Managing Ocular Allergies

Diagnosis¹

To provide proper treatment, your eye care professional will check to see if you have eye allergies or another condition, like an eye infection. They will use a slit-lamp microscope to check for signs of eye allergies, such as swollen blood vessels on the surface of the eye. They will also ask you about your medical history and your family’s history of allergies.

Your eye care professional may test for a specific type of white blood cell in your eye. They will do this if your allergies are bad or if it’s not clear that you have an allergy. To do this, they will gently scrape a tiny area of the conjunctiva and test this tissue for those white blood cells.

Treatment: Allergy avoidance and medications

The best treatment for any ocular allergy is to avoid the allergens that are causing the problem.¹ If you need to identify these allergens, an allergist can do a skin or blood test to help pinpoint what’s triggering your allergies.¹

To avoid common allergens:¹

Pollen:

• Wear sunglasses when you go outdoors.
• Keep your windows closed and use air conditioning, both in your car and home.

Mould:

• Keep the humidity in your home under 50%.
• Use a dehumidifier in damp areas.

Dust and dust mites:

• Use allergen-reducing covers for your bedding and pillows.
• Wash your bedding frequently with hot water.
• When cleaning floors, use a damp mop or rag instead of a dry dust mop or broom.

Pet dander:

• Keep your pets out of the bedroom.
• Wash your hands after touching a pet.

The medications used to treat or manage your ocular allergy will depend on the type of condition you have and how serious it is. Medications may include:^1,2

• Artificial tear drops: Add moisture to relieve dry eyes, wash allergens out of the eye.
• Decongestants (with or without antihistamines): Reduce redness and itching.
• Oral antihistamines: Relieve itching.
• Antihistamine eye drops: Relieve itching.
• Mast-cell stabiliser eye drops: Help prevent eye allergy symptoms.
• Multiple action eye drops: Some eye drops are a combination of mast-cell stabilisers and antihistamines.
• Steroid eye drops: Treat chronic and severe eye allergy symptoms such as itching, redness and swelling. To be used under medical supervision only.
• Immunotherapy shots: Help your body become immune to allergens over time. Only used if allergen avoidance and other medications don’t work.