Spring is here and so are Allergens
At the turn of the spring equinox, mother nature releases more than freshness and a promise for new life. Spring allergens are some of the few cons of the season where people who are predisposed to allergies, will struggle to deal with the change in the environment.
The Kind of Eye Allergens Floating Around
It varies depending on the environment you’re currently in. Some common causes of eye allergens in Spring are the increase in pollen in the air released from plants, airborne mold that can irritate your eyes, dust and pet dander, cigarette smoke or a new perfume fragrance that can elicit allergic reactions and irritate your eyes.
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How Ocular Allergies Can Occur
From the above mentioned causes of allergies, an ocular allergic reaction happens when an allergen comes into contact with your eye and certain cells within your eye (called mast cells and neutrophils) spring into action releasing histamines which are meant to fight off the allergens. This can also produce multiple biological effects such as bronchoconstriction (asthma) or vasodilation which can be things like watery eyes, a runny nose or gastric acid secretion.
Some Symptoms To Look Out For
As the histamine is secreted in an attempt for the eye to protect itself from the allergens, your symptoms can be any of the following:
- Itchiness
- Redness
- Swelling or puffy eyes
- Burning sensation
- Tearing
The difference between seasonal allergens and perennial allergies is that seasonal allergies (seasonal conjunctivitis) can be worse than perennial allergies. Perennial allergies are allergic reactions responding to household allergens such as pet dander, mold or dust mites. Whereas seasonal allergens or seasonal conjunctivitis is dependent on the allergens coming from the change of the season. Since the eyes have more time to adapt and combat perennial allergens, seasonal conjunctivitis is not as familiar to the body on a regular basis and reactions are more severe.
Home Remedies To Mitigate Spring Allergens
Post-covid has taught us to be more self-reliant with the adoption of effective home remedies. The following remedies are most effective and can help you with your reactions:
- Minimize outdoor exposure during pollen season by staying indoors on days where pollen count is high and it’s a windy day. Constantly check the weather report.
- Keep windows closed and use an air conditioner with a clean filter.
- Wear sunglasses outside to protect your eyes from irritants.
- Wash bedding frequently and use mite-proof covers on pillows, blankets and mattresses.
- Reduce mold and humidity and keep the house clean.
- Wash hands and clothes after coming into contact with animals.
- If you wear contact lenses, reduce wearing time or try to not wear them when having severe allergies as they may not fit normally when you don’t have allergies and contact lenses have been known to exacerbate the reaction when wearing them during an allergic reaction.
- Applying a cool compress is effective in alleviating allergic reactions.
Medical Remedies for Allergic Reactions
You can head to your nearest pharmacist for an over-the-counter medication such as artificial tears or eye drops to administer in order to bring down the reaction. If symptoms are severe, you may want to consider getting a prescription for stronger eye drops or antihistamine tablets or even immunotherapy to bring your immune system up and be able to fight off the allergens.
Got Questions For Us?
Optometrists often ask us questions about eyecare marketing, and some of the most common ones are the following:
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Our answer is simple,... Yes! Our marketing strategies focus on content specific to eye care where we pivot your skills and expertise in the industry with tailored marketing campaigns and post via blogs, social media and on your website to increase traffic and generate more booked appointments. Knowing the needs of your patients is our specialty. Get in touch with us today and we’ll walk you through our solutions as well as demonstrate some success stories of our current clients that have grown their practices year on year.
