How do I Treat Allergies?

To treat allergies, you can follow one of a few plans.  The best solution is to stay away from the allergen in the first place, if possible.  But if this is hard to do, especially with our active life styles, then the following treatments are available.  

Artificial Tears                                    Over the Counter Products

Medications                                         Treating the Eyes and Nose Together

Artificial Tears

You can try washing the allergen out of your eye with an eye drop called artificial tears.  These can be found in your local pharmacy and can be bought over-the-counter.  There are many types of artificial tears sold, and you should try different types to find the one you like best.

Medications

Medications that treat allergies help block histamines (active substances that are let go when the body comes in contact with an allergen) from stimulating nerves and blood vessels.  Medications can also block the mast cell (cell that releases histamine during an allergic response) from letting go of all of its chemicals.  Some of the most powerful allergy drops actually do both, help block histamine and prevent the release of chemicals from mast cells.  Your doctor can select and give you one of the many successful allergy drops available.  The best way to treat your eye allergies is by finding the longest lasting and most comfortable drop for you. Drop comfort is very important when treating your child’s allergies as well.

Over The Counter Products

Many people use over-the-counter allergy drops.  These drops are convenient and effective for allergies that do not last long and do not occur often. However, the newer prescription drops that are available from your doctor are safer, more effective, last longer, and are more comfortable.  These are one drop treatments, which are both easier for you and your child since they can be used once in the morning for relief that lasts the whole day. If none of the above methods help your eye allergies, your doctor will be able to help you with a better treatment plan.

Treating the Eyes and Nose Together

If you are one of the millions of people who have allergies in both your eyes and nose, and you take a pill to fight them, you may want to consider using other ways of treatment.  For example, if you take a pill, the pill has to get into your blood stream and then go through your entire body in order to reach your nose or eyes.  With this, the chance of having side effects is greater.  While newer allergy pills are known to not cause as much tiredness as some of the older drugs, they still lead to major drying of the eye.  This means that tears in your eyes are not as useful in washing the allergen out of the eye. They allow the allergen to stick to the eye better. 

Another way to treat your eye allergies, which is better than taking pills, is by placing eye drops in your eyes.  The same thing is also true with your nose.  Directly placing a nasal spray in your nose will be more helpful than taking a pill.  So if you have both nose and eye allergies, they will be managed more successfully by using both a nasal spray and an eye drop than just a pill alone.  In fact, allergy eye drops also help your nose allergies because the drops drain from the eye into the nose.

Note: For a further description of any information on this page, please speak with your doctor.