and stuffy nose
Many things may cause an allergic reaction. Grass, weed and tree pollen, as well as dust and pet dander are among the best known allergens. Less well known is that it is also possible for a person to be allergic to everyday items such as makeup or perfume, and even contact lenses. Also not well know is that, while it is very common for allergic symptoms to come out immediately upon contact with the allergen, it is also possible for an allergic reaction to present itself as much as four days after original contact with an allergen.
Should I Visit An Optometrist Near Belmont, CA For Eye Allergy Consultation?
Although allergies usually stop once the allergen is removed, and the eyes return to normal, this is not always possible with allergens such as dust and pollen, since they are just about everywhere. As an efficient allergy treatment, eye doctors at Optometry at Redwood Shores recommend eye drops either over the counter or prescription. This treatment helps to minimize the effects of the allergens in your environment on your eyes. The eye drops actually block histamine from the body. There are few other ways this treatment helps to relieve or prevent allergic symptoms.
Artificial tears are also an excellent option to relieve dry eye symptoms caused by allergens. These eye drops are specially formulated to imitate the tears that the allergic reaction has dried up. Artificial tears are mostly by prescription and have proven to perform better in some cases than over the counter eye drops.
What can you do to help yourself overcome an eye allergy? Here are few easy to follow tips, that will make your life much easier and help you cope with allergies much faster.
- Wear sunglasses when stepping outside – this will block pollen, dust and other outdoor allergens from getting in your eyes.
- Contact lenses may also irritate your eyes, so try taking those out if nothing else works.
- Never rub your eyes while experiencing an allergic reaction. Rubbing will irritating your eyes even more & make things worse.
For more information, and for help clearing up your eye allergies, contact our eye care experts near Belmont, CA for an eye exam and consultation today.