Eye allergy is a seasonal thing for most Americans during the spring season, but a lot of people suffer from eye infection throughout the year and it really does impact their daily activities.
What causes these allergies and what are its symptoms?
Eye allergies are mostly caused due to pollen, grass and mould spores. Allergies are actually a defense mechanism which your body exhibits by releasing histamine. Consequently, there’s eye itching, watery eyes, redness and swelling.
The five main kinds of eye allergies:
Atopic Conjunctivitis
These are the most common eye allergies and are caused due to airborne allergen agents like pollen. It can lead to the seasonal conjunctivitis which causes swelling of the eyelids, itching, tear and mucus production, etc.
Perennial conjunctivitis
This form of allergy usually affects middle-aged people and causes the eye to dry. The eyes swell up and become red and there’s constant itching of varying severity.
Vernal Kerato-conjunctivitis
This form of allergy is mostly seen in middle aged people and children and is less frequent. There is a consistent foreign particle sensation in the eye followed by itching. It can be both genetic or caused due to environmental factors.
Atopic Kerato-conjunctivitis
Caused due to a really sensitive immune system of the body, this type of conjunctivitis may affect the eyesight of the person. It is followed by excessive swelling and itching of the eye and mucus secretion.
How to control eye allergies?
Learn more about eye allergies and know how to control it:
Prevention
It is really difficult to identify the right allergen, but if you do, you can easily prevent the eye allergies by simply avoiding them. Allergens can be outdoor (like pollen, grass, weed, etc), indoor (pets, mites, etc), or irritants like cigarettes or perfume.
Follow recommendations
You could keep your windows shut during pollen seasons, wash your hands well, wear sunglass when outdoors or clean your room to keep it dust and mite free.
Non-prescription medication
Tear substitutes can help a lot during eye allergies. Eye drops and oral antihistamines are some of the other ways that help you control eye allergies.
Prescribed medication
There are some prescribed eye drops for anti histamine effects that provide not only immediate but also long term relief.
Immunotherapy
Getting allergy shots can improve your tolerance to allergens and boost your immunity. The effect stays for several months.
Proper diagnosis
Sometimes eye allergies can worsen and an accurate diagnosis becomes important. In these cases, it is suggested that one should go to a doctor for a proper diagnosis of the allergy.
There are other forms of eye allergies which may be caused due to other toxic substances and allergens. Not only is proper medication and diagnosis required, but one also has to maintain personal hygiene to prevent chronic eye allergy symptoms in the future.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
