Eye Allergies

Are your eyes red, watery, itchy, or swollen? Dr. Fouad Melamed is an eye allergy and dry eye specialist trained to find the cause of your symptoms. Any exam for red eyes is covered by your health insurance (PPO) or Medicare. Cash patients can receive discount with mention of this website. Appointments: (323) 655-6582

Allergic conjunctivitis (often called "eye allergies") are triggered by an immune reaction involving a sensitized individual and an allergen. Simply stated, this means that if you are allergic to a particular substance and then come into contact with it, you experience an allergic reaction. Up to 50 million Americans suffer from the miseries of allergies, with allergic reactions involving the eyes being a common complaint. An allergic reaction that affects the conjunctiva, a clear layer of skin overlying the eyes, is commonly referred to as allergic conjunctivitis.

Conjunctivitis may be caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Symptoms of these can feel similar to allergic conjunctivitis and should be diagnosed by eye doctor.

People with allergic conjunctivitis may experience the following symptoms:

• A gritty feeling in one or both eyes
• Itching or burning sensation in one or both eyes
• Excessive tearing
• Discharge coming from one or both eyes
• Swollen eyelids
• Pink discoloration to the whites of one or both eyes
• Intolerance to contact lens wear

What causes conjunctivitis?

The cause of conjunctivitis varies depending on the offending agent. There are three main categories of conjunctivitis: allergic, infectious and chemical:

Allergic Conjunctivitis

Allergic Conjunctivitis occurs more commonly among people who already have seasonal allergies. At some point they come into contact with a substance that triggers an allergic reaction in their eyes.

Giant Papillary Conjunctivitis is a type of allergic conjunctivitis caused by the chronic presence of a foreign body in the eye. This condition occurs predominantly with people who wear hard or rigid contact lenses, wear soft contact lenses that are not replaced frequently, have an exposed suture on the surface or the eye, or have a glass eye.

Infectious Conjunctivitis

Bacterial Conjunctivitis is an infection most often caused by staphylococcal or streptococcal bacteria from your own skin or respiratory system. Infection can also occur by transmittal from insects, physical contact with other people, poor hygiene (touching the eye with unclean hands), or by use of contaminated eye makeup and facial lotions.

Viral Conjunctivitis is most commonly caused by contagious viruses associated with the common cold. The primary means of contracting this is through exposure to coughing or sneezing by persons with upper respiratory tract infections. It can also occur as the virus spreads along the body’s own mucous membranes connecting lungs, throat, nose, tear ducts, and conjunctiva.

How is conjunctivitis diagnosed?

Conjunctivitis can be diagnosed through a comprehensive eye examination. Testing, with special emphasis on evaluation of the conjunctiva and surrounding tissues, may include:

Patient history to determine the symptoms the patient is experiencing, when the symptoms began, and the presence of any general health or environmental conditions that may be contributing to the problem.

Visual acuity measurements to determine the extent to which vision may be affected.

Evaluation of the conjunctiva and external eye tissue using bright light and magnification.

Evaluation of the inner structures of the eye to ensure that no other tissues are affected by the condition.

Supplemental testing may include taking cultures or smears of conjunctival tissue, particularly in cases of chronic conjunctivitis or when the condition is not responding to treatment.

Using the information obtained from these tests, your optometrist can determine if you have conjunctivitis and advise you on treatment options.

How is conjunctivitis treated?

The appropriate treatment for conjunctivitis depends on its cause. Only your optometrist can accurately determine if the cause is an allergic response. If so, the usually treatment is a once a day anti-allergy medication taken in eye drop form. (OTC products and homeopathic remedies have NOT proven to relieve all the symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis.)

Contact Lens Wearers

Contact lens may exasperate the symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis. Your optometrist can make several recommendations to help relieve if not eliminate the symptoms you are experiencing.

If the conjunctivitis developed due to wearing contact lenses, your eye doctor may recommend that you switch to a different type of contact lens or disinfection solution. Your optometrist might need to alter your contact lens prescription to a type of lens that you replace more frequently to prevent the conjunctivitis from recurring.

See your doctor of optometry when you experience conjunctivitis to help diagnose the cause and the proper course of action.