Treatment Options When Seasonal Allergies Get To Your Eyes

Everyone experiences seasonal allergies a little differently. Some people sneeze a lot when they come into contact with pollen. Other people feel their throats get scratchy, and still, others find that their eyes get red and itchy. If you are one of those people whose eyes react horribly to allergens, then you need to know how to treat this problem. Take a look at a few options.

Washing Your Eyes

If you are able to rinse the pollen granules out of your eyes, you will nip your allergy symptoms in the bud. Of course, you don't want to use water to wash your eyes, as water itself is irritating and can actually make your eyes feel dryer. Instead, use a saline solution or artificial tears. Lean over the sink, and squeeze plenty of the solution into your eyes. Let it run right out; keep going for five or ten seconds. The pollen should rinse out with the saline or artificial tears, and within a few minutes, you should feel better.

Antihistamine Eye Drops

Another treatment option, and one that you can easily combine with eyewashes, is antihistamine eye drops. Your eye doctor may prescribe these to you, but there are also weaker formulas available over-the-counter that work well for patients with milder allergies. Antihistamines work by counteracting histamines, which are the hormones your body secretes in response to exposure to the allergens. By blocking the action of histamines, these eye drops keep your eyes from getting red, itchy, and irritated. You can use these eye drops every four to six hours, typically. If you do eyewashes, too, you should use the antihistamine drops after the wash.

Oral Antihistamines

If you are not getting enough relief from antihistamine eye drops, your doctor may instead recommend taking an oral antihistamine, such as loratadine or fexofenadine. These medications will also counteract other allergy symptoms, like sneezing and wheezing, making them good choices for patients with multiple seasonal allergy symptoms. Many of these medications last for 24 hours. Newer formulations do not make you drowsy like older antihistamines, so they are safe to use in the daytime, even if you need to be alert at work.

Do not ignore itchy, red eyes that result from allergies. If you do not do something to treat the allergies, you may develop corneal ulcers or an infection as a result of the ongoing irritation. Your eye doctor can help you decide whether eyewashes, antihistamine eye drops, or oral antihistamines are the best solution for you. To learn more information about treating seasonal allergies, reach out to a company such as Southern  Colorado Eye Care Associates.