Hayfever, itchy eyes

I attended a continuing education evening recently and the topic was allergies and medications. As a hayfever sufferer especially this time of year I often find my eyes become itchy, red and puffy and I start sneezing, often my wife counts the number of sneezes at any one time, about 3 on average. Allergy to tree and grass pollens is the cause of seasonal allergic conjunctivitis and many may be allergic to certain animal dander such as cat or dog hair, dust and mould to name a few causing allergic conjunctivitis.

Often an oral antihistamine with the advice of your GP does wonders particularly if your symptoms extend past red, itchy eyes with sneezing and a runny nose and I often recommend eye-drops such as Zaditen, write a prescription for Patanol or a low dose topical steroid for those with more severe symptoms. Allergic conjunctivitis needs to be distinguished from bacterial conjunctivitis where you experience copious amounts of mucous discharge as well as sore, red eyes and viral conjunctivitis with a more serous or watery discharge. It is always important to be examined in order to be diagnosed correctly with the right treatment initiated and a review to assess treatment success or a change to the treatment plan if necessary.

Ultimately it is important not to suffer in silence and to be examined promptly, often avoidance of the allergy trigger if possible, ocular lubricants, sunglasses and cold compresses may also be of benefit.