An allergy is when your body’s immune system becomes hypersensitive to normal materials and reacts like they are a threat. When this happens, substances that are normally harmless, such as pollen, fur or certain foods, trigger the release of histamines. These activate the systems that your body uses to expel unwanted intruders. Those with allergies can experience repeated bouts of sneezing, watery and itchy eyes, pain and swelling. Eye allergies can make you particularly miserable, but help is available.
Dry eye is a different condition to an allergy, but it presents some of the same symptoms. Your opticians in Central London, Orb Optical, can help you distinguish between the two and point you in the direction of treatment. There are several strategies you can adopt to reduce your exposure and reaction to allergens.
Do not…
First, let’s tackle the behaviours you should avoid, to limit your symptoms.
Do not rub your eyes. This is likely to make the problem worse by further irritating the eye. You may need to learn to refocus and relax when the urge is particularly strong.
If your allergy is to pollen, avoid going outside at peak times of day for the pollen count. This is usually when the day is heating up at the start or cooling down at the end.
Avoid contact with pets whenever possible. If you have them, do not let them sleep on your bed. This obviously applies if you are allergic to fur, but they can also carry a lot of pollen around and bring it into your home.
Do…
Explore the medications that are available for eye allergies. Our experienced optometrists can examine your eyes and offer expert advice on treating causes and symptoms. Allergy eye drops come in several different forms and should only be used as recommended by your optician. They are often useful for immediate relief.
You can also talk to us about options when it comes to contact lens related allergy issues. It might be the case that you need to switch to glasses or daily disposable contact lenses if you are experiencing persistent eye related allergy issues.
Visit Orb Optical to have your eye allergy symptoms assessed so you can take appropriate action. You can book an appointment online for a Dry Eye Assessment, or you can call us directly on: 020 7637 4111. Your trusted opticians in Central London are here to guide you through your eye allergies this Spring!
