Complications Of Allergic Conjunctivitis
While they may cause discomfort in daily life, most cases of seasonal and perennial allergic conjunctivitis clear up completely, and complications are rare.
However, in severe cases of contact conjunctivitis and giant papillary conjunctivitis, a person may develop inflammation, ulcers and scarring on the cornea, the front of their eye. This is called keratitis and requires urgent medical treatment to prevent long-term damage to vision.
Severe cases of vernal keratoconjunctivitis and atopic keratoconjunctivitis can also cause long-term damage to the eyes if left untreated.
Treatment For These Types
- Environmental controls for environmental allergens at home, school, or in the work environment identified as triggering symptoms.
- When environmental allergen controls prove inadequate in the management of symptoms, the following medications may help:
- Topical antihistamines, decongestants and mast cell stabilizers or dual acting mast cell stabilizers and antihistamines are helpful, but they may take some time for optimal effect.
- In severe cases, a burst of oral corticosteroids or frequent application of topical corticosteroids is needed to relieve unbearable symptoms. Prolonged use of corticosteroids should be avoided because of their association with the complication of glaucoma and/or cataracts.
- Topical cyclosporine A may be useful in severe cases.
- Complication of corneal ulceration may require a combination of antibiotics, corticosteroid ointment and a gauze pressure dressing over the eye.
- Immunotherapy should be considered to lower your sensitivity to known allergens.
Diagnosis Of Allergic Conjunctivitis
When symptoms are mild, a diagnosis of allergic conjunctivitis can often be made without seeing a doctor, and the condition can be treated at home. However, if there is any uncertainty or concern over the eye condition or the symptoms are severe, seeing a doctor is very important.
A doctor will take the personâs medical history and ask whether they have any allergies. They will examine the eyes and assess the signs and symptoms present, taking care to rule out acute viral conjunctivitis, bacterial conjunctivitis, dry eye syndrome and other more serious eye conditions, such as uveitis and keratitis.
In most cases, it will not be necessary to perform any special tests. However, in some cases a doctor will order allergy tests, e.g. skin patch tests, to identify allergens and confirm the diagnosis.
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Why Is My Eyelid Swollen And Drooping
Your eyelid may be swollen because of an infection or blockage of an oil-secreting gland. This condition is called a chalazion. It usually looks like a red pimple-like area along the top or bottom of the eyelid. You may also have a more dangerous diagnosis, called orbital cellulitis, which can occur when an infection of the eye migrates into the eye socket. Pain, eyelid discoloration, and swelling along with fever, the eye bulging out or protruding, and difficulty moving the eye are common with this type of infection.
Symptoms Of Eye Allergies
Young children may not be able to tell you about their symptoms, but their behavior may suggest that they are experiencing an allergic reaction. For example, they will rub their eyes or cry.
Even if your child cannot tell you what is wrong, many of the symptoms of eye allergies are easy to spot.
Common symptoms of eye allergies in kids include:
- Redness around the eye and in the eyeball
- Itchiness or burning that may cause the child to rub their eyes
- Watery eyes
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How Do I Tell The Difference Between Eye Allergies And Pink Eye In My Child
Eye allergies generally do not produce the pus and crusts that are the primary symptoms of pink eye . Eye allergies usually affect both eyes at the same time, whereas conjunctivitis often starts in one eye before moving to the other.
If your child has allergies, symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, or stuffiness may also be present.
If you’re in doubt, reach out to your child’s doctor. While allergies can usually be managed at home, conjunctivitis is very contagious and needs to be treated by a healthcare provider.
Conceal Eye Circles Carefully
If you are self-conscious about the appearance of dark circles, you can minimize their appearance with concealer. If the circles are blue, choose a concealer with a yellowish tinge to best hide the problem. If the circles are more brown, choose a concealer with an orange or peach tinge to mask the problem. Use no to minimal eye makeup as makeup may make symptoms worse. The less you put on your eyelids and around your eyes, the better. Instead, accentuate another feature, like your mouth. Put on a flattering shade of lipstick and you’re good to go.
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Care Advice For Eye Allergy
Treatment Depends On Severity And Cause Of Symptoms
Identifying and removing the cause of allergic conjunctivitis, where possible, is ideal when an allergic cause has been confirmed from allergy testing. For example:
- House dust mite minimisation measures in the bedroom .
- Removing the cat from the house in sensitive individuals.
It is also important to exclude the presence of a foreign body such as dust, wood chip or an insect/s.
Symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis are generally mild to moderate and respond to bathing eyes with cold water, ice packs and cold water compresses. Topical lubricants can also help flush allergens from the tear film. However, symptoms can sometimes be extremely severe and debilitating and require medication. Treatment options include:
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When To See A Doctor For A Swollen Eyelid
You should schedule an appointment for the following.
- Swelling that does not go away on its own within about 24 hours
- Swelling that is accompanied by blurred vision, partial loss of vision: Or the feeling that something is inside the eye
- Swelling along with red, itchy, watery eyes that have a sticky discharge
- Swelling with dry, inflamed eyes: Especially if it tends to be worse after you wake up from sleep
Allergies And Your Eyes
Spring flowers are usually a welcome sight. But red, itchy eyes can keep you from enjoying the beauty of any season. Many people get a condition called allergic conjunctivitis, that can happen with the familiar sniffling and sneezing of seasonal allergies or on its own.
Allergic conjunctivitis is triggered when airborne allergens irritate the thin membrane lining your eyelids and the whites of your eyes. This membrane is called the conjunctiva. Symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis include:
- Red, itching, burning or watery eyes
- Swollen eyelids
- Sensitivity to light
Symptoms can be mild or severe. They usually happen in both eyes, but one eye might feel worse.
Allergic conjunctivitis can be seasonal or year-round, depending on whether the allergen is present all the time. Tree, grass and weed pollens are common seasonal triggers. In the Northwest, tree pollen is highest from mid-February to late April. Grass pollens are high from May to mid-September, while weed pollens peak between May and mid-October.
Year-round allergens tend to be indoor dust, animal dander, and mold. Other triggers for allergic conjunctivitis include smoke and perfume. If youre allergic to certain foods, conjunctivitis could be part of your reaction.
Getting Help for Allergic Conjunctivitis
It might seem like rubbing your eyes will erase the itch, but dont be tempted. It can actually make things worse. Instead, you can:
For seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, limit pollen exposure by:
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Causes Of Allergic Conjunctivitis
A personâs immune system may be sensitive and react to certain substances such as pollen or molds. These are called allergens and, if they enter the eye, allergic conjunctivitis can result.
The most common causes of allergic conjunctivitis are the following types of allergens:
- Pollens, including grass, tree and other plant pollens
- Molds
- Dust mites
- Animal dander, e.g. pet fur
Less common causes of allergic reactions include contact lenses, makeup, eye drops and other substances used in or near the eyes.
How Is Allergic Conjunctivitis Treated
Oftentimes with allergy symptoms, the best course of action is to simply avoid whatever triggers an allergic reactionfor instance, if you’re allergic to cats and you know your friend has a cat, suggest a meeting place outside their home so you don’t risk having an allergic reaction to their pet. The same goes for allergic conjunctivitis, Kanwaljit Brar, MD, an allergist at NYU Langone, tells Health. “The best approach is to be preventative,” Dr. Brar explains.
Experts advise making an appointment with an allergist if you find that you frequently suffer from allergic conjunctivitisif your eyelids start swelling and your eyes start watering at seemingly random timesand you have no clue what your allergen is. “If you see an allergist, you can identify what you’re allergic to we can predict when patients’ symptoms will ,” says Dr. Brar.
From there, an allergist can help you make simple lifestyle changes that eliminate allergic conjunctivitis and other allergy-related issues, says Dr. Hajee. So if your allergist tests you and determines that pollen is likely what’s triggering your symptoms, they can advise you to stay inside during certain times of the day when the pollen count in your region is highest, says Dr. Brar. By tweaking your routine by, say, going on your outdoor run at a different time when the pollen count is typically lower, your symptoms might lessen without the use of medication.
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A Longer List Of Symptoms For Eye Infections
Red, itchy watery eyes and a burning sensation are common symptoms of eye allergies and infections. However, the latter has a longer list of symptoms, which include pain, a gritty feeling in the eyes, sensitivity to light, a thick discharge and a mucus-like discharge . In general, if you experience pain in your eyes or theres anything other than tears thats being discharged for them, theres a strong chance your eyes might be infected. If you experience any of these symptoms, see your eye doctor as soon as possible.
Viral eye infections usually clear up on their own, although cold compresses and lubricating eye drops can help you manage symptoms. However, for bacterial eye infections, youll need to get a prescription.
Diagnosing Eye Allergies When Do I Need A Doctor
Your health care provider will perform a physical examination and ask questions to determine whether you have an allergy, and if so, what may be causing it. Providing a good description of your symptoms and when and where they begin will help your doctor make the correct diagnosis.
Because eye symptoms can occur with a variety of illnesses, your doctor will need to consider whether you may have another eye disorder, an infection, or other allergy .
Some eye conditions that may be mistaken for eye allergies are infective conjunctivitis, acute glaucoma, keratitis, and iritis. Even after a thorough clinical evaluation and review of your medical history, a referral to an ophthalmologist may be necessary for a definitive diagnosis.
Your doctor may recommend allergy testing to confirm that your eye symptoms are in fact caused by an allergen. Allergy testing is done by an allergist, and most commonly involves skin testing. You may be given a prick test, in which a small amount of the suspected allergen is placed on the skin via a needle.
A positive prick test will reveal swelling and redness of the skin. Other types of skin tests include patch testing and intradermal testing.
You may also undergo blood testing to measure the levels of IgE antibodies in your blood. In some instances, an elimination test is done. You simply avoid certain items to see if your symptoms resolve. This type of testing is often used to check for food or medication allergies.
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How Do I Get Conjunctivitis
Kids get conjunctivitis for different reasons. Most kids get it from bacteria or viruses. This is called infectious conjunctivitis. Bacteria can be seen only with a powerful microscope, and viruses are even smaller than bacteria! Bacteria live on your skin or in your nose or mouth all the time and you never know it. Most don’t ever bother you, but certain kinds of bacteria can cause infections like conjunctivitis.
Sometimes kids get ear infections when they have conjunctivitis because the same bacteria can cause both problems.
Viruses, like the kind that can give you a cold, can cause conjunctivitis, too. Conjunctivitis is easy to catch just through touching. You can get conjunctivitis by touching the hand of an infected friend who has touched his or her eyes. If you then touch your eyes, the infection can be spread to you. Washing your hands often with warm, soapy water is the best way to avoid being infected with conjunctivitis.
Kids also get conjunctivitis because of allergies or because they get something irritating in their eyes, but these kinds of conjunctivitis are not contagious.
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Can I Get An Allergic Reaction In Just One Eye
First and foremost, allergic reactions caused by lash extensions are extremely rare.
It is important to understand the difference between an allergy and an irritation. The most common symptoms of a reaction are swollen eyes/eyelids, redness of the cornea and discomfort or itchiness around the eye area. These symptoms will most likely occur within 48 hours post-application and typically wont subside over time.
Clients who experience a reaction could be allergic to cyanoacrylate, a base ingredient utilised in many lash extension adhesives. Therefore, if a client is experiencing an allergic reaction to this ingredient, a full removal is necessary, to prevent any further complications. Furthermore, a client can show little to no symptoms for months whilst wearing lash extensions, before the allergen affects them.
Moreover, at The Lash Spa we take certain measures to ensure ease of application and minimise the risks of a reaction/irritation. These measures include operating within a well-ventilated room, utilising medical tape and an appropriate amount of 0.5-second glue to minimise fumes and increase the curing time.
We also always explain aftercare with our new and regular clients.
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When Do You Need To See A Doctor
While there’s a good chance that your symptoms will clear up once you remove whatever’s causing them, you shouldn’t hesitate to seek medical help if certain concerning symptoms arise, experts warn.
If your eyeball, rather than your eyelid, is swollen, you should head to a doctor’s office immediately, Dr. Hajee says. Additionally, if your eyeball is in any pain, or if any area around the eye is in severe pain, that should prompt a visit to the doctor’s office, too.
MedlinePlus adds that other symptomslike if your vision is affected or you have a severe headachealso warrant emergency medical treatment.
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Home Remedies For Allergic Conjunctivitis
The following home remedies and over-the-counter treatments may help to relieve the discomfort caused by conjunctivitis:
- Taking steps to minimize contact with the allergen
- Applying lubricating eye drops, called artificial tears to the eye these are available without a prescription
- Applying a cold compress to the eye, i.e. a clean cloth that has been soaked in water
- Avoiding rubbing the eyes
- Avoiding the use of contact lenses until the conjunctivitis has cleared
- Avoiding the use of eye makeup until the conjunctivitis has cleared
A person with perennial allergic conjunctivitis may wish to consult an allergy specialist to identify the cause of their allergic condition and devise an approach to minimize exposure.
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We Know You Want To Rub Your Eyes
Dr. Sharma always reminds his patients to NOT rub their eyes, even though it may be very tempting. This just makes things worse. He also recommends cold compresses for fast relief. Lastly, put your antihistamine drops and artificial tears in the fridge, this keeps them cool and extra soothing for when its time to use them.
If you have more questions about allergies book an appointment with Dr. Sharma. Appointments can be made by giving us a or easily booking online!
We love helping our patients see comfortably!
