Eye allergy or allergic conjunctivitis is an adverse immune response of the body that occurs when it comes across an irritating substance or allergens like smoke, dust or pollen. The body assumes these to be harmful substances and releases chemicals called histamine to fight against them.

Symptoms of an eye allergy-

Allergy in the eyes causes the occurrence of certain symptoms-

  Itching in the eyes

  The sensation of burning in the eyes

  Redness

  Watery discharge

  Swollen eyelids

  Light sensitive

What triggers it?

An eye allergy is usually triggered by the following components-

  Pollen

  Dander

  Dust Mites

  Mould

  Pet Dander

  Exhaust from vehicles

What to do if you suffer from eye allergy-

  Consult an eye specialist or allergist - It is important to consult a physician since the symptoms may pertain to other allergies like asthma or eczema that have different treatment.

  Take proper medication - Take the prescribed eye drops, oral histamines or decongestants to alleviate the symptoms.

  Avoid the allergen - It is difficult to do so if the allergies are seasonal, that means if the eye allergies always occur during specific seasons of the year. If they are not seasonal, you can avoid the allergens if you

Keep the doors and windows closed at home and while riding the car
Take a shower or change your clothes after coming back home from outside
Wear an allergy-relief mask while outside to filter the smoke, dust, etc.
Wear glasses to protect eyes from the allergens
Wash hands after petting any animal
Use a dehumidifier to protect against mould
  Take allergy shots - These are good precautionary measures for seasonal allergies. These increase the tolerance for the irritants. Similarly some eyedrops can be given to decrease the frequency, severity and intensity of allergy episodes.

  Natural remedies - If nothing else works you can use a cold compress to relieve the itchy eyes. Eat walnuts, fish oil and flaxseed oil that contain Omega- 3 fatty acids to reduce inflammatory substances in the body.

What not to do if you are having an eye allergy-

  Avoid rubbing your eyes; that will further irritate your eyes and damaged the eye surface

  Do not keep your indoor surroundings dirty and dusty

  Do not dry-sweep the floors

  Do not pet any animal if you are allergic to animal dander

There is no permanent cure for eye allergies yet but the proper treatment and precautions can help to reduce many of the symptoms. Over-the-counter medications may work out for some people but others may require severe treatment. Remember in spite of prophylactic or therapeutic treatment if u are exposed to a high load of allergens, you will develop symptoms of allergies but they will be milder than if u had no prophylaxis.

Eye Allergies - What To Do & What Not To Do?

Do your eyes get tired easily? Do they look sore or sandy? If yes, then it s time to worry for your eyes now. There is every possibility that you might have developed a dry eye. It is a common disorder of the eyes that occurs due to aging. It causes discomfort as you end up feeling scratchy or gritty all the time. The eyes turn red and have a burning sensation and feel itchy. Things get worse when you tend to stress your eyes by spending extra hours in front of the computer or read texts. In fact, the discomfort increases as the blinking frequency of the eyes get reduced.

One may also develop blurred vision due to dry eyes. An individual feels as if there is some particle inside his or her eyes, but finds nothing. Though this condition doesn t lead to very dangerous consequences, it is always a wise decision to seek medical help. The medical term for this condition is keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Once you develop dry eye, there is always a tendency to get it back again. But, the good news is that it can be treated to get some relief.

Causes
Dry eye is caused due to problems related to tear formation. When we blink our eyes, a film is formed over it. This thin layer is called a tear film. Tear film is responsible for clarity in vision. In case, enough tear is not produced, one tends to suffer from dry eyes. It is mainly caused due to ageing. 
If you don't produce enough tears, if your tears aren't of the right quality or your tears aren't spread across the front of your eye properly then you may develop dry eye. The glands producing tear or the tear film get inactive with age. Sometimes, the tear film is also affected by certain medicines, contact lenses, diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren's syndrome.

Treatment
Dry eyes caused due to ageing cannot be cured completely. You must see a doctor for treatment but there are no permanent cure remedies. However, there are ways to help you get some relief. Here are the ways:

Try to increase the natural tears: There are certain home-based remedies to get some relief from the problem. You can keep the temperature of your room lower to get rid of the symptoms of dry eyes. Higher temperature leads to the evaporation of the tears. You can keep a humidifier in your room that adds more moisture to the air inside the room. This prevents drying up of the eye due to evaporation of tears. It is also found that when one blinks less, tear formation is reduced. The blinking is reduced while working on computers and reading. One must be careful while doing such things and try and blink as many times as possible.
Use eye drops: One needs to use eye drops called  artificial tears.  They are an alternative to the natural tears. If usual drops are not effective, gel-based thicker drops or overnight ointments are prescribed.
Block tear ducts: Another way of tackling dry eyes is by reducing the drainage of tears. For this, the tear ducts are blocked by plastic pieces called punctual plugs. The process is termed as punctal occlusion.
Take food supplements: Certain oils and Omega 3 and 6 are known to be beneficial in treating dry eyes. Include these supplements in your diet to keep your eyes healthy.

Dry Eye Syndrome - 4 Ways to Treat It!

Most of us take our eyes for granted. It has been often noticed that an individual splurges on expensive sunglasses for looking smarter. But, when it comes to the health of eyes, he or she is either ignorant or simply reluctant to do anything. This tendency is bad for the health of your precious eyes.

Remember, how you use them to stare at the screens of your gadgets all day long. Take out some time from your busy schedule and take care of your eyes. They are precious and vulnerable too.

Follow the tips below to keep your eyesight intact till your dying day:

Eat right for a good vision: It is very important to provide the right and sufficient amounts of nutrients to your body for developing or maintaining a good eye sight. Include nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, zinc, and vitamins C and E in your regular diet to boost your eyesight. Food items like green and leafy vegetables, salmon, tuna, and other oily fish, eggs, nuts, beans, and other non-meat protein sources, oranges and other citrus fruits or juices and oysters and pork are excellent for the eye. The intake of a balanced diet keeps you away from diabetes, which causes blindness.
Give up smoking: Cigarettes or other tobacco products are bad for your eyes. They make your eyes more vulnerable to diseases like cataracts, optic nerve damage, and macular degeneration.
Guard your eyes from sunlight: It has been found that long exposure to sunlight leads to damage of the eyeballs. This happens as the UV rays in sunlight have an adverse impact on our eyes. You must put on sunglasses when you are outdoors for a longer period. You must choose sunglasses which give you 90 to 100 percent protection against sunlight. UV rays can cause cataracts and macular degeneration.
Avoid the screen: It is advisable to not spend long hours sitting in front of the computer screen or TV. Take breaks while working on the computer. Also, remember blinking your eyes while staring at the screen to avoid drying up of the eyes. Blinking increases tear production, keeping the eyes moist and healthy.
Use safety devices: If you work with hazardous substances, it is advisable that you put on safety devices on your eyes for their protection.
Hydrate your eyes: In order to have a good vision, you must hydrate your eyes by splashing water on your eyes wide open at specific intervals in a day. When you wash your face after returning from outside, don't forget to wash your eyes as well. As you splash water on the eyes, the dust particles on the surface of the eyelid, gathered from outside, gets washed away. f you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a ophthalmologist.

Tips for Improved Eye Health

Bloodshot eyes indicate the reddening of the eye vessels. They can cause irritation and make the eye swollen. The condition may arise due to allergies, eye infections, allergies, fatigue and other illness of the eye. It does not signify a disease but indicates an eye condition which might have caused the eye to redden. Bloodshot eyes can be encountered in one or both the eyes.

Causes of Bloodshot Eyes:

One of the frequent causes of bloodshot eyes is irritants such as dry air, pollen, pet dander, dust and UV rays of the sun. Shortage of sleep also tends to make the eyes red. Inflammations of the eye can also make them red giving a bloodshot appearance. It can even happen with people who wear contact lens for more than 16 hours without soaking it in the disinfectant. At times excessive dryness can make the eyes red. Some other reasons for the eye to become red include conjunctivitis, blepharitis, glaucoma and corneal ulcer. Another concerning reason of bloodshot eyes is a subconjunctival haemorrhage. While the latter is not dangerous in nature, it can cause significant trouble if proper care is not taken on time.

Symptoms of Red Eyes:

Some of the common signs of bloodshot eyes include watery eyes, foreign sensation, burning feeling, dermatitis, falling of eye lashes, light sensitivity, swollen eyelid, itching of the eye and feeling of irritation of the eye.

The Complications Involved:

In most of the cases, bloodshot eyes do not imply serious complications. In case it happens from conjunctivitis, a person may not be able to go to work, wear cosmetics and come in public places since it is a communicable disease. If bloodshot eyes arise from a serious condition such as glaucoma and trauma, some of the possible complications may involve the following:

Eye scarring

Vision loss due to complete blindness

Spreading of the existing condition to other persons

Eye loss in severe cases

Preventive Measures:

Bloodshot eyes might arise from an array of reasons. While it cannot be totally dodged, some general preventive measures can ensure that such a condition does not arise:

Keeping hands clean by thoroughly washing them with liquid soap

Not sharing personal belongings such as washcloths, linen, and cosmetics

Get immediate medical attention in case of any eye injuries

Stay away from an environment that is full of allergens

Staying away from people who are suffering from infectious eye diseases such as conjunctivitis

Taking a shower immediately after getting in touch with an infected person suffering from conjunctivitis

Wearing eye glasses in a dusty environment

Bloodshot Eyes - Causes, Symptoms and Complications

Amblyopia or Lazy eye is the eye condition in which vision is reduced and cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. All the images seen by the amblyopic eye are not fully acknowledged by the brain. It always affects only one eye, but may be accompanied with reduction of vision in both eyes. It can cause loss of vision, including loss of depth perception and two-eyed 3D vision. It's treatment can yield improvements at any age, but early detection can offer the best chances for a cure. Recent research has proven that lazy eye treatment can be successful in older children and adults. Comprehensive vision examinations are required for infants, toddlers, and pre-school children for the detection of lazy eye or amblyopia.

When the brain parts related with visual processing do not function properly, problems arise with such visual functions as the perception of movement, depth perception and fine detail (acuity, clear eyesight and sharp vision). Amblyopia is the most prevalent neurological defect of vision in children and adults resulting from developmental problems in the brain. Any interference with clear vision in either eye during the first six years or 'critical' period of visual and brain development can cause a lazy eye.

Constant strabismus or the constant turn of one eye in any direction, be it inward turn or crossed eye is one of common causes of amblyopia. The differences in vision or it's prescription between the two eyes leads to refractive amblyopia. Sometimes congenital disorders or a physical blockage of an eye due to trauma, drooping lids, cataract or a blocked tear duct can also lead to amblyopia. Many parents and children are not aware of any symptoms, as amblyopia usually occurs in one eye only and a lazy eye condition can exist without a noticeable eye turn. The visual acuity tests in addition to the 20/20 eye test charts and eye examination with cycloplegic drops by ophthalmologists are necessary to detect lazy eye.

Vision therapy for the eyes and brain is a highly effective non-surgical treatment for lazy eye. It is a progressive program of vision exercises customized to fit the visual needs of each patient. It is conducted at the clinic and occasionally supplemented with exercises to be done at home or workplace. It improve visual comfort, ease, and efficiency and change how a patient processes or interprets visual information. When considering treatment options, it is important to understand that lazy eye results from neurological deficit or problems in the brain and surgery for lazy eye is performed on the muscles on the outside of the eye. Most of the cases, lazy eye surgery provides cosmetic benefits and does not improve the patient's vision, hence options for vision improvement should be exhausted before eye muscle surgery is considered.

Lazy Eye or Amblyopia - Symptoms and Cure

Lazy eye is an eye condition that is as underrated as some of the most intriguing characters in Marvel s movies like Namor or Daredevil. Indeed, lazy eye or amblyopia is responsible for the majority of loss of vision cases below the age of 40. It even surpasses the loss of vision due to injuries and diseases.  

What Is Lazy Eye?

Amblyopia, commonly known as lazy eye, is an anomaly of the eyes where patients get reduced vision, which cannot be corrected by glasses or even contact lenses. It is not even an eye disease. In fact, it is an anomaly where the brain cannot acknowledge and interpret the image formed on the retina. The saving grace is that it mostly affects only one eye. Despite that, it may contribute to reduced vision in both eyes. Cases of lazy eye are prevalent among children; around 3% of children suffer from this disease.

Conventional Treatment

Neither glasses nor contact lenses nor surgery can rectify the eyes.

Early detection offers a better chance for a cure.

Lazy eye can be treated quite successfully under the age of 2. This can be done by even glasses, eye patches, etc. However, it is difficult to treat with such simple measures in older children. Hence, it calls for a neuroscientific approach.

Indeed, neuroscientific studies have revealed that the brain and its various perceptions can undergo a change at any age and it is known as neuroplasticity. This is where Ayurveda can play a major role.

The Role of Ayurveda In Treating Lazy Eyes

The concept of Neuroplasticity dictates that the brain has the capability to change if you make the effort and motivate the brain to learn. It is a perfect preoccupation for a lazy eye condition. You need to motivate the brain to learn that it needs to interpret the image formed in the retina of one or both of his eyes. This can be done with Ayurveda.

Ayurveda is all about the mind-body connection, and it is this connection that gets slack in anomalies like a lazy eye. The ayurvedic interpretation of the neurological system involves a root, also called Mula, a pathway through the body also called Marqa and an opening, also known as Mukha. Each of these is known as channels also known as strotas which help to orient our focus to various stimuli including visual stimuli. Ayurvedic remedies help to restore this balance in these channels with the help of Herbs and Asanas. Ayurveda also takes into account the mental constitution of individuals since different mental constitutions call for a different treatment approach.

Take Away

Despite being no immediate solution for the lazy eye, this condition can be potently cured with ayurvedic treatment. However, it is always advisable to consult an ayurvedic specialist before going for any of ayurvedic treatment.

 

Lazy Eye - How Effective Is Ayurveda In It?

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