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Eye Allergies


Along with and in addition to the usual allergy symptoms, such as congestion, runny nose, coughing, sneezing, headaches and difficulty breathing, people with allergies often suffer from eye allergies or allergic conjunctivitis resulting in red, watery, itchy and sometimes swollen eyes.

If you experienced these eye allergy symptoms once in the distant past or if you suffer seasonally from eye allergies and the symptoms associated with them, the above symptoms are a sufficient reminder of what you would prefer to avoid.

Just as irritants cause an allergic response in your nasal and respiratory system, your eyes react with an oversensitive immune response, triggered by an environmental substance that most people’s immune systems ignore.

Most individuals with allergies also suffer from eye allergies which affect millions of North Americans, particularly with seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC) which is common during the spring, summer and fall. Indeed, many eye allergies sufferers come to dread the change of seasons and the allergy symptoms associated with the change in weather.

What Causes An Eye Allergy?

Salmon Arm and Chase eye doctors explain:

Eye allergies, or any allergies for that matter, occur when the immune system is hyper-sensitized to a stimulus in the environment that comes into contact with the eye.


Eye allergens can include:
  • Indoor allergens such as pet dander, dust or mold.
woman with eye allergy in Chase, near Salmon Arm, British Columbia
woman with eye allergy in Salmon Arm near Chase, British Columbia

Tips for Coping With Eye Allergies


To reduce exposure to allergens
  4. Check and regularly clean your air conditioning filters.
  8. Remove any mold in your home.

Treatment for Eye Allergies




Non-prescription medications include:
  • Artificial tears (to reduce dryness)
  • Decongestant eyedrops
  • Oral antihistamines
Prescription medications




Cool compresses & artificial tears
