Six Easy Ways to Protect Your Eyes from Seasonal Allergies

Dry, Itchy Eyes? Fight Back Against Pollen, Dust and Other Allergens

After a long and cold winter, spring is always a welcome sight. Unless, of course, you are a seasonal allergy sufferer. What’s beautiful for everyone else is just itchy eyes and congestion for you.

So, what gives? Both eye and skin allergies happen as the result of your body’s immune system detecting allergens, such as pollen, as a threat. Of course, pollen isn’t actually dangerous, but your body doesn’t know the difference and releases histamines that make your eyes and skin sensitive and itchy.

Your allergies are especially awful during spring months because trees, grasses, and weeds release pollen into the air to fertilize other plants. Even after the pollen has faded from the air, allergens like pet dander, dust, dirt, and cigarette smoke can cause similar allergic reactions.

While they may seem impossible to avoid, there are some simple steps you can take to help combat pesky allergens. Follow these six easy steps to keep your allergies under control this spring:

1. Protect your home: During high pollen seasons, keep your windows closed and your air filters in your home and car clean.
2. Protect yourself: Wear glasses, sunglasses, or goggles outside to keep allergens out of your eyes.
3. Tear up: Use artificial tears to keep your eyes moist and less vulnerable to pollen and other allergens. Oh, and be careful when using eye drops with tetrahydrozoline – these drops are decongestants and work by constricting the blood vessels in the eye. They can help with redness, but they don’t quite solve the problem and can even make it worse.
4. Wash up: Thoroughly wash your hands after touching any animal, plant, or tree.

Also, make sure to wash your bed linens to prevent dust mites.

1. Discourage humidity: If you live in a humid climate, a dehumidifier can make your home less hospitable to mold and bacteria.
2. Care for your contacts: Allergens can also easily get trapped under contacts and cause eye irritation. Make sure to properly clean your contacts according to the care instructions on the packaging. Daily contacts are also a great solution for allergy sufferers because they cut down on residual contaminants.

Seasonal allergies are the worst. Hopefully, these tips will keep you allergy-free through spring and beyond! And, of course, If your allergy symptoms persist or get worse, visit the eye doctor.