Allergies can wreak havoc on your eyes, making them red, itchy, and watery. Fortunately, you don’t have to live with unpleasant allergy symptoms. Simple solutions are within reach at Eyecare Professionals in Mandan, Hazen, and Washburn, North Dakota. The experienced optometrists offer allergy detection and noninvasive treatments to give you relief. Call Eyecare Professionals to learn more or to schedule an appointment online today.
Eye allergies are common and occur when your eyes react to certain irritants. As a result, cells in your eyes produce histamine to fight off the allergens and, as a result, unpleasant symptoms can develop. Unlike eye infections, eye allergy symptoms don’t spread from person to person.
If you have allergies you might experience one or more of the following signs or symptoms:
These and other symptoms of allergies can make your eyes feel uncomfortable or cause you to feel self-conscious.
The cause of eye allergies varies from person to person, as what you’re allergic to is highly individualized. Common eye allergens include:
If you have a pollen allergy, ragweed, trees, or grasses might trigger symptoms. You may also experience eye allergy reactions from preservative chemicals in some eye drops, certain foods, or insect stings.
During an eye allergy appointment at Eyecare Professionals, your optometrist reviews your medical history and completes a routine eye exam.
This usually includes vision screening, an assessment of eye movement and focus, and an eye health evaluation to look for signs of allergies or eye diseases.
Your practitioner conducts specific tests to rule out or diagnose medical conditions responsible for your symptoms.
The Eyecare Professionals team lets you know if allergies are the culprit and discusses allergy treatment options that best match your needs.
Your optometrist may offer you preservative-free eye drops to relieve symptoms and restore your quality of life. Other solutions that help reduce your risk of eye allergy symptoms include taking oral allergy medications and avoiding substances you’re allergic to.
Your optometrist may refer you to an allergist, who conducts specific tests to determine which allergens are responsible for your symptoms.
Don’t live with red, itchy, watery eyes when simple treatment options are available at Eyecare Professionals. Schedule an appointment by phone or online today.