Eye health resource
How to Get Relief from Eye Allergies
Eye allergies can cause itching, redness, watering, and swelling. Learn practical ways to reduce symptoms and when an eye exam is important.
Reviewed for accuracy by Justin Bazan, OD on .
Eye allergies can make the eyes intensely itchy, red, watery, swollen, or irritated. For many people, the most effective relief comes from reducing exposure to the trigger and using the right type of eye drop rather than simply waiting for symptoms to pass.
Cold compresses, lubricating artificial tears, allergen avoidance, and antihistamine/mast-cell-stabilizing eye drops can all be useful depending on the situation. If symptoms are severe, persistent, or do not behave like a typical allergy, an eye exam can help rule out infection, dry eye, contact-lens problems, or inflammation involving the cornea or inside of the eye.
What Does an Eye Allergy Usually Feel Like?
Seasonal or perennial allergic conjunctivitis is the most common form of ocular allergy. Common symptoms include:
- itching, often in both eyes
- redness
- watery or clear discharge
- eyelid swelling
- burning or irritation
Itching is an especially useful clue. Eye pain, significant light sensitivity, or a meaningful change in vision is less typical of simple allergic conjunctivitis and deserves more prompt evaluation.
How Can I Get Relief at Home?
Do Not Rub Your Eyes
Rubbing may feel satisfying for a moment, but it can worsen irritation and swelling. If your eyes itch, use a cool compress instead.
Use a Cold Compress
A clean, cool compress over closed eyelids can reduce itching and swelling. Avoid sharing washcloths or towels with other people if there is any question that your symptoms could be infectious rather than allergic.
Use Lubricating Artificial Tears
Artificial tears can help rinse allergens from the ocular surface and may reduce burning or grittiness. If you need lubricating drops frequently or have significant dry eye as well as allergies, preservative-free tears may be more comfortable.
Reduce Allergen Exposure
Depending on your trigger, helpful strategies can include keeping windows closed during high-pollen periods, washing your face and hands after being outdoors, changing pillowcases regularly, using appropriate air filtration, and avoiding direct contact with known allergens.
Consider an Allergy Eye Drop
Over-the-counter and prescription eye drops are available that block histamine and/or stabilize the cells involved in the allergic response. The best choice depends on your symptoms, other eye conditions, medications, and whether you wear contact lenses.
Redness-relief drops that mainly constrict blood vessels are different from modern allergy drops and are not the best long-term strategy for recurring allergic conjunctivitis.
What About Contact Lenses?
Allergy symptoms can make contact-lens wear less comfortable. If your eyes are significantly itchy, red, or irritated, it is often wise to remove the lenses and use glasses until the eyes are comfortable again.
Recurring symptoms in a contact-lens wearer can also be caused by lens deposits, fit, solution sensitivity, dry eye, or giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC). GPC is an inflammatory condition involving the inner upper eyelid and is often associated with contact lenses or other mechanical irritation; it is not simply another version of ordinary seasonal allergy.
If contact lenses become uncomfortable every allergy season, a contact lens evaluation can help determine whether a different material, replacement schedule, or lens design would be more comfortable.
More Severe Forms of Ocular Allergy
Vernal keratoconjunctivitis and atopic keratoconjunctivitis are more serious inflammatory eye conditions than routine seasonal allergic conjunctivitis. They can involve the cornea and may threaten vision if not properly managed.
These conditions can require prescription treatment and ongoing monitoring. Topical steroid eye drops are sometimes used for significant ocular inflammation, but they should be prescribed and monitored by an eye-care professional because inappropriate or prolonged steroid use can cause important complications, including increased eye pressure and cataract formation.
When Is It Probably Not “Just Allergies”?
Arrange prompt eye care if redness or irritation is accompanied by:
- moderate or severe eye pain
- substantial light sensitivity
- a new or persistent reduction in vision
- significant discharge or eyelids repeatedly stuck shut
- an eye injury or foreign-body concern
- symptoms that are markedly worse in one eye
- contact-lens wear with pain, increasing redness, or light sensitivity
Those findings can occur with keratitis, uveitis, infection, corneal injury, or other conditions that need a different treatment approach.
How Park Slope Eye Can Help
Park Slope Eye evaluates eye allergies as part of medical eye care. The visit can help distinguish allergy from dry eye, infection, eyelid disease, or a contact-lens problem and determine whether over-the-counter care or prescription treatment makes sense.
Book an appointment if recurring eye allergies are making it difficult to stay comfortable.
Originally published . Substantially updated .