Also suggestive of ocular allergy is a personal or family history of hay fever, allergic rhinitis, asthma or atopic dermatitis. Allergic conjunctivitis can produce two types of eye discharge - serous and mucoid. A serous discharge is watery, whereas, the mucoid discharge is stringy or ropy. Other symptoms include redness, tearing, swelling, burning or a sensation of fullness in the eyes or eyelids, an urge to rub the eyes, sensitivity to light and, occasionally, blurred vision. If you're bothered by allergies that affect your eyes, talk to your eyecare professional.
Relief is only an eye exam away.
Establishing the cause is the first step in treating allergic conjuctivitis. The next step would be to elimate exposure to the offending allergens. At all times, fingers should be kept out of eyes. Avoid scratching or rubbing the eyes because it will only make the symptoms worse. Rather than rubbing the eyes, apply cold compresses to the eyelids to alleviate symptoms since cold is a mast cell stabilizer and a vasoconstrictor.