Relief for Eye Allergy Symptoms

Eye allergies, sometimes called allergic conjunctivitis, typically occur due to an allergic reaction to irritants like pollen, dust, mold, and pet hair. 

When you come into contact with allergens, your immune system may overreact, leading to inflammation of the eyelids and conjunctiva (the mucous membrane that lines the eyeball and eyelids). This causes common eye allergy symptoms like watering, itchiness, redness, pain, and swelling. 

This article will go over the symptoms of eye allergies, as well as how to find relief and when to see a healthcare provider.

Woman putting in eye drops

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Telltale Eye Allergy Symptoms

Common eye allergy symptoms symptoms include:

  • Itching
  • Burning
  • Swollen eyelids
  • Excessive tears
  • A gritty sensation
  • Photosensitivity (light sensitivity)
  • Puffiness

These symptoms typically occur in both eyes. If only one of your eyes is irritated, you may have a different condition, such as pink eye (conjunctivitis).

Accompanying Symptoms With Eye Allergies

Allergic conjunctivitis often occurs alongside other allergy symptoms, such as:

What Makes Eye Allergy Symptoms Worse?

Eye allergies are triggered by the body’s release of histamines in response to allergens. Common indoor and outdoor allergens include:

  • Pollen from ragweed, trees, and grass
  • Mold spores
  • Pet dander
  • Dust mites
  • Smoke

Depending on what’s causing your symptoms, you may have seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC) or perennial allergic conjunctivitis (PAC). Environmental allergens like pollen cause seasonal allergic conjunctivitis and are typically more severe, especially during hay fever season. Household allergens like pet dander usually cause perennial allergic conjunctivitis and don’t tend to be quite as bothersome. 

Certain medications can also exacerbate eye allergy symptoms. For example, many people take oral antihistamines to treat allergic reactions, but they can dry out your eyes and worsen eye irritation.

Does Itching Make Eye Allergy Symptoms Worse?

When your eyes are inflamed and irritated, it’s important to resist the temptation to scratch them. Rubbing your eyes can make your symptoms worse and lead to complications like a scratched cornea, infections, or cataracts.

Relief for Eye Allergy Symptoms

There are both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) treatments available to help relieve eye allergy symptoms. Examples include:

  • Artificial tears: You can use OTC artificial tears to rinse allergens and irritants from your eyes and relieve eye irritation. Artificial tears provide immediate relief, but the effects are only temporary. 
  • Decongestant eye drops: Decongestant eye drops relieve allergy-related redness by constricting the blood vessels in the eyes. You should use them for only up to three days at a time, and anyone with glaucoma should avoid them. 
  • Antihistamine eye drops: Your ophthalmologist may prescribe antihistamine eye drops for more severe eye allergies. When used several times daily, they can relieve symptoms like swelling, redness, and itchiness. 
  • Mast cell stabilizer eye drops: Mast cell stabilizer eye drops relieve itching and irritation by blocking the release of histamines. 
  • Corticosteroids: In severe cases, steroid eye drops may be prescribed short-term to treat itching and swelling.
  • Allergy shots: If your symptoms persist, an allergist may recommend that you undergo immunotherapy, or allergy shots.

Eye Allergies in Children

Like adults, children with eye allergies can be treated with artificial tears. If those don’t work to provide relief, take your child to an ophthalmologist. They may recommend antihistamine or mast cell stabilizer eye drops.

Eye Allergy Symptoms Not Improving

The most common reason that your eye allergy symptoms may persist is that you’re still coming into contact with the allergen that’s causing them. Here are a few ways to avoid the allergens that most often cause eye irritation:

  • When pollen counts in your area are high, stay inside as much as possible, and close all the doors and windows.
  • Wear sunglasses outside if you have seasonal allergies.
  • To avoid dust mites, wash your bedding frequently and use mite-proof mattress covers and pillowcases.
  • Use a dehumidifier and keep the humidity in your home at 30%–50% to limit your mold exposure.
  • Avoid dry-dusting any part of your home. 
  • If you’re allergic to pet dander, consider replacing your carpets with hard-textured floors. Always wash your hands right away after interacting with your pet. 

Your symptoms may also persist if you have a type of eye allergy other than allergic conjunctivitis. Other types of eye allergies, such as atopic keratoconjunctivitis and vernal keratoconjunctivitis, are usually more severe. Some can affect your vision if left untreated. 

Visit an ophthalmologist or another healthcare provider right away if you experience:

  • Severe eye pain, dryness, swelling, burning, or itching
  • Vision problems
  • Eye discharge, such as mucus or pus
  • Foreign body sensation, which is the feeling that something is stuck in your eye

Summary

The most common symptoms of eye allergies include itchy, watery, and red eyes, in addition to blurry vision and eye pain. Eye allergies are caused by both indoor and outdoor allergens like mold, pollen, and pet hair. Typical treatments include artificial tears, prescription eye drops, corticosteroids, and allergy shots. 

Eye allergies aren’t contagious, and they usually aren’t a sign of a serious health condition. However, you should talk to your healthcare provider if your symptoms keep getting worse or aren’t going away.

5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Common eye symptoms could be an allergy.

  2. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Eye allergies (allergic conjunctivitis).

  3. American Academy of Ophthalmology. What are eye allergies?

  4. American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology. Eye allergy.

  5. Huang CC, Yang W, Guo C, et al. Anatomical and functional dichotomy of ocular itch and pain. Nat Med. 2018;24(8):1268-1276. doi:10.1038/s41591-018-0083-x

Laura Dorwart

By Laura Dorwart
Laura Dorwart is a health journalist with particular interests in mental health, pregnancy-related conditions, and disability rights. She has published work in VICE, SELF, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Week, HuffPost, BuzzFeed Reader, Catapult, Pacific Standard, Health.com, Insider, Forbes.com, TalkPoverty, and many other outlets.