Although they are called seasonal allergies, it seems as if we suffer with them almost year round in the Tidewater area. Allergies can lead to a plethora of symptoms; especially with the eyes.
The pollen and allergens land on the front surface of the eye and lead to a lot of irritation, discomfort, itchiness, and watering that can effect your day to day life. I have many patients new to the area who come completely overwhelmed with eye allergies. I also see lifelong locals that still struggle with problems and don’t think there is a solution.
There are multiple ways to tackle eye allergies. At Gilbert Eyecare, we take advantage of all these options when applicable. We’ve found many patients who have a history of being contact lens intolerant have benefitted from the treatment of eye allergies. Resolving the signs and symptoms of allergies can allow you to go back in to contact lenses comfortably again.
During the eye allergy evaluation, we will also rule out other underlying conditions that can exacerbate allergies, like dry eye syndrome. We look for dryness with our microscopic examination as well as tear film osmolarity measurements taken with our new TearLab instrument. The TearLab is cutting edge technology that helps quantify eye dryness in patients.
Sometimes how we treat allergies can be a factor. For example, did you know oral antihistamine medications (like Benadryl) can actually lead to your eyes drying out, which can be an additive factor to worsen the already irritated eyes?
Come in for an evaluation where we will listen to your symptoms, assess your severity by exam findings and additional tests, and then come up with an individualized plan of action that will help your eye comfort.
