May is Healthy Vision Month, which means it’s time to learn all about how to take care of your eyes for a lifetime of great vision! Here at Collins Vision, one of the many services we offer our patients is ocular allergy testing to help manage seasonal or perennial allergies that can cause dry, red, itchy eyes.
What Are Ocular Allergies?
We all know how much seasonal allergies can affect our quality of life. When springtime rolls around each year, it feels like we’re constantly reaching for the Kleenex and a box of Claritin. At Collins Vision, we want to free you of those constant dry, red, irritated eyes that can slow you down, make you grouchy and wear you out.
Our optometrist at Collins Vision will work with you to ensure you can live free of the constant trips to the medicine cabinet, instead, making your spring days as enjoyable as the bright, sunny weather that comes with them.
Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms to look out for when it comes to ocular allergies are itchiness, redness, swelling and/or a consistent urge to rub your eyes. For some, these symptoms change with the seasons and particularly flare-up in the spring and fall seasons. For others, symptoms remain constant throughout the year. Depending on your situation, different irritants could be coming into contact with your eyes and making you miserable.
At Collins Vision, our team of trained and community-trusted specialists is here to learn about you, your lifestyle and the problems that ocular allergies are causing you. This way, we can help respond to these irritations as quickly and effectively as possible.
Ocular Allergies or Something Else?
Allergens that affect the eyes can range from dust to springtime pollen to pet dander to any other irritants. At Collins Vision, we want to make sure the problems you’re having are due to allergies and not a result of other eye conditions such as dry eye or blepharitis.
To make sure the cause of your dry, itchy eyes is ocular allergies, your team of eye care professionals at Collins Vision will perform a simple, non-invasive allergy test to determine which specific allergens are causing you trouble or if the cause of your irritation is something else entirely. The cost of this test is usually covered by most major medical insurance companies and can identify what specific allergies are affecting you.
The test examines a patient’s sensitivity to up to 80 ocular allergens common throughout the country and will provide results in just 10-15 minutes. Fast, accurate and definitive, this testing is worth the time and effort to get you feeling as bright-eyed as possible.
Treatment
Treatment for ocular allergies comes in many forms. Depending on the cause of your allergies, your doctor will create a tailored-to-you treatment plan that could include a range of options such as reducing exposure to allergens, over-the-counter eye drops, oral medications or prescribed treatments. The American Optometric Association recommends that if your symptoms do not subside or worsen over time, discuss additional treatment options with your optometrist.
Feel Better, Live Better
We cannot wait to meet you and get you back to life without pesky, irritating allergies that make putting in your contacts or glasses every morning such a hassle. Call now or book an appointment online today!
