How to Soothe your Allergy Eyes when you already have Dry Eye

Apr 16, 2020

Springtime is a beautiful time of year with the birds chirping and flowers beginning to bloom. However, it can be the worst time of year for dry eye sufferers. Allergens on top of eyes that are already red and sore can be a nightmare.

Eye allergy symptoms include itching, watering, redness, and swelling. Those symptoms would be piled on top of the dry eye symptoms you are already feeling like irritation and fluctuating vision. Use these tips to soothe your allergy symptoms this spring.

Eliminate the Pollen

Keeping the pollen out of your clothes, hair, skin, and eyes is a great first step in helping your symptoms. I wrote a blog about this subject recently. Review it here for some best practices to keep the pollen out of your home, your bed, your eyes, and off of your contact lenses.

Rinse your Eyes

If you have spent time somewhere you know you are being exposed to allergies, like outside in the springtime or in your Aunt Beverly's living room petting her 6 cats, then rinse your eyes with a preservative-free artificial tear. Use the Artificial Tear Guide to find out which one suits your lifestyle best.

Rinsing with a tear will help flush out any allergens that have collected onto the front surface of your eyes or inside your eyelids. Don't allow the allergen to stay in contact with your eye for too long. It will only cause a bigger allergic reaction. Rinse the pollen or pet dander out.

Grab a $4 off coupon for Refresh Relieva. This is one of the only preservative-free artificial tears that's available in a bottle. Find it at your local pharmacy or grocery store.

Apply a Cool Compress

Allergens, like pollen, irritate the delicate tissues of the eye and cause inflammation. Soothe your swollen lids with a cool compress. I love the Thera Pearl Eye Mask from Bausch and Lomb because you can use it for warm or cool therapy.

Skip your Warm Compress

Do not apply your usual warm compresses. You may use warm compresses as part of your 4-step dry eye treatment. However, you will want to take a break from warm compresses during this allergy season. The heat will make an already swollen eye more inflamed.

Cleanse your lids

Continue using your eyelid cleanser. It is important to eliminate the pollens that may be stuck to your eyelashes at the end of the day. You do not want to close your eyes all night and allow those irritants to be in close contact with the front surface of your eye. This will only make your symptoms worse.

So, if you are already using a lid and lash cleanser as part of your 4-Step dry eye treatment plan, make sure you use the cleanser at bedtime now. If you are not using a lid and lash cleanser consider starting. I have two favorite lash cleansers.

Favorite Cleanser #1)

HypoChlor Lid and Lash Spray is best if you have sensitive skin. Just close your eyes and spray it on to your makeup-free eyelids. Rub the solution into the lashes for 20 seconds. And, you're done. You don't even have to wash it off. The spray is one is very gentle on your eyes and skin but tough on bacteria.

Favorite Cleanser #2)

We Love Eyes Tea Tree Foaming lid cleanser is best if you prefer a foaming scrub or you have itchy lids, wear contact lenses, or tend to wear a lot of makeup. Just pump a gumball sized bit of foam onto your index finger. Rub your two index fingers together to spread the foam to the other finger. Then, close your eyes and rub the foam into the lashes of your makeup-free eyelids. Allow the solution to sit on your lids for 20 seconds before washing it away.

This solution contains tea tree oil. It is great for getting rid of bacteria and mites that can live in your lashes. However, the tea tree oil can be irritating if left for too long. Rinse it off thoroughly if it begins to make your skin tingle.

Avoid Oral Antihistamines

Oral allergy medication will make your sneezing and stuffy nose better, but it will make your dry eyes worse. Oral antihistamine medications, whether they are prescription or OTC, decrease the tear production from the lacrimal gland.

It is far better to treat your allergy symptoms at the source rather than systemically. Wow, that sounds technical, but it is a simple concept. If your nose is stuffy and you are sneezing, opt for an allergy relieving nasal spray. If your eyes are itchy and watery, use an allergy eye drop.

Treating what is bothering you about your allergy symptoms rather than swallowing a pill will serve you better in the long run. Drying out your watery eyes sounds like a great idea when you're in the moment, but oral antihistamine pills will make your dry eye symptoms worse in the long run.

Use an Allergy Eye drop

If you are a patient in my clinic complaining of allergies, I would write you a prescription for an allergy eye drop. I find that the prescription allergy drops are more potent, last longer on the eye, and work faster to alleviate the redness, itching and watering that allergies cause. However, my go-to prescription allergy drop was just approved for Over The Counter (OTC) sale.

Pataday works fast. You can start to notice relief in as little as 3 minutes. And, you only have to use one drop in each eye once a day. I recommend you use the drop in the morning since it will provide about 16 hours of relief.

If you wear contact lenses, make sure you wait at least 10 minutes after instilling a drop of Pataday before you insert your lenses. You do not want the Pataday solution to build up in the matrix of the contact lens.

Get a $5 off coupon for OTC Pataday here.

Avoid the "Get the Red Out" Drops

These drops that get the red out may make your eyes look better for a couple of hours, but there is a price to pay for it. Redness reducing drops contain vasoconstrictors, which restrict blood flow to the front of the eye. Therefore, your eyes will not be receiving the nutrients it needs to function properly.

Vasoconstrictoring agents include tetrahydrozoline, naphazoline, phenylephrine, and oxymetazoline. If you see one of these in the ingredient list, leave the box on the shelf. You will do your eyes more harm than good.

Most of these drops that get the red out have a rebound effect. Yes, they make your eyes appear white, but when they wear off (in 4 hours) your eyes may appear more red than before you took the drop.

Avoid allergy drops that contain vasoconstrictors

There are several OTC eye drops on the market that will control your allergy symptoms and make your eyes less red at the same time. This may seem like a great result, but again you will want to avoid the redness relieves.

Steer clear of these brands on the shelf: Visine A, Naphcon A, and Opcon. They may make your eyes look and feel better, but their long term effects aren't worth it. Just think of them as the cigarettes of the eye world. They may make you look cool, but it is terrible for your health.

Conclusion

Allergy season can make your dry eyes feel worse. But, taking a few steps to eliminate the pollen getting into your eyes can go a long way in helping them to feel better. Use preservative-free artificial tears. Use the Artificial Tear Guide to find the best drop for your eyes. And, follow up with an eyelid and lash cleanser and a cool compress to alleviate your symptoms every night during allergy season.

And if you need something more potent, use Pataday eye allergy relief drops. It is the same prescription-strength medication, but it is now available over the counter. With so many treatment options available, there is no reason to suffer through the itching, watering, and irritation this season.