Allergies can be a tricky thing to manage with just medication. The first line of management is to avoid allergens if at all possible. You will hear me say this time and time again: Prevention is much easier than trying to treat a condition.
First, visit a board-certified allergist and they can help you determine exactly which allergens are the culprit. They will likely do a skin test to do this. At the end of the testing visit, they will be able to give you a list of your allergens and how big of an issue each one is. You will know which allergens are the biggest contributors based on how large your reaction is during the test. The allergist will be able to point you towards some medical treatments as well as avoidance strategies for each allergen.
When reviewing avoidance strategies for the eyes, I usually look at a few big culprits:
- Outdoor activities
- Sleeping/pillows/bedding
Outdoor activities:
No, you don’t have to stay inside on beautiful days! But, we need to take care of our eyes after we come back inside. Your eyes are exposed to all of the pollen/allergens floating around in the air, and the eyes work to automatically rinse these particles out with tears. The longer these allergens stay in your eyes, the more irritated/inflamed the ocular surface can become. This can feel like itching, swelling, redness, blurred vision, or burning. My recommendation is to use artificial tears to help move these allergens along so they are swept off of the surface of the eye quickly.
My second recommendation is to rinse off your hair, face and body as soon as possible after outdoor activity. The longer the allergens/pollen stay on your body, the more the exposure and chance for an allergic reaction.
Specific outdoor activities such as running and cycling can increase the exposure. Wrap sunglasses are good for UV exposure (more on that in another blog), and also for reducing exposure to allergens. Sun goggles are ideal for cycling, as they reduce the wind irritation as well.
Sleeping/pillows/bedding
This depends a little more on your individual allergens, but I’ve decided to add it here anyway. Theoretically, we spent a large portion of our day in our bedroom and in our beds. So we can’t overlook this!
Allergists will often recommend showering at night for the simple reason that the pollen/allergens remain on our skin and in our hair even if we change clothes. Then, we transfer these particles to our pillows and bedding and -you guessed it- we roll our faces in it all night. Ever wonder why your eyes are burning and irritated immediately when you wake up? This is a big factor to take into consideration!
Recommendations:
- Wash your bedding/sheets in HOT water to sanitize and (hopefully) kill dust mites.
- Don’t forget about pets! They’re outside right there with us, and their fur can carry pollen into the room with you…and in your bed.
- Consider using an Allergen Mattress and/or Pillow Protector. These tightly wrap your mattress and pillow, which suffocates dust mites and makes it difficult for pollen to remain in your mattress.
- Air purifier. Close the bedroom door during the day for bonus points.
If you struggle with allergies, there are many over-the-counter eye drops that are quite strong and effective if taken regularly. Many of them work in two ways: immediate relief, and delayed relief after about 30 days of regular daily use.