Eye allergies and conditions: what you need to know during hay fever season
With hay fever season upon us, we want to share some information about the common allergy, how to relieve the symptoms, and other eye conditions and allergies.
If you or someone you know suffers from hay fever, you probably know that different pollens affect people at different times of the year. Tree pollen typically starts the hay fever season in March through to May, followed by grass pollen, which usually lasts until the end of July, and then weed pollen, which finishes off the season in September. Most hay fever sufferers tend to be affected by only one type of pollen. So, if it’s tree pollen, you tend to be an early sufferer. But the worst symptoms should be over by the end of May.
Hay fever symptoms and tips to help you manage
There are a few symptoms of hay fever to look out for, including a runny nose, sneezing and red, sore, itching eyes. These symptoms can be debilitating, so it’s important to be able to lessen these symptoms as much as possible. Here are some tips that you may find beneficial:
- Apply Vaseline around your nostrils to trap pollen and prevent it from entering your nose.
- Wear wraparound sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat to protect yourself from the sun and reduce the amount of pollen getting into your eyes and nose.
- Keep windows and doors closed and minimise the time spent outside in the countryside.
- Use a pollen filter in your car air vents.
- Treat your symptoms with antihistamine tablets or drops.
- Consider having an injection, which suppresses the symptoms of hay fever sufferers.
Dry eye symptoms and causes
Dry eye is another debilitating eye condition caused by either not producing enough tears or tears drying up too quickly. This can result in sore, gritty, and red eyes, as well as blurry vision. The number of dry eye cases has increased over the last few years, and here’s why.
We are spending more time on computers and digital devices without taking breaks. During and since Covid many people have been working from home using laptops or participating in Zoom calls, leading to an increase in dry eye cases. The reason continuous use of digital devices can cause dry eye is that when we focus on a screen, we don’t blink as often as we should. Each time we blink, the eyelid spreads the tears across the surface of our eyes to keep them lubricated. Reduced blinking reduces this lubrication, causing our eyes to become sore and inflamed.
There are other causes of dry eye: certain health conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, hormonal changes during pregnancy or menopause can affect our eyes. Additionally, some medications can cause dry eyes, and spending time in a dry or air-conditioned environment can also be a factor.
Excessive screen time can cause eye dryness and discomfort.
Tips to help alleviate dry eye
To alleviate dry eye symptoms, here are some things you can do:
Take regular twenty-minute breaks from computers, laptops, and other digital devices. Every twenty minutes, look twenty meters for twenty seconds to refocus your eyes and blink twenty times. This is known as the twenty rule.
Apply conditioning eye drops or false tears to lubricate your eyes and reduce soreness and redness. Warm compresses can also help soften and move oils from the meibomian glands along the eyelids.
Thoroughly remove makeup and clean eyelids.
Wear quality sunglasses to ensure protection from the dry, sunny conditions and wind, all of which contribute to an increased risk of dry eye syndrome.
For chronic dry eye syndrome, there are specialised procedures available, such as massages and intense pulsed light treatment.
The topic of dry eye is growing each year. If you want to discuss your symptoms or learn more about how to protect your eyes and relieve symptoms from allergies and syndromes, give us a call or visit the store on Manor Walk.
Further reading:
Tips for managing dry eyes during winter
