Allergies
Many of those who suffer from allergies (ie symptoms of runny nose, sneezing, itchiness) tend to have eye allergies (itchy eyes, sometimes red and tearing) too. The primary symptom of eye allergies is generally itchy eyes. It is usually caused by pollen, mold, dust and pet dander.
The following are treatment for eye allergies:
-Avoidance (ie stay indoor away from pollen)
-Cool compresses (cool washcloth held against closed eye for 5 min x3 daily)
-Contact lens wearers changing to daily disposable wear
-Medication eyedrops (antihistamine/mast cell stabilizer). Most are over-the-counter, but some newer drops are prescription and tend to work a little better.
-Dry Eye Treatment (those that have eye allergies tend to have secondary dry eyes also)
*Try to stay away from "take the red out drops" or vasoconstrictors, which constrict the blood vessels in your eyes. These eyedrops lessen the apparent redness, however, they treat the symptom, not the cause. In fact, with extended use, you can get rebound hyperemia (redness), and the result is that your red eyes worsen over time. Using it occasionally or now and then is generally ok, but the best treatment involves treating the cause.
Many of those who suffer from allergies (ie symptoms of runny nose, sneezing, itchiness) tend to have eye allergies (itchy eyes, sometimes red and tearing) too. The primary symptom of eye allergies is generally itchy eyes. It is usually caused by pollen, mold, dust and pet dander.
The following are treatment for eye allergies:
-Avoidance (ie stay indoor away from pollen)
-Cool compresses (cool washcloth held against closed eye for 5 min x3 daily)
-Contact lens wearers changing to daily disposable wear
-Medication eyedrops (antihistamine/mast cell stabilizer). Most are over-the-counter, but some newer drops are prescription and tend to work a little better.
-Dry Eye Treatment (those that have eye allergies tend to have secondary dry eyes also)
*Try to stay away from "take the red out drops" or vasoconstrictors, which constrict the blood vessels in your eyes. These eyedrops lessen the apparent redness, however, they treat the symptom, not the cause. In fact, with extended use, you can get rebound hyperemia (redness), and the result is that your red eyes worsen over time. Using it occasionally or now and then is generally ok, but the best treatment involves treating the cause.