Allergies or Dry Eyes?

How to tell the difference and what to do about it

Having eyes that are irritated and itchy is rough. Not knowing the cause of the irritation is frustrating and may prolong the issue. Irritation is most commonly caused by dry eyes or allergies. The Eye Center in Columbia put together the signs and symptoms of both and what to do about it.


Allergies
Allergy-driven eye irritation is most commonly caused by pollen in the air and can be the worst in the springtime. Eyes become red and itchy. Eyes tend to water more and rubbing or scratching around the eyes will aggravate the symptoms.

  • Diagnosis: Discuss your symptoms with your doctor. If your eyes are itchy but not burning it is likely allergies are the cause of your dry eye.
  • Treatment: Taking an over-the-counter allergy medication can often do wonders. Sometimes a stronger steroid or mast cell stabilizer is needed depending on the severity of the allergic reaction. Using a cool compress can help alleviate milder symptoms.


Dry Eyes
Dry eye occurs when your eyes don’t produce enough tears or when tears are poor quality. Irritation, redness, and watery eyes are caused by a lack of lubrication. These symptoms are similar to those of allergy-driven eye irritation with one key difference. The primary symptoms of dry eye are burning or stinging sensations and a gritty feeling in the eye.

  • Diagnosis: After discussing your symptoms with your doctor, they may determine you suffer from dry eye. Dry eye occurs more often in women than men often due to changes in hormone levels.
  • Treatment:
    • For most dry eye sufferers, artificial tears do the job to alleviate symptoms.
    • Your doctor may also recommend some nutritional supplements to improve tear production.
    • Making small changes in your environment, like adding a humidifier may also help.
    • If symptoms persist, doctors can also prescribe what is called a punctal plug. This is a noninvasive procedure that helps keep the tears your eyes produce in your eyes longer, helping lubricate the eye.
    • Prescribed medication may also help alleviate the symptoms of dry eye.
Location: Columbia, SC, USA

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