"Run for your eyes!" my daughter cried as I sprinted back into the house from the playground last Monday. Normally that line would tickle me; my daughter's friend thought that was the actual line and introduced us to it. I wasn't laughing this time, because it was true; I had to run to save my eyes.
My seasonal allergies had been pretty much under control until last Monday when I sat outside to sunbathe under a flowering tree without sunglasses. Then I drove home with the sunroof open to enjoy some more spring weather. The last straw had been the few minutes in the backyard, and, of course, some gentle eye rubbing. It didn't help that there was pollen on my car, deck, and porch.
What's wrong with this picture? 1) I didn't protect my eyes; 2) I exposed myself to allergens while driving; 3) I didn't wash my hands before rubbing my eyes; 4) All of the above. The answer? All of the above.
What happened next? After telling the children that playtime was over, I ran in to rinse my eyes with cold water, but they still itched. So, I rubbed them some more. Within minutes, I had swollen eyelids and ridiculously red eyes; the right more horrific than the left. After antihistamine eye-drops and cold compresses were used, the itching was better. An hour later, there was a large water blister coming out of my eye. I felt like a bullfrog.
How did it end? To make a long story short, I got in touch with a doctor, took some short-acting antihistamines by mouth, and went to the ophthalmologist the next morning. I did not go to the emergency room, since there was no pain and no vision loss. By the time I made it to the ophthalmologist, the blister was already smaller. It turned out I had a severe antigen-antibody reaction to the pollen and a Staphylococcal aureus infection. There were also some evidence of ulcers. I was the worst case the ophthalmologist had seen this season. I was given more eye-drops, and by the next day I was already looking and feeling 90% better.
What can we learn from this? If you have seasonal allergies, here are some tips to minimize your suffering during the next round of blooming after all of this rain:
- Seek medical care (I know we're busy, but we have to take care of ourselves, too), especially when the condition affects your eyes.
- Minimize contact with allergens. Wear sunglasses, stay indoors, keep windows closed, don't drive with your sunroof open, and wash your hands after gardening or being outside.
- Take an antihistamine regularly, not as needed, at about the same time every day during allergy season. Use antihistamine eye drops and/or nasal steroids for additional symptom relief if you need it. These should also be used on a regular basis. Avoid decongestant use, like oxymetazoline spray (AFRIN).
- Use cold compresses for itchy eye relief. Use eye drops and nasal sprays properly to avoid wastage and side effects.
- See your general doctor if the over-the-counter medicines are not helping with your allergies. You may also be referred to a specialist like an ophthalmologist or an allergist.
- Children can suffer from allergies, too. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a good review on this topic. Talk to your pediatrician or pharmacist about age-appropriate medicines and how to give them. Using the medicines on a regular basis is also important in this age group. KidsMeds offers instructions on how to administer eye medicine to children.
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