Tips to soothe your eyes during allergy season
The American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology has estimated that almost 50 million people in the United States suffer from seasonal allergies. With spring coming around the corner, we thought it would be helpful to tackle this subject and give you some valuable tips!
How Can Seasonal Allergies Affect Our Eyes?
Our eyes are surprisingly sensitive to airborne allergens like pollen. Common symptoms are:
- Swelling/inflammation
- Itchiness
- Redness
- Tearing up
Allergies, despite being very uncomfortable, usually will not cause any lasting harm to our eyes. Although, corneal scratching and infection can occur when dry eyes are frequent rubbed and itched.
Here Are Some Tips For A Better Allergy Season
Fortunately, allergies can be manageable. Outside of finding a medication that works for you, or taking measures to avoid your trigger allergens, there are a few more tips we have:
- Eat foods with natural antihistamine properties. This includes those high in Vitamin C, quercetin, and omega 3 fatty acids.
- Use eye drops to wash out allergens when your eyes feel inflamed. Gently cleaning our eyes can reduce the allergic reaction significantly. On top of this, clean your hands, face, and clothing frequently to remove the irritants from your surroundings.
- Apply cold therapy to your eyes to reduce swelling and inflammation.
- Take out your contact lenses when eye inflammation gets bad. Allergens and irritants can get caught between the surface of your eye and contact lenses, furthering irritation.
- Change the air filters in your car, home, and office to ensure that your air is not contaminated.
Are allergies bothering your eyes? We’re happy to help!
Give our office a call or submit the contact form on our website and we can help you find treatment options to manage your symptoms.
