Ocular allergies tend to develop when the immune system of the body becomes sensitive and overreacts to certain elements in the environment, which might or might not be harmful to the body. As soon as the allergens come into contact with the antibodies of your eyes, the cells release histamine immediately along with other substances that make the tiny blood vessels inside the eyes leak. As a result, the eyes become red, watery and itchy. In most of the cases, the symptoms of ocular allergies are strikingly similar to many eye diseases, which make it difficult to diagnose the problem unless you opt for the specific allergy testing methods.
Common symptoms of ocular allergies:
The most common types of eye allergies are seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, perennial allergic conjunctivitis, atopic keratoconjunctivitis, vernal keratoconjunctivitis, giant papillary conjunctivitis or contact allergic conjunctivitis. The symptoms of these eye allergies are often accompanied by sneezing, coughing or a runny nose which are common symptoms of nasal allergies.
The common symptoms include:
- Burning eyes
- Redness
- Fluid discharge
- Itching
What triggers eye allergies?
The common allergens which cause ocular allergies are pollens, weeds, mold, pet dander, dust mites and irritants such as perfume, smog, cigarette smoke or vehicle exhausts. People suffering from eye allergies for a prolonged period may also develop severe dark circles under their eyes. Sometimes, the eyelids become puffy and the eyes are unable to tolerate bright lights. At times the itchiness becomes so severe, that the patients are unable to stop themselves from scratching or rubbing their eyes and ultimately end up worsening up the infections.
How to deal with ocular allergies?
In order to keep ocular allergies at bay, you should avoid the allergens which trigger the problem.
- Try to stay indoors, during the high pollen period of the day. Use HEPA efficiency air purifier and air conditioning system, in your bedroom and car.
- Using mite-proof bedding to combat the dust mites.
- Use a dehumidifier in your home, to restrict mold growth.
- Wash your hands and change your clothes whenever you return home from outside or play with your pets.
- Try to cover your eyes with high-quality sunglasses, to shield them.
Effective medications to deal with emergency situations:
Whenever there is an emergency situation, but you are unable to visit the allergy clinic to get hold of the allergy shots or immunotherapy, or the eye drops you may try out these simple yet effective medicines, which are readily sold in the medical stores without any prescription.
- Decongestant eye drops
- Artificial tears
- The antihistamines
However, it is always better to consult an eye allergy specialist doctor because, the decongestant eye drops may not work after repeated usage or the antihistamines might dry up your eyes excessively, leading to other problems.