Treating Eye Allergies

Allergy Signs and Symptoms

Symptoms of eye allergies include redness, itching, burning, and watery eyes. Other common signs of allergies may include sneezing, itching, runny nose, coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, and headache from sinus congestion. An allergic reaction occurs when the body treats something that is normally harmless, like pollen, as if it were a harmful to the body like a virus.


Treatment

Avoidance
The easiest treatment for allergies is to try to avoid coming in contact with the substance you are allergic to. For example, if you know you are allergic to cedar pollen, it makes sense to keep the windows in your home closed and use central air conditioning or heat to filter the cedar pollen out of the air. You should also use air filters that are specifically designed for pollen and pet dander. Remember to change your filters out on a regular basis so they continue to work effectively. When riding in or driving your car, make sure to keep the windows rolled up and use the air conditioner.

Over the Counter Medications
There are many over the counter medications (OTC) that you can use to try and relieve your allergy symptoms. Some of these work quite well in the short term, but some may not be used for long periods of time.

Artificial Tears

Artificial tears have two uses in allergy relief. They may be used to flush pollens from the eye and they also are helpful in relieving the dry eye caused by oral antihistamines. Just a few examples include: GenTeal, Optive, Systane, Tears Naturale, Refresh Tears, Thera Tears, Bion Tears, and Refresh Endura.

Decongestants
Decongestants are vasoconstrictors. They are the drops that “Get the red out.” Decongestants work by making the blood vessels in your eye constrict or become smaller in diameter, thereby reducing your redness. They treat your symptoms only, not the underlying cause. In fact, your eyes may become redder, if they are used for more than a few days. This is called rebound redness. Examples include: Visine, Naphcon, Opcon.

Antihistamines
Over the counter antihistamine eye drops are generally only available in combination with a decongestant. If you want an antihistamine eye drop without worrying about the side effects of rebound redness caused by the decongestant, you will need to get a prescription for one of the newer antihistamines. In addition the OTC antihistamines generally need to be used four times a day. This can be inconvenient for contact lens wearers. You should never instill any medication in your eye while wearing contact lenses. You must wait at least 15 minutes after instilling a drop before you insert your contact lenses. The newer antihistamines have a much more convenient dosage schedule, generally just twice a day, once in the morning, before contact lens insertion, and once in the evening, after contact lens removal. The OTC medications do have the advantage of being less expensive for people who don’t have prescription drug coverage. Examples of Antihistamine/Decongestant Combination Drugs include: Naphcon A, Opcon A.

Prescription Medications

When you visit your optometrist he or she has several treatment options available for combating allergens. Sometimes one or more medications may be prescribed to provide you with your optimum treatment regimen.

Mast Cell Stabilizer
Mast cell stabilizers can virtually prevent the outbreak of an allergic reaction. However, it may take several weeks before this type of medication may become effective. A mast cell stabilizer must be prescribed either before a person will be exposed to an allergen or in conjunction with another more quickly acting medication until it can become effective.

Antihistamines
Antihistamines generally provide quick relief for most allergy sufferers. The advantage of prescription antihistamines is the convenient twice a day dosing. Examples of such antihistamines include Patanol, Pataday, Zaditor, and Optivar. These particular antihistamines also have the advantage of having mast cell stabilizing properties.

Corticosteroids
Sometimes it is necessary to prescribe stronger anti-inflammatory medications, such as corticosteroids, especially if there is a large amount of inflammation present. These medications are generally not used for long periods of time since they can, on rare occasions, cause cataracts. In addition, they can cause increased eye pressure in which can lead to glaucoma in susceptible individuals.

Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs
As an alternative to corticosteroids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be prescribed to relieve the swelling and inflammation that may be associated with seasonal allergies. Many of the current NSAIDs on the market are very effective not only in relieving the inflammation associated with allergies, but also the itching.

Suffer No More
If you usually “suffer” from allergies at certain times of the year, there is no reason for you to continue to do so. There clearly are a number of treatment options available that can be tailored to your specific needs. Be sure to let your doctor know what you expect from your treatment also let your doctor know how intense your symptoms are. Is your allergy a first time event or does it occurs at the same time every year? Let your optometrist know if you are taking oral antihistamines. The better the information is that you provide your doctor, the better treatment plan he or she will be able to devise for you.