Allergies can cause dry, itchy dry eyes.
That is right. Allergies can make eyes dry, itchy, and watery. Anti-histamines to treat allergies can dry out the eyes as well. When the eyes are dry, it can cause symptoms such as watering, redness, and itchiness.
The link between allergies and dry eyes.
Every fall, millions of Americans suffer from red, watery eyes. Allergies cause these symptoms. However, dry eyes can also cause dry, itchy, irritated eyes. There is a common link between the two.
Allergic conjunctivitis and dry eye can both be present. If not treated timely and adequately, this condition can turn into a chronic dry eye disease with worsening symptoms and damage to the eye’s surface. It is essential to begin treating either condition promptly with products proven to work on both conditions. Consult TheraLife for help today.
Triggers for dry eyes from allergies
Potential triggers for dry eyes from allergies or irritants include:
- pet dander
- pollen from trees, grasses, or weeds
- diesel exhaust
- dust mites
- cigarette smoke
- mold
- perfume
What are the symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis- allergic, dry eyes?
- Itching (top symptom)
- Tearing
- Burning or stinging
- The feeling of something gritty in the eye
- Dryness of the eyes
- Triggered by pollen, dust mites, pet dander, or mold
- Redness of the eyes
- Light sensitivity
- Swollen eyelids
Many of these symptoms will develop in a short time after exposure to an allergen. For those with allergies to pollen or mold, spending time outside can trigger an allergy attack. Allergies to animal dander or dust mites can also cause problems for people after they clean the house or brush a pet.
TheraLife, a leader in chronic dry eye relief, provides a solution to this problem with their entire line of dry eye and ocular allergy relief products.
Environmental Factors for Allergies and Dry Eyes
Researchers, from 2006 to 2011, studied the environmental factors that lead to dry eye.
Over 600,000 patients were diagnosed with a dry eye at the Veterans Affairs eye clinics around the nation. They then took this information and correlated it with an allergy index.
- Pollen counts peak in April when over 20 percent of patients were diagnosed with dry eye
- In the winter, a spike in the dry eye caused by low humidity from indoor heating
- In the spring, have another spike of allergy dry eyes.
- The lowest occurrence of dry eye was in the summer months.
In making the connection between dry eye and the different seasons, physicians are better able to treat patients who suffer from dry eye.
What makes a physician’s job difficult in trying to determine whether a patient suffers from dry eye or allergies is the similarity in symptoms between the two. Estimates indicate fifty million people in the United States suffer from allergies every year, with up to 80 percent of these reporting symptoms in their eyes.
Why do watery eyes from allergies make dry eyes worse?
Dry eyes are the result of an inadequate tear film layer. With increased tearing, the decrease of the protective layer of the tear film washed away allergens. More allergens now penetrate the tear film layer and cause more eye inflammation.
The cycle continues until the meibomian gland responsible for lubricant production becomes inflamed and unable to produce any more protective oils.
Severe allergic conjunctivitis
1.Vernal and atopic keratoconjunctivitis
Vernal keratoconjunctivitis and atopic keratoconjunctivitis are more severe forms of an eye allergy- affecting mostly males with eczema or asthma.
Who is affected by severe allergic conjunctivitis?
Although these two conditions have many similarities, atopic keratoconjunctivitis affects older males with a history of atopic dermatitis.
Symptoms typically occur year-round but can worsen during different parts of the year. Symptoms include:
- feeling like something is in the eye
- light sensitivity
- itching
- severe discharge or mucus around the eyes
2. Contact allergic and giant papillary conjunctivitis
Contact allergic conjunctivitis occurs when the eye comes into direct contact with a foreign object, such as a contact lens.
Symptoms of contact allergic conjunctivitis can include:
- discomfort or pain from wearing contact lenses
- itchiness
- redness
- mucus discharge
What is giant papillary conjunctivitis?
Giant papillary conjunctivitis is a more severe form of contact allergic conjunctivitis.
Symptoms of giant papillary conjunctivitis also inclulde:
- the feeling of something sticking in the eye
- blurry vision
- puffiness
What is dry eye?
Dry eye is a multifactorial disease of the tears and ocular surface that results in symptoms of discomfort, visual disturbance, and tear film instability with potential damage to the ocular surface.
What are the Dry Eye Symptoms
The main symptom of dry eye is burning of the eyes. Some of these signs include:
- Eye stinging or burning
- Conjunctival staining
- Reduced tear production
- The feeling of something gritty in the eye
- Stringy discharge from one or both eyes
- Rarely, photophobia
- Periods of excessive watering after periods of dryness
- Eye pain and redness
- Blurry vision
- Eyelids that are heavy-feeling
What makes dry eye symptoms worse?
Anti-histamines, decongestants, high blood pressure medication, sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medication, pain relievers, menopause, or certain diseases can affect tear production.
The windy or dry climate, smoking, and air conditioning can also increase the evaporation of tears resulting in dry eyes.
Increased tear production is a leading cause of dry eye. When the eye produces too many tears – it washes away the protective oils that cover the eye. The excessive tear allows pollen and other irritants to invade the eye’s surface, causing more tear production. Now you have Watery Dry Eyes.
The cycle continues until the meibomian gland responsible for lubricant production becomes inflamed and unable to produce any more protective oils.
How TheraLife Can Help- A Natural Solution
TheraLife is a leader in chronic dry eye relief and allergic conjunctivitis. The TheraLIfe eye formula contains natural ingredients to ease allergies, unlike anti-histamines.
TheraLife Eye is an all-natural formula clinically proven to treat chronic dry eye and ocular allergy symptoms.
The benefits of TheraLife Eye include:
- Reduces inflammation and irritation of tear glands
- Reduce allergy symptoms related to eyes
- Restores the eye’s ability to naturally produce tears, protecting the surface and lids to remain moist and protected
- Works better than fish oil or flaxseed oil alone
- No more need for messy eye drops
- 90-day money-back guarantee
