If your eyes feel uncomfortable, scratchy, or look red this spring, it may not be a change in your contact Lenses. The likely culprit is seasonal allergies!
From pollen to grass, to weeds of every variety, allergens in the air can wreak havoc on our immune systems. As histamines flare, the body produces mucus, sneezes, tears up, and itches. Your body tries to help you get the allergens out, but can make you feel awful in the process.
As many contact lens wearers know, sometimes those histamines can make your eyes especially miserable. Putting a contact lens into an uncomfortable eye situation can make the feelings go from bad to worse. Lenses in Allergy eyes can make your eyes itch like crazy and appear red and angry.
So, here are three ways to respond if allergy season is affecting your contacts.
- Protect Your Eyes
Wearing sunglasses when outdoors, washing your hands a lot, avoiding touching your face, and showering every night can help keep your eyes happier during allergy season. Even if you wear extended wear lenses, consider taking them out each night to clean them so they’re clean and pollen-free. The cleaner you keep your face, hands, and eye area, the fewer allergens will have the opportunity to get to your eyes.
- Know Your Drop Options
There are many different types of contact lens drops. Some are called re-wetting drops and are designed to simply keep your lenses moist. Other drops are for people with chronic dry eye, and will also keep your lenses wet. But, during allergy season, consider an allergy eye drop. There are several types available. These contain an anti-histamine and can work directly in your eyes to fight the allergic reaction you feel there. Many of these drops offer relief right away. Just read the bottle to find out if you can use them with your contact lenses in, or if you should take them out first.
- Know Your Symptoms
Allergy eyes can look a lot like other types of eye infections. The symptoms are largely the same—redness, burning, itching, and clear discharge. But if you feel pain, a gritty feeling in your eyes, or see thick mucus like discharge, it could be an eye infection. If you know your eyes are uncomfortable, but aren’t certain what you’re dealing with, go see your Eyeglass World optometrist. And, remember, it’s best to keep those contacts out just in case you do have an infection. This may be a great time to grab a new pair of fashion eyeglasses from Eyeglass World.
