While dry eye disease is generally a progressive obstructive disease that will not go away on its own, many people suffer from dry eyes and dry eye symptoms who do not have dry eye disease. Most commonly, dry eye can occur as a result of an ocular allergy.
What Is an Ocular Allergy?
Also referred to as allergic conjunctivitis an ocular allergy is an allergic reaction that irritates the delicate membrane that covers the eye, called the conjunctiva. It is caused by the body producing histamines that causes eyes to water, itch, or become red and swollen. Sometimes, the eyes feel dry and itchy. Most commonly, eye allergies are caused by substances like pet dander, pollen, or dust mites.
Treating Dry Eye Caused by Allergies
While over the counter allergy pills can often take care of sneezes and sniffles, they don’t do much for dry eyes. Drops may help. Other remedies include lifestyle changes to avoid the allergen and using a cool cloth for immediate relief.
Dry Eye Can Impact Your Vision
Failing to treat dry eye conditions can impact your quality of life. Dry eye makes your eyes more prone to developing eye infections, as your tears protect the surface of your eyes. Everyday activities such as reading become difficult. And you can damage the surface of your eyes, as severe dry eye can lead to corneal abrasions and corneal ulcers.
What Do I Do If I Think I Have Dry Eye Caused by Ocular Allergies?
The best thing that you can do for dry eyes is to see your eye doctor. The Wilkinson Eye Center Dry Eye Clinic has many tools to evaluate the status of the function and structure of the glands to determine the nature and best dry eye treatment plan for you. We offer screening with LipiScan, a sophisticated imaging device that enables us to observe and track the structure of the Meibomian glands.
Dry eyes can be treated successfully. We invite you to schedule a comprehensive consultation and examination at our office in Pontiac, MI or Clarkston, MI. Contact us at (248) 334-4931 or fill out a Contact Form here.
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