Allergic conjunctivitis can occur year round, but there is an uptick in cases during the cold months. In most instances, there is little cause for concern, but treating the symptoms is important. If you experience allergic conjunctivitis, here is what you need to know.
Why Is There an Increase in Allergic Conjunctivitis in Winter?
Allergic conjunctivitis is usually triggered by exposure to allergens, such as pollen and house dust mites. During the winter time, you will spend more time indoors, which means more exposure to those triggers.
House dust mites are found more in mattresses, which could mean you wake up each morning feeling worse than any other time of the day. Symptoms, such as redness in the eyes, itching, and swelling can occur. You might experience temporary changes to your vision due to blurriness caused by the conjunctivitis.
Although the symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis are usually not that serious, complications from leaving it untreated could prove threatening to your visual health. The swelling that occurs from conjunctivitis can lead to keratitis. Keratitis is an inflammatory response from your exposure to allergens. The condition can cause corneal ulcers, scarring, and even blindness.
What Can You Do?
In most instances, allergic conjunctivitis can be treated by allergen avoidance. Dusting and vacuuming can help to lessen the presence of dust mites in your home.
If you wear contact lenses, the symptoms of the condition could cause discomfort. If possible, do not wear your lenses until your symptoms have improved. You can also talk to your eye doctor about a prescription for antihistamine eye drops, which will help to prevent your eyes from responding to the allergens.
In the event that you are already experiencing some swelling, your eye doctor can also prescribe steroid eye drops. The drops help to reduce your eye's response to allergens and quickly relieve the swelling.
Ideally, your condition should improve within a few days. In some instances, though, the symptoms can worsen. If that happens, you need to schedule an assessment with your eye doctor. You should also contact your eye doctor if you experience symptoms such as the light hurting your eyes, the appearance of floaters, or extreme redness in one eye. If your vision changes in any way, you also need to seek medical advice promptly.
Allergic conjunctivitis is treatable, but you have to take the necessary steps to improve your condition. Consult with your eye services provider about other possible solutions to your condition.
Share10 December 2016
Hello, my name is Simon. Welcome to my site about optical goods. Until recently, my vision remained at a borderline level, so I only needed glasses for reading. As old age set in, my vision started to rapidly decline. I was given a prescription for stronger lenses that I had to wear full time. Since the prescription drastically changed, I had to take care while selecting the frames and lenses from the various options available at the optician’s office. I will use this site to walk everyone through the eye exam and optical goods selection process. Please feel free to stop by anytime to learn about optical goods.