Allergies


Allergies and Your Eyes

At Pearland Eye Care in Houston, our optometrists know that your vision affects your work, recreation, communication with family and friends, and just about every aspect of your life. Many people suffer from some form of allergies which comes with various symptoms that range from uncomfortable to nearly debilitating. Some of these symptoms include sinus pressure, sneezing, and a perpetually runny nose.

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Allergies can often affect the eyes too, and those symptoms are also not very pleasant. Your eyes can feel itchy and burn, well up with water, produce mucus, appear red, or you may feel as though you have dirt or grit in them. Many of these symptoms cause the sufferer to impulsively rub his or her eyes for relief, which compounds the problem by inviting bacteria into the eye, and with it, a possible infection.

Our eye doctors can recommend medication and other ways of avoiding discomfort brought on by allergies. Keep up with your eyes’ health with regular eye exam appointments and discuss any concerns such as eye allergy symptoms with our optometrists.

Allergies and Eye Care

Allergies of the eyes are also referred to as ocular allergies or allergic conjunctivitis. Eyes can develop other types of conjunctivitis, but the type produced by allergies occurs for the same reasons that cause runny noses and sinus pressure. Allergies happen when the immune system reacts to an outside stimulus called an allergen and produces antibodies to remove the irritant. These antibodies and their attempts to expel the allergen can prompt the uncomfortable responses we feel.

Histamine is produced to try to rid the eye of an allergen, which cues the eyes to become red and watery to flush themselves out. Excess watering can lead to dry eye. The eye doesn’t necessarily have to come into direct contact with the allergen, as is the case with food allergies or insect bites/stings that can trigger a red, itchy allergic response in the eyes. Also, just being around certain chemicals or preservatives can trigger allergies in some people.

Allergy Treatments Our Optometrists Provide

Whether in nature or man-made, allergens are usually ubiquitous, inescapable in our everyday patterns and travels. We need to find ways of making our daily lives comfortable even with these allergens around. Since most irritating effects spring from the symptoms themselves, medication can quell the histamine response your body produces to provide relief even if the allergen is unavoidable.

Our eye doctors can prescribe eye drops or oral medication for allergies as part of a treatment regimen, and may also recommend that you stay indoors when pollen counts are high. Our eye doctor may recommend wearing glasses instead of contacts while allergens are present since they sometimes collect on contact lens surfaces and can aggravate your eye allergies.

Eye Allergy Relief in Houston, TX

If you live in or around Houston and eye allergies are preventing you from enjoying the things you love, call the eyecare professionals at Pearland Eye Care today to schedule a consultation. We will provide fast and effective relief for your eye allergies. Call us today at (713) 991-4100 to learn more.

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Houston Office

Monday

9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Tuesday

9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Wednesday

9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Thursday

9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Friday

9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Saturday

9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Sunday

Closed

Houston Office

Monday
9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Tuesday
9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Wednesday
9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Thursday
9:00 am - 6:00 pm
Friday
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Saturday
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Sunday
Closed