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Magruder Laser Vision Sometimes your allergies reach the point of no return. Are you wondering why you can’t seem to beat the pollen, or if it could be something more? The Orlando ophthalmology expert, Doc Brock, is here to answer your questions concerning allergies and how they relate to your eyes.
Are Allergies Contagious?
Allergies may cause a form of conjunctivitis, appropriately called allergic conjunctivitis. In this form of conjunctivitis, the eyes may appear red, feel itchy, and drain a clear fluid. Unlike the contagious bacterial and viral conjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis cannot be passed from one person to the next.
It’s important to note that sometimes allergies make the body more prone to harboring infections, in which case allergic conjunctivitis could possibly become either bacterial or viral.
Is it Pink Eye?
The term “pink eye” is often used in place of conjunctivitis, but in this case, there are different terms used to describe the same thing. In medicine, the term conjunctivitis is used to mean “inflammation of the white part of the eyeball.”
How Do I Test For Allergies?
A visit with Doc Brock can help determine whether or ot your symptoms are allergy related. Allergies are unusual reactions from the body that can be caused by things such as peanuts, cats, or even dust. These allergy attacks can bring in dozens of different responses that help the body quarantine the areas affected by the invading chemical or physical object. These can come in the form of sneezing, watery eyes, and a cough.
The ability to control an allergic reaction first relies on determining the cause of the reaction. An allergist can use a skin-prick test for any airborne environmental cause that brings on eye symptoms. In the home, you can use allergen-impermeable mattresses and pillow covers, vacuum with a HEPA filter, use an air purifier, wash sheets weekly on a hot setting, and keep windows closed during pollen season or when any known allergens are airborne.
If home remedies such as cold compresses on the eyes, artificial tears or lubricating eyedrops, and over-the-counter medications such as antihistamines do not offer relief to eye discomfort, contact your Orlando ophthalmology team at Magruder Laser Vision at 407-843-5665.