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Eye allergy
Allergy sufferers know this all too well: Their eyes suddenly swell up, start to itch and appear bright red on looking in the mirror. Eye drops are then usually the remedy of choice to quickly get the symptoms under control. Learn more here about the causes and symptoms of an eye allergy.
What causes an eye allergy?
An allergy usually results from a stimulus that causes the immune system to overreact. This stimulus is also called an allergen. These can be pollen, house dust mite excrements or animal hair, which also cause problems for allergy sufferers in closed rooms, as well as certain foods. The substance, which is harmless in itself, is mistakenly recognised by the body's defence system as harmful on first coming into contact with it. As soon as there is a renewed encounter, the organism launches all its defences. As the mucous membranes of the eyes are very sensitive, discomfort often develops in the eyes in addition to the typical hay fever symptoms, such as frequent sneezing and a runny nose. The body defends itself against the intruders with increased tearing.
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What are the symptoms of an eye allergy?
The symptoms of an eye allergy usually occur to the same extent in both eyes. This is an important feature for distinguishing allergy-related eye irritations from other diseases. The typical symptoms of an eye allergy are:
- reddened eyes
- severe itching of the eyes
- swollen eyes
- irritated eyes
- watery eyes
- sticky eyelashes
- sensitivity to light
Usually, the symptoms occur directly after contact with the triggering allergen. People with a pollen allergy suffer particularly badly when they are outdoors, for example. If they have a cat hair allergy, on the other hand, their eyes begin to itch in rooms where a cat is present.
What is allergic conjunctivitis?
Allergic conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva caused by allergens. The Latin medical term for the mucous membrane-like layer of tissue that connects the eyelid to the eyeball is conjunctiva. When pollen, dust or animal hair irritate the conjunctiva to such an extent that it reddens and the eye swells, inflammation occurs.
Allergic eye diseases are classified into various forms:
- seasonal allergic conjunctivitis: This usually occurs only at certain times of the year, such as spring or summer.
- perennial allergic conjunctivitis: This causes discomfort of the eyes all year round and is usually caused by dust or animal hair.
- vernal keratoconjunctivitis: This is a chronic form of conjunctivitis commonly occurring in children under the age of 15 years.
- atopic keratoconjunctivitis: This follows a similar course to vernal keratoconjunctivitis but usually occurs in teenagers and adults.
If the eyes are no longer exposed to the irritants, the symptoms usually improve by themselves. After consultation with the doctor, eye drops or eye ointments can relieve the symptoms during the pollen season or longer stays in rooms with a lot of dust or animal hair.
How can I treat an eye allergy?
Before treating an allergy yourself, you should consult an eye specialist. This is because the appropriate treatment method depends on which allergen is responsible for the symptoms. The severity of the symptoms also plays a role. While mild symptoms usually get better by avoiding the allergen, severe symptoms may require treatment with cortisone.
In general, there are the following treatment options for an eye allergy:
- Eye drops, eye gels and eye ointments can be used to relieve mild discomfort.
- For more severe symptoms, medication is indicated for the treatment of allergies, so-called anti-allergic agents or antihistamines, which are administered as tablets or eye drops.
- If the allergy symptoms severely restrict everyday life, hyposensitisation is worth a try. Here, the immune system is deliberately exposed to the allergen in increasing doses until it no longer overreacts to it.
However, the underlying principle of every treatment method is that contact with allergenic stimuli is avoided. During the pollen season, windows should be kept closed, contact with cats should be restricted, and if you are allergic to dust mites, increased cleanliness in the home is advised to keep floors and furniture free of dust.