September is Healthy Aging Month

Healthy Aging Month is an annual health observance designed to focus national attention on the positive aspects of growing older.  Aging is a process that brings many changes. Vision loss and blindness, however, do not have to be one of them. There are several simple steps you can take to help keep your eyes healthy for the rest of your life.

Eye diseases often have no early symptoms, but can be detected during a comprehensive dilated eye exam.  A comprehensive dilated eye exam is different from the basic eye exam or screening you have for glasses or contacts. By dilating the pupils and examining the back of the eyes, your eye care professional can detect eye diseases in their early stages, before vision loss occurs. By performing a comprehensive eye exam, your eye care professional can check for early signs of –

Here are some other tips to maintain healthy vision now and as you age:

  • Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Fruits and vegetables can help keep your eyes healthy. Visit our website for healthy eye recipes, click here Eye Cook.

 

 

  • Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight increases your risk for diabetes. By exercising regularly, you can help keep your body healthy and prevent vision loss. 

 

 

  • Don’t smoke. Smoking increases your risk for age-related macular degeneration, cataract, and other eye diseases and conditions that can damage the optic nerve.

 

 

 

  • Wear protective eyewear when outdoors. Protecting your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays when you are outdoors is vital for your eye health.  Wearing sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation.

 

  • Know your family history.  Talk to your family members about their eye health history. It’s important to know if anyone has been diagnosed with a disease or condition since many are hereditary, such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetes . This will help determine if you are at higher risk for developing an eye disease or condition.

 

  • Consider a multivitamin. Vitamins C, E and the mineral zinc have been shown to promote eye health.  Vitamins with Lutein and Zeaxanthin have been known to help patients with moderate to severe age-related macular degeneration.

 

  • Give your eyes a rest.  If you spend a lot of time at the computer or focusing at any one distance, you sometimes forget to blink, resulting in dryness and eye fatigue.  Every 20 minutes, look away about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds. This can help reduce eyestrain. Consider using a lubricant eye drop during long periods of intense eye use and rest your eyes for 5 minutes.

You can’t stop time, but you can take care of your eyes so that they remain healthy as you age. Having a healthy vision can be possible at any age! Even if you are not experiencing vision problems, visiting an eye care professional regularly for a comprehensive dilated eye exam is the most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of vision loss as you age.

Download “Everyone’s vision can change with age”
A handout with explanation on how vision can change with age.

June is Cataract Awareness Month

National Cataract Awareness Month is celebrated in June. The awareness campaign promotes information about the eye condition that is the leading cause of treatable vision loss in the U.S.  Yes, this is a scary fact, but no need to be frightened because cataracts are treatable with an outpatient surgery, which has over a 97% success rate.*

Vision loss from cataract is caused by clouding on the lens of the eye. Cataract surgery removes the cloudy lens and replaces it with a crystal-clear artificial lens.  This common eye condition mostly affects people over 50 and the causes can range from simple aging, diabetes, long-term eye diseases, and eye injury/inflammation, to factors like hereditary influences, smoking, intake of certain oral steroids, and so forth.

 

 

Cataract Vision Simulator

Although there may be no early symptoms, patients may begin to notice:

  • cloudy or blurry vision
  • colors that look faded
  • difficulty seeing at night
  • a halo around lights, making night driving difficult
  • seeing double out of the affected eye
  • frequent changes of the prescription of eyeglasses or contact lenses

 YOUR DIET IS VERY IMPORTANT

A healthy diet may help reduce risk of and/or delay formation and progression of cataracts. Research suggests that a diet high in vitamin C-rich foods — citrus (oranges, kiwi, lemon, grapefruit), bell peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower) — is helpful in slowing the progression of cataracts. More importantly, adopting good nutrition is a cornerstone of optimizing health early in life and can greatly reduce the risk of developing age-related diseases including cataracts.  For eye healthy recipes visit discoveryeye.org/eye-cook-delicious-food-health/

 

BE SURE TO HAVE AN ANNUAL EYE EXAM

By age 40, all adults should visit an eye specialist for a comprehensive eye exam to screen for early-stage cataracts and other eye diseases that are leading causes of low vision and even blindness. By age 65, a routine eye exam is recommended every year, in most cases to diagnose cataracts that are progressively clouding the lens. A comprehensive eye exam allows eye specialists to detect and monitor cataract progression as well as diagnosing other problems such as glaucoma. Patients should discuss with their eye specialist their vision problems and seek guidance about the timing of cataract surgery when worsening vision has compromised their quality of life and normal functioning.

 

LIVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE  

Multiple factors are at play that increase our risk for developing a degenerative eye disease or vision compromising conditions as we age.  If an individual lives long enough, then cataract formation is unavoidable. Living a healthy lifestyle, however, greatly improves an adult’s odds of avoiding early onset, faster progression, or possibly even avoiding the need for cataract surgery in the future.

 

WHY WE PROMOTE CATARACT AWARENESS MONTH 

  • It’s a celebration of sight – The ability to see the world clearly and in all its glory is something we shouldn’t take for granted. Millions upon millions of cells perform complex operations in our eyes to allow us the gift of sight. We should take care of our eyes and appreciate our glorious vision for what it is.
  • It’s a celebration of science – Science has not only explained to us how intricately our eyes work, but it has also revealed to us the many ways we can repair and treat them in case things go south. Medical advancements have ensured that about 80% of all eye diseases are treatable or can be prevented.
  • It’s a celebration of modern surgery – There’s “always” light at the end of the tunnel. Today’s cataract surgery is a modern day miracle developed by dedicated surgeons over the last five decades.  For most of us it is a painless, outpatient surgery with rapid return of excellent vision.

* https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21472-cataract-surgery

 

For more information about cataract:

https://discoveryeye.org/eye-conditions/cataracts/

 

April is Women’s Eye Health Month

April is Women’s Eye Health Month to educate women about the steps they can take today to help preserve vision in the future.  Women make up most of the 4.4 million Americans age 40 and older who are visually impaired or blind. Some eye conditions can cause vision loss and even blindness. These include:

The easiest way to test for common eye problems is a dilated eye exam – in which your eye doctor uses drops to widen your pupils and check for common issues.  This exam is the best way to detect eye disease’s early stages.

Good Eye Habits to Lessen or Prevent Future Vision Problems

  • Receive an annual eye exam. Regular dilated eye exams help monitor your vision status.
  • Eat a healthy diet. Good nutrition is the key to good health, including your vision. Dark green vegetables have been shown to reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) potentially. Also, remember to keep your diet low in sodium and caffeine. Visit our website for eye healthy recipes. discoveryeye.org/eye-cook-delicious-food-health/
  • Quit smoking today. Crushing the habit of smoking can reduce the risk of a host of diseases such as cancer and respiratory issues. Smoking is the most important risk factor for AMD and progression.

Having healthy eyes not only keeps us alert but keeps us safe. It is of the utmost importance to keep our eyes safe and have regular eye exams to check for any problems.

To learn more about the Discovery Eye Foundation’s research, visit discoveryeye.org/research/our-research-projects/

February is AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Awareness Month is observed annually every February. It’s an awareness month targeted at spreading information about AMD and other sight threatening diseases that could lead to visual impairment.

AMD is a disease that is a leading cause of low vision in Americans older than 50 years of age. The macula is the part of the eye affected by this disease, a pigmented, oval-shaped part of the retina. About 5mm in diameter, it is responsible for the central vision required for driving, reading, and fine detail. AMD, is a progressive disease that causes retinal cells to slowly die, though it causes no physical pain.

Medical experts have been able to identify some risk factors that might lead to the onset of AMD, including high blood pressure, high levels of blood cholesterol, obesity, and smoking. Other risk factors that a person has no control over are age, heredity, race, and gender. Symptoms of the disease include blurry vision, blind spots, straight lines appearing wavy, doorways seeming crooked, and objects appearing farther away or smaller. When any of these symptoms present themselves, the concerned individual is advised to immediately visit an ophthalmologist.

Watch the video below to learn more about AMD presented by M. Cristina Kenney, MD, PhD

 

For more information on AMD and other visual impairments – EYE CONDITIONS

The Discovery Eye Foundation is committed to finding a treatment for Dry AMD which makes up 85% of AMD cases and for which there is no FDA approved treatment as yet. This could preserve the vision of millions of people.  Luckily, there are treatments for Wet AMD. Right now, research supported by DEF at the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, Medical School is on the cutting edge of promising breakthroughs that could make the difference in the lives of so many. 

If you would like to help support DEF’s sight-saving research, click here DONATE NOW.  Your generosity may help save your vision or that of someone you love.

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month and the perfect time to raise awareness about this disease. Early on there are no symptoms.  In fact, many people with glaucoma don’t even know they have it. Learn about glaucoma and the steps you can take to reduce your risk of vision loss.

There are several types of glaucoma, although the most common type of glaucoma is age-related Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma.  It affects people starting at age 40, but can develop anytime later in life.

So, the way to detect if you have it is to get regular thorough eye examinations every two years after age 40.

ARE YOU AT RISK?

Anyone can get glaucoma, but certain groups are at higher risk. These groups include African Americans and Hispanics over the age of 40, and all people over the age of 60. Since it is hereditary, people with a family history of glaucoma and people who have diabetes are at higher risk.

4 GLAUCOMA GUIDELINES TO REMEMBER

1. Glaucoma can affect people of all ages – Although it is generally associated with seniors, glaucoma can strike anyone.

2. Demographics do play a role – Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness among African Americans; it’s also highly prevalent in Hispanics over the age 65.

3. Is glaucoma hereditary? – The risk of developing primary open–angle glaucoma is up to nine times more likely if parents or siblings have the disease.

4. Hope for future glaucoma patients – Although there is no cure for glaucoma, early diagnosis and treatment can help control the disease and slow or stop the process of vision loss and blindness.

There are many steps you can take to help protect your eyes and lower your risk of vision loss from glaucoma. 

  • If you are in a high-risk group, get a comprehensive dilated eye exam every two years to catch glaucoma early and start treatment. Prescription eye drops, and if that fails, surgery can stop glaucoma from progressing.
  • Even if you are not in a high-risk group, getting a comprehensive dilated eye exams can help catch glaucoma and other eye diseases early.
  • Open-angle glaucoma does not have symptoms and is hereditary. So talk to your family members about their vision health to help protect your eyes and theirs.
  • Maintaining a healthy weight, controlling your blood pressure, being physically active and avoiding smoking will help you avoid vision loss from glaucoma.
  • Stay aware of the risks and symptoms and remember an annual comprehensive eye exam is key for early detection of glaucoma and other eye diseases.

Click here to get more information on Glaucoma.

Discovery Eye Foundation research is undertaking a new approach to save vision for glaucoma patients.

Read our 2022 Thanksgiving Newsletter to learn more.

CLICK LINK BELOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP SUPPORT DEF’S GLAUCOMA RESEARCH 

Support Discovery Eye Foundation

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023

Thank You to all who helped support DEF this year!!

 Discovery Eye Foundation has been successful in 2022 and all because of very loyal and dedicated donors that continue to support sight-saving research.

  We are thankful for every gift you have given to the Discovery Eye Foundation.

Wishing you and yours a Healthy and Happy 2023!!! 

October is Eye Injury Prevention Month

You may be surprised to learn that more than 1 million people suffer an eye injury every year in the United States. You may be even more surprised to learn that most of these eye injuries happen at home and can be avoided and for that reason the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) has set aside the month of October for a public health awareness campaign aimed at preventing eye injuries.

Unfortunately, only about three out of ten people wear protective eyewear during home projects that can cause an injury to their eyes.  Wearing protective eye wear will reduce your risk for eye injury by 90 percent!  The AAO urges every household to have at least one pair of ANSI-approved protective eyewear. (“ANSI-approved” means the protective eyewear is made to meet safety standards of the American National Standards Institute.)

The AAO has listed some of the most common places that eye injuries happen as well as prevention tips for these indoor and outdoor activities:

  • In the house: When using household chemicals, read the instructions and labels carefully, work in a well-ventilated area and make sure to point spray nozzles away from you. Many chemicals are extremely hazardous and can permanently damage the surface of your eyes, resulting in some loss of vision or even blindness.
  • In the garage/workshop: Wear protective eyewear to shield your eyes from flying fragments, fumes, dust particles, sparks and splashing chemicals. Power tools can also send wood chips or other substances flying into the air. Many objects can fly into your eyes unexpectedly and cause injury.
  • In the yard/garden: Put on protective eyewear before you use a lawnmower, power trimmer or edger and be sure to check for rocks and stones because they can become dangerous projectiles as they shoot from these machines.

 

 

Learn how to recognize an eye injury and get the right care when you or a family member is injured at home. If you or a family member experiences an eye injury, seek immediate emergency medical attention or call an ophthalmologist near you.

 

September is Healthy Aging Month

As your body ages, it’s common to experience changes to your eye health and vision. According to studies, over 10% of Americans over age 40 will experience permanent age-related vision loss — and almost everyone experiences normal age-related changes such as loss of close vision so that they require reading glasses.  As the U.S. population gets older, it’s important to spread the word about ways to prevent vision loss in older adults.

Genetics and the natural aging process play a role in long-term eye health. But research shows that there are controllable factors that help either lower your risk of visual impairment or slow its progress.

What Happens to Vision as You Age?

Over time your eyes will experience physical changes that will affect your vision.  On average, these changes begin around age 40 and impact the eye’s focusing ability — a natural change in vision called presbyopia. The most common effect is experiencing more difficulty in clearly seeing nearby objects, especially in dim lighting.

It’s normal for the age-related eye changes to cause:

  • Difficulty in distinguishing colors
  • A need for more light to see well and a slower adjustment between dark and bright settings
  • Headaches or tired-feeling eyes while reading or other up-close activity 

Other common causes of age-related visual decline include conditions:

Eye Floaters: Floaters are tiny spots or specks that drift throughout your field of vision. They occur when the vitreous, a jelly-like substance inside the eye, becomes more liquid as you age. This causes ocular fibers to clump, casting tiny shadows. If there is a sudden appearance of many new floaters, you should seek a dilated eye exam to rule out retinal detachment.

Dry Eye: As you age, your eye tear production decreases and this is called ‘dry eye’. Lack of enough lubrication to the surface of the eye can cause blurred vision and light sensitivity. Dry eyes can also cause uncomfortable stinging, scratching, or burning sensations.

Cataracts: As you age the clear proteins within the lens of your eye slowly become more and more cloudy interfering with the images that reach your retina. The cloudy lens causing poor vision is called a cataract. Luckily, modern eye surgery can remove the clouded lens material, which is then replaced with a man-made substitute lens that clearly focuses the image on the retina, restoring normal vision.

Glaucoma: Glaucoma causes damage to the major nerve of the eye called the optic nerve. This nerve is part of the central nervous system, that carries visual information from the eye to the brain.  In glaucoma, the eye experiences a symptom-free increase of intraocular pressure due to an imbalance of the fluid produced in the eye and the amount of fluid drained. The asymptomatic increase in pressure over time damages the optic nerve, slowly decreasing your peripheral (side) vision and can result in total vision loss. If you have glaucoma, you may experience changes to your peripheral or side vision as the eye disease progresses.  Glaucoma can be detected by a careful eye examination and the loss of vision can be stopped with medication or/and surgery.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD): In the developed world, AMD is the most common retinal disorder and the leading cause of permanent vision loss in people over 50. AMD is due to loss of retinal cells in the macula, an area of your retina responsible for detailed vision, necessary for tasks such as driving, reading and facial recognition. In advanced cases, patients cannot recognize faces or read books without special visual aids. The good news is that there are good treatments for AMD and patients retain “getting around” peripheral vision and don’t go completely blind.

 

How to Care for Your Vision as You Age

Most age-related visual conditions today can be treated with medicine or outpatient surgery. A dilated eye exam performed by an eye care professional is the only way to find some common eye diseases while they’re easier to treat and before they cause permanent vision loss.

If you don’t have any symptoms or vision problems, doctors recommend getting regular eye exams based on your age:

  • Ages 20 to 39: Every 5 years.
  • Ages 40 to 54: Every 2 to 4 years.
  • Ages 55 to 64: Every 1 to 3 years.
  • Over 65: Every year

For people with diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of glaucoma or vision loss, the National Eye Institute recommends you get dilated eye exams yearly.

Diet and lifestyle choices can also impact your long-term eye health. To help maintain good vision as you age, you should:

  • Be alert to the early signs of vision problems.
  • Eat healthy foods – for eye healthy recipes visit: Eye Cook
  • Protect your eyes from the sun – make sure you wear UV protected sunglasses and a hat.
  • Get regular comprehensive eye exams.
  • Don’t smoke.
  • Exercise regularly to maintain healthy weight.
  • Control your blood pressure.
  • Give your eyes a break – if you work on a computer, it is recommended to take a 20-30 second break every 20 minutes. This will give your eyes a chance to relax.

Being Proactive Is the Key to Successful Aging Eye Care

There are many ways you can practice positive aging eye care. Aging may be inevitable, but exercise, a healthy diet, and positive lifestyle changes, such as stopping smoking, can prolong the health of your eyes.

BACK-TO-SCHOOL EYE CARE FOR KIDS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

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It’s back-to-school time! As your child prepares to start another school year, don’t forget to take care of one of their most important learning tools — their eyes.  Find out how you can help keep their eyes healthy, and why an eye exam is so important.

Be aware of vision problems:

Your kid may be spending more time in front of the screen than usual — and that could put him or her at increased risk for certain vision problems or eye conditions.

  • Nearsightedness: If your child is not already nearsighted, doing a lot of “close work” (using a screen or even in a book) can increase their likelihood of developing this condition. Encourage them to hold books or screens at least 18 inches away.
  • Dry Eye Syndrome: When we stare at a screen all day, our blink rate decreases significantly. The blinking action secretes an oil called meibum (one of the three layers of tear film), which keeps our eyes moist. When we don’t blink as much, our eyes can become overly dry and irritated.
  • Eye Strain and Fatigue: Excessive screen time can also lead to strain, fatigue, blurry vision, itchy eyes, and headaches.

Watch for behavioral changes that may signal vision trouble, for example:

  • Talk to your child about their new classroom or where they’re sitting to gauge whether they’re having issues seeing.
  • Ask them whether their eyes ever feel tired after watching something on a screen.
  • Watch for blinking, squinting and tearing of their eyes.
  • Pay attention to headaches or fatigue.

Help minimize any risk to your child’s eyes by doing the following:

  • Make sure they take frequent screen breaks. Instead of focusing directly on the screen, encourage your child to look around the room every now and then, or take some time to stare out the window (at least 20 seconds is recommended by the American Optometric Association). You can even remind them to blink.
  • Position the monitor or screen so it’s about 25 inches away, and also position it so their gaze is slightly downward.
  • Adjust the room lighting so that the screen isn’t brighter than the surrounding light. If it is, your child’s eyes will have to work harder.
  • Sharpen your child’s vision skills with “traditional” non-screen-based activities, like puzzles, blocks, drawing and painting, and playing catch.

Don’t Forget the Eye Exam

It’s easy for us to forget about our eyes let alone our child’s, but it is very important to get your child’s eyes checked regularly.

It is absolutely critical to ensure healthy eye development and that they have the visual skills necessary for successful learning. No matter where your child will be participating in school this year — don’t skip the trip to the eye doctor.

The American Optometric Association recommends children have an eye exam by the time they reach one year old, at least once between 3 and 5 years old, and once a year after first grade until they graduate. Your eye doctor can recommend the best frequency for your child.

Your child should still receive a comprehensive eye exam, whether or not they have received a vision screening at school or even at their pediatrician’s office.  While vision screenings can indicate some vision trouble, they often only test your child’s ability to see things that are far away, such as a classroom whiteboard.  Also, keep in mind the school screeners usually do not have all the necessary equipment or training to detect many eye health problems in children.

A comprehensive eye examination looks at complete eye health, and includes tests for the following, in addition to an understanding of patient and family health history:

  • Visual acuity
  • Depth perception
  • Color vision
  • Peripheral vision
  • Refractive errors (like nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism)
  • Eye focusing, tracking, teaming and other eye movement abilities

Specialists state that 80% of what your children learn in school is taught visually. Untreated vision troubles can put children at a substantial disadvantage. Be certain to arrange that your child has a complete eye exam before school starts.

 

Spring Allergies and Your Eyes

As winter shifts to spring, and flowers, grasses and trees begin to bloom, spring can take a toll on your eyes if you suffer from seasonal allergies. The spring season has a marked an increase in pollen and allergens in the air, that leave you with congestion, headaches, and itchy, swollen eyes, known as eye allergies.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, eye allergies are also called allergic conjunctivitis, and are pretty common. They occur when the eyes react to something that irritates them (called an allergen). The eyes produce a substance called histamine to fight off the allergen. As a result, the eyelids and conjunctiva become red, swollen, and itchy. The eyes can tear and burn. Unlike other kinds of conjunctivitis, eye allergies do not spread from person to person.

What Are the Symptoms of Eye Allergies?

The most common eye allergy symptoms include:

  • red, swollen, or itchy eyes
  • burning or tearing of the eyes
  • sensitivity to light

What are Eye Allergy Triggers?

  • Outdoor allergens, such as pollen from grass, trees, and ragweed
  • Indoor allergens, such as dust mites, pet dander, and mold
  • Irritants, such as cigarette smoke, perfume

Spring Allergy Management

To combat seasonal eye allergies, you must have a dual focus on both prevention and treatment for symptoms.  By making some minor changes to your environment and activities, you can significantly reduce the amount of allergens you come in contact with, and lessen the symptoms you’re experiencing.  Use these seven methods to soothe your eye irritations related to allergies.

  1. Avoid Allergens

The best strategy to minimize your eye discomfort during the spring is to limit your exposure to allergens. As winter comes to an end, create an actionable plan that helps you avoid seasonal allergens like pollen.

Steps you take may include:

    • Changing your HVAC filters before turning on your cooling system for the first time
    • Purchase and use an in-house air purifier
    • Checking pollen levels online as part of your daily routine
    • Cleaning your home more frequently
    • Keeping your windows closed
    • Spring cleaning before the weather actually warms up

These preventative measures are an important first step to good eye health during allergy season.

 

  1. Don’t Wear Contacts

If you are prone to allergy-related eye irritation, stop wearing your contacts for the first month or so of spring weather. While contacts do not cause allergy symptoms, they can aggravate any symptoms that do appear.

You may want to schedule an eye exam, to prepare for switching to full-time glasses use.  This exam presents a good opportunity for you to check that your glasses prescription is current and to make any necessary updates to maintain your comfort and vision quality.

 

  1. Rinse with Sterile Non-Preserved Saline

Eye allergies can cause changes in tear production. Many individuals experience eye dryness or excess tears due to allergies. In some cases, your eyes may water frequently but still feel dry due to allergens.

Much of this type of irritation occurs when airborne allergens come into contact with the surface of the eyeball. To minimize your allergen exposure, rinse your eyes with saline solution. This may reduce the urge to rub your eyes, which is important because rubbing can trigger a release of more histamines and cause redness, swelling, and blood vessel breakage.

 

  1.  Use Non-Preserved Artificial Tear Drops or Medicated Eye Drops

You may also want to use non-preserved artificial tears to help maintain correct eye lubrication. Before you begin a new eye health regimen, consult with your optometrist to determine which brand and formula is best for your symptoms.

In addition to sterile rinses or lubricant eye drops, using medicated eye drops may help relieve some of the discomfort associated with seasonal eye allergies. Decongestant or antihistamine drops can control redness, itchiness, and other symptoms.

 

  1. Try Cold Therapy

Many individuals notice redness, tenderness, and swelling in the eye area when suffering from allergies. Applying cool or cold compresses can provide immediate soothing relief for these symptoms, including improving the appearance of the skin around the eyes.

Use a clean soft cloth or compress designed for use in the eye area. These compresses are gentler than traditional cold therapy tools and are safer for your eyes. Soak the compress in cool water, wring it out, and place over the eyes. You can refresh the compress with water when the cloth no longer feels cold.  To address more intense symptoms, wet your compress, wring out the cloth, and put it in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes. This colder compress will last longer and provide relief for more advanced symptoms.

 

  1. Wash Your Hands and Face Frequently

As mentioned above, many eye allergy symptoms come from allergens landing on the eye. In addition to floating airborne allergens, your eyes could also suffer from contact with allergens that are transferred in on your skin or hair.

Wash your hands more frequently during allergy season. You should also wash your face twice a day and rinse the area around your eyes as needed. These steps reduce the concentration of allergens on your skin. You may also want to pin back any hair that may cover your face at eye height to minimize your allergen exposure.

 

  1. Wear Sunglasses

When you do need to be outside, wear glasses to protect the surface of your eyes from direct contact with allergens. You may prefer to wear sunglasses rather than your usual glasses because most sunglasses have larger lenses than everyday eyeglasses and, therefore, provide more protection.

If you need constant vision correction, but want the benefits of wearing sunglasses, talk to your eye doctor about investing in a pair of high-quality prescription sunglasses.

 

  1. Consult Your Eye Care Professional

If your symptoms continue, consult your eye care professional for help with diagnosis and treatment. There are many prescription medications, not available over the counter, to help control severe allergic symptoms.

 

If your allergies cause vision changes, feelings of a foreign object in your eye, or acute pain, make an appointment as soon as possible.