The Eyes Have It
National Jewish Expert Advises What to Do When Allergies Make Eyes Itchy, Irritated, and Red
When physicians talk about allergies, they often refer to it as seasonal rhinitis, an inflammation of the nasal passages. But for many seasonal allergy sufferers, pollen irritates their eyes as much or more than their nose. These people suffer from allergic conjunctivitis, an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the membrane on the back of the eyelids and front of the eyeballs. Even though people blink an average of 15,000 times a day, pollen still gets in their eyes and and makes allergy sufferers miserable.
As summer approaches, grass pollens replace tree pollens as the dominant allergen in many parts of the country. This means even more eye irritation for many since grass pollens are believed to be more irritating to the eyes. Ragweed pollen, which begins to spread later in the summer, is also quite irritating to the eye.
National Jewish pediatrician Dan Atkins, MD, recommends several steps that people can take to reduce pollen’s irritating effect on their eyes.
Wash your hands . During high allergy season, pollen is everywhere. You get it on your hands opening a car door, running your hands through your hair, or touching other outdoor surfaces. If you rub your eyes with those pollen-coated hands, they will only get more irritated, itchy and red. Washing your hands frequently can reduce the amount of pollen that gets in your eye.
Use saline rinses or artificial tears . These can provide significant relief by removing or diluting the pollen grains in the eye.
Wear sunglasses . Sunglasses can reduce the amount of pollen that gets in the eye by deflecting the wind carrying it toward you.
Close the windows and use the air conditioner . This can reduce pollen floating in the air both in the house and in the car.
Apply cold compresses . A bag of frozen peas or a moist washcloth that has been place briefly in the freezer can reduce both itching and swelling when put on the eyes.
Medications. Several medications can also help people whose eyes bear the brunt of their seasonal allergies. For people with mild symptoms oral antihistamines can prevent irritation of both the eye and the nose. For those with more severe allergic conjunctivitis, physicians can prescribe a number of medications that can be applied directly to the eye. These include topical antihistamines, vasoconstrictors, mast-cell stabilizers, topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, and topical corticosteroids. Patients should consult their own physicians to learn what would work best for them.
Patients should also remember to take these medications continuously throughout the pollen season rather than intermittently because most of them work best if taken before the allergen exposure, rather than after the eyes have already become irritated.
National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, Colorado, is known worldwide for the treatment of patients with respiratory, immune, and allergic disorders and for groundbreaking medical research. For more information about National Jewish, call LungLine at (800) 222-LUNG, or e-mail lungline@njc.org. Or visit www.nationaljewish.org.
