What comes to mind as you think of allergies? Sneezing, trouble breathing, or red and watery eyes. However, allergies can have different triggers and symptoms.
Allergic conjunctivitis is an eye allergy that may create vision problems. It may cause redness, dryness, itching, and watery eyes. You may also experience blurred vision.
If you have never had any allergy, experiencing such symptoms all of a sudden could be perplexing. An experienced eye specialist can help, but if you are aware of the signs of eye allergies, it could help save your time that you may otherwise spend rubbing your eyes and trying to figure out what has gone wrong!
Causes of Eye Allergies
Different people may experience different allergic symptoms, which depend on what triggers an individual. However, the root cause is fundamentally the same. In simple words, an allergy is your body’s oversensitivity to some substance which is generally harmless for most people. We call this substance an allergen.
A person could have any number of allergens. Talking specifically about allergic conjunctivitis, it occurs when something enters your eye and triggers a response.
Common eye allergens include:
- Dust mites
- Perfume
- Cigarette smoke
- Pet dander
- Pollen from grass, trees, and weeds
- Diesel exhaust
- Paint and spirit fumes
- Mould
- Contact lenses
While most of these allergens are present in the environment all year round, they have a more pronounced effect during spring and early summer. When high-velocity winds start blowing, you know it’s allergy season once again!
What are the Symptoms of Eye Allergy?
Eye allergies may seem harmless but they can be a menace. They can affect your vision in diverse ways. Another confusing aspect is that they typically have similar symptoms as some other eye ailments. That makes it vital to get your eyes checked by a trusted eye specialist.
Signs of eye allergies include:
- Redness in eyes
- Itchy eyes
- Excessive watering
- Burning
- Formation of mucus in eyes
- Dryness in eyes
- Dark under-eye circles
- Blurred vision
- Swollen eyelids
- Light sensitivity
Eye Allergies & Blurry Vision
It may be hard to believe, but one of the ways allergies can affect your eyes is by making it difficult to see. When an allergen gets into your eye, your body’s reaction is to release histamines.
Histamines are associated with several vital body functions. To exemplify, they regulate your sleep-wake cycle and cognitive function. However, when an allergic reaction triggers their release, they give rise to irritating or even hazardous symptoms.
It is histamines that cause inflammation, swelling of blood vessels in eyes, and swollen eyelids. This swelling exerts pressure on your eyes, resulting in blurred vision.
Using contact lenses may also cause eye allergy. This contact lenses induced allergy is – giant papillary conjunctivitis. It could cause blurry vision, reducing the effectiveness of your contact lenses at correcting vision.
Another factor that impacts your vision is your eyes’ attempt to flush out the allergens. To do so, eyes produce more tears. Although it may initially give some relief, it could affect visibility. How could you see comfortably through water?
Additionally, allergies may also result in mucus in eyes. This string-like substance makes your eyelids stick together, again making it hard to peep through.
Eye Allergies and Dry Eyes
An allergic reaction triggers the release of histamines, which leads to inflammation. This inflammation may block tear producing glands. Yet, your eyes may seem to be excessively watery. Sounds contradictory. Doesn’t it?
However, healthy tears are made up of proteins, which promotes stability. But the allergy results in tears that evaporate so quickly that they are unable to provide adequate hydration to your eyes. The result is dry eyes!
Another factor is that you often use antihistamines to cure eye allergy. They do help treat sneezing and rashes. But at the same time, they could affect tear production. This reduction in tears may not be noticeable but if you suffer from untreated dry eye problem, allergy relief could itself cause irritation.
Moreover, rubbing or scratching eyes could lead to worsening of symptoms. It may even damage the front part of your eye, i.e., cornea.
To get relief from dry eyes and eye allergies, you may use artificial tears. They will keep your eyes hydrated. Apart from that, you could consult your eye doctor for an alternative treatment.
Relief from Eye Allergies
While you may seek medical guidance and treatment to cure eye allergies, the best strategy would be prevention. It would help you avoid allergy-related vision problems.
Here is what you can do to stay safe from airborne allergens:
- Wash your hands before touching your eyes
- Be extra careful with pets
- Wear sunglasses when outside
- For protection from pollen, keep windows closed during allergy season
- Keep your house and workplace clean to safeguard yourself from dust mites
- To keep mould away, be particular not to let your living place turn humid or damp
If allergies are the reason behind your dry eyes or blurred vision, you should be fine once the allergic reaction is over.
However, if that does not happen and symptoms persist, it could be a pointer to some more serious eye issue. In that case, we advise you to see an eye specialist immediately.
If you live in North India, and are looking for a trusted eye specialist, Sohana Eye Hospital would be a great choice. Serving people in the region for more than 25 years now, the hospital boasts world-class treatment, distinguished ophthalmologists, and caring staff.
It is a one-stop shop for all your eye care needs. Be it something as simple as an eye allergy or a serious problem such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, or age-related macular degeneration, the hospital has the most advanced treatments for all eye issues.
To have a sound vision for a bright future, ensure you have a fine vision today!
