With allergy season approaching, it is likely that you will begin to experience allergy-related symptoms. Many people who experience seasonal allergies, commonly called hay fever, have symptoms that impact their eyes. Though allergies don’t necessarily pose a threat to your ocular health, the symptoms can be detrimental to their overall quality of life. Understanding how to recognize and alleviate symptoms can go a long way toward ensuring that you remain comfortable throughout allergy season. There are many ways to protect your eyes, including eye exercises when working on computers and wearing the appropriate eyewear.  

How Allergies Work

Allergies occur when an individual comes into contact with specific allergens. These allergens cause the immune system to have an overreaction, which results in the symptoms of allergies. This causes symptoms like sneezing, itchiness, rashes, and more. In most situations, being proactive with your known allergens can help you to avoid experiencing the symptoms. If an individual with pollen allergies goes outside when pollen levels are high, they will likely inhale pollen particles. This will then cause the reaction in their immune system and they will experience the symptoms of hay fever. Studies have shown that between 70-80% of individuals with hay fever also experience a condition called allergic conjunctivitis.

Allergic Conjunctivitis

Allergic conjunctivitis is the technical term for the allergic inflammation of the eyes. This is when allergic symptoms impact the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is the membrane that covers the eyelids and the eyes. When hay fever impacts the conjunctiva, it results in additional symptoms that impact the eyes. These symptoms can be incredibly uncomfortable, which is one of the reasons that treating the symptoms can improve your overall quality of life. Here are some of the symptoms that can help you to determine if you have allergic conjunctivitis.

Symptoms of Allergic Conjunctivitis

It is important to keep in mind that allergic conjunctivitis is usually present in addition to other allergy symptoms, such as sneezing and a runny nose. If the only symptoms are impacting the eyes, it is likely that there is a different issue. You should ensure that you visit an optometrist for an exam to protect the health of your eyes. Allergic conjunctivitis tends to cause the eyes to appear red. Keep in mind that allergic conjunctivitis isn’t contagious, though the red eyes can mimic the appearance of pink eye. Eyes may become watery and itchy, which often results in individuals rubbing them. This rubbing can further irritate the eye, as well as introduce bacteria or dirt to the surface of the eye. It is important to refrain from rubbing your eyes, even while you are experiencing the symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis.

A less known symptom of allergic conjunctivitis is that it can actually cause the eyes to dry out. This often results in a burning sensation. In addition, it is important that eyes remain moisturized to flush out bacteria and harmful particles. If you are experiencing dry
eyes, implementing solutions to keep them moisturized can be particularly beneficial. Keep in mind that dry eyes are also common throughout the winter months. This is more commonly due to indoor heating rather than allergic symptoms. Protect
your eyes throughout the winter and continue to implement solutions to protect them throughout allergy season.

Reducing the Impact of Allergic Conjunctivitis

There are several steps that you can take to reduce the overall impact of allergic conjunctivitis. This will allow you to be more comfortable and improve the health of your eyes. Allergy eye-drops can both help to wash out the allergens that have impacted your eyes. One of the major benefits of this avenue is that it can also help to keep the eyes more moisturized, as well. Allergy medications are often very effective at preventing all kinds of allergy symptoms. Taking an allergy medication every morning throughout allergy season can help to keep you more comfortable and prevent the symptoms from arising. Allergy shots can also be used to help build up your immunity to various allergies. These shots tend to work over a period of months, but you should consult with your doctor to learn more about this option for reducing allergy related symptoms.

Allergy Prevention

Taking the steps to prevent contact with allergens can also help to reduce the likelihood of substantial symptoms and discomfort. The appropriate steps will depend primarily on the allergens that you are vulnerable to. Wash your bedding regularly to remove allergens on the surface of your bed. If you are allergic to pet dander, you should ensure that you keep pets off of the furniture and out of your bedroom. Washing your hands and face regularly can help to prevent exposure to the allergens that cause your immune system to overreact. If you are allergic to pollen, you should keep track of the levels of pollen. Try to stay inside as much as possible on high pollen days to reduce your allergy related symptoms.

Wearing Contacts with Allergies

You can certainly wear contacts during allergy season, but there are a few considerations that you should keep in mind. Contacts are always going to slightly irritate the eyes. Though this is usually virtually unnoticeable, contacts can magnify the irritation from allergic conjunctivitis. Ensure that you always thoroughly rinse your contacts to minimize the possibility of irritation. You should also consider disposable, one day use contacts to ensure that the contacts that they use are always clean.

Here at Wolcott Optical, we are well aware of the discomfort that can occur to your eyes during allergy season. It is important to keep in mind that experiencing these symptoms without the presence of allergies can indicate a different ocular health concern. If you are concerned about the condition of your eyes, it can be incredibly beneficial to schedule an eye exam with an optometrist. Our experienced professionals are dedicated to protecting the health of your eyes, as well as helping you to minimize any discomfort that your eyes experience through allergy season. To learn more about the impact that allergy season has on your eyes, contact us at Wolcott Optical today!

You rely on your vision every single day. Your eyes experience a substantial amount of strain, so it is vital to ensure that you give them breaks when necessary and prevent any damage from escalating. This is a process that is growing in importance, as more and more jobs require employees to spend a substantial amount of time staring at digital screens. There are multiple steps that you can take to protect your eyes and your vision. Here are a few eye
exercises that can help you to keep your eyes in good condition.

The Benefits of Eye Exercises

With the growing popularity of technology, many people are required to stare at a computer screen all day for work. This can cause incredible amounts of strain to your eyes, which can result in a multitude of problems. Eye exercises can help to protect your eyes and minimize the amount of strain placed on them. This can help to prevent your eyes from drying out, and can also help you to eliminate headaches. If you are experiencing regular headaches, it is very likely that your eyes are experiencing substantial amounts of strain. Implementing effective eye exercises every day can go a long way toward preventing damage from occurring to your eyes, as well as keep you far more comfortable over time.

Palming

Palming helps your eyes in two different ways and can be an incredibly effective exercise for your eyes. This process involves rubbing your hands together vigorously to heat up your palms. Once they are warm, you should place them over your eyelids. Refrain from pressing down too hard on your eyes. You should not experience discomfort with the pressure on your eyes. This helps to give your eyes a break and the heat also helps to relax the muscles in your eyes. Heat is an especially effective method for enhancing relaxation and preventing strain from occurring to your eyes. They also give your eyes a break, as they will be closed while your palms transfer heat to the eyes.

Near and Far Focus

Near and far focus is an eye exercise that is exactly what it sounds like. You focus on something near and then you focus on something far away to help exercise and stretch your eyes. Hold your thumb roughly 10 inches away from your eyes. Focus on your thumb for around 15 seconds. Then, locate an object that is approximately 10 to 20 feet away from you. Shift the focus from your thumb to this object for another 15 seconds. After this, focus back on your thumb. Repeat the process about 5 times to ensure that your eyes are effectively exercised.

The 20-20-20 Rule

Your eyes aren’t intended to stare at a digital screen for hours on end. This is one of the major reasons why eye strain is so incredibly common. To reduce the likelihood of strain to your eyes, you should follow the 20-20-20 rule. This rule encourages you to shift your focus away from your screen every 20 minutes, as extended time staring at a screen is a leading contributor of strain. Focus on a point 20 feet away for 20 seconds at a time. Effectively following this rule can go a long way toward minimizing eye strain and preventing damage from occurring to your eyes.

Blinking

Blinking is an automatic function for a reason. It helps to keep your eyes moisturized and helps to prevent excessive dryness. This is especially important when you wear contact lenses, as dried out lenses can become uncomfortable and cause scratching and other damage to your eyes. Unfortunately, many people don’t blink as often as they should when they are staring at a digital device. Periodically, you should take a break from staring at the screen and focus on blinking. Set a timer for 2 minutes. During this period of 2 minutes, you should blink every 4 seconds to moisturize and reinvigorate your eyes. Do this several times to prevent eye strain.

Figure 8

The figure 8 eye exercise is rather simple to complete and can be an effective eye exercise. Focus on a point approximately 10 feet away from your eyes. Picture a large number 8 and then imagine it turned on its side, forming a figure 8 or infinity symbol. Trace this figure 8 with your eyes for around 2 minutes. After this, trace the figure 8 in reverse for an additional 2 minutes. This can help to stretch your eyes and prevent them from becoming strained with overuse. Doing the figure 8 exercise regularly is a great way to reduce the likelihood of damage occurring to your eyes, which substantially helps to protect your vision and improve your comfort.

Other Ways to Protect your Eyes

Though eye exercises have been shown to help minimize the likelihood of eye strain, few studies have shown that these exercises actually improve your vision. It is important to implement all of the steps necessary to protect the health of your eyes. You should obtain eye exams on a regular basis to ensure that any possible issues are discovered early on. You should also ensure that you wear sunglasses when you are outside to prevent damage from exposure to UV rays. Eating healthily can help to keep your eyes similarly healthy. Finally, it is important to follow the instructions of your optometrist and wear contacts or glasses as prescribed. Contrary to popular belief, prescription corrective methods won’t hurt your vision or make it worse.

Here at Wolcott Optical, we strive to provide all of the services necessary to protect the health of your eyes and ensure that you are able to see clearly. We carry a large selection of glasses with various frames, along with sunglasses. We are able to provide eye exams and other services to enhance the health of your eyes. To learn more about the many services that we offer, as well as how they can improve your vision, contact our experts today!

Many people are aware of the importance of wearing sunglasses during the summer to protect their vision. Fewer people, however, understand the impact that cold winter weather has on your eyes. There are multiple steps that you should take in order to protect your eyes throughout the cold months to keep them in the best possible condition. You rely on your vision daily to go about your life, so it is vital to take appropriate care of your eyes to keep them in optimal health, as well as ensure that you are able to see clearly throughout the winter.

Common Problems with Eyes in the Winter

There are many issues that can impact eyes during the winter months. One of the most common issues is dry eyes. Ultimately, warmer air has a higher capacity for holding moisture than cold air. When the air becomes cooler, it is less capable of holding moisture and, therefore, becomes dried out. This can cause both your skin and your eyes to dry out. Alternatively, watery eyes may become an issue in the cold winter months. This is often caused by the same issue. The dry air can cause eyes to overcompensate, providing tears to keep your eyes moisturized. Snow blindness is another common concern during the winter. UV rays reflect off of the snow, which can make it difficult to see on a sunny day. Wearing the appropriate gear can help to offset the problems consistent with snow blindness.

Use a Humidifier

The air in your home is likely to become much drier throughout the winter months. Adding a humidifier to your building can help to add more moisture into the air of your building. This will prevent the consistent dry air from drying out your eyes, keeping you much more comfortable throughout the winter. This can also be especially beneficial to your skin, which can also dry out excessively when the temperatures drop.

Point Heater Vents Away

The air from the heater of your car is often incredibly dry. Despite the higher temperatures, the heated air simply doesn’t have the opportunity to build up humidity. It is important to take care when you use the heater vents of your car. Refrain from having your heater vents pointed directly to your face to protect your eyes from the hot, dry air. This can go a long way toward preventing the eyes from drying out.

Eye Drops

As previously stated, dry eyes are one of the most common issues with the eyes during the winter. Keeping eye drops with you consistently can help to ensure that you can moisturize your eyes whenever the need arises.

Proper Sports Protection

There are multiple sports in the winter that require the use of protective equipment over the eyes. For one thing, snowboarding and skiing can result in significant amounts of possible debris that can damage your eyes. It is important to wear goggles whenever you engage in these activities. Many winter activities deal in exposure to snow and sunlight, which makes it important to use sunglasses.

Sunglasses

Most people wear sunglasses frequently in the summer months, but less often during the winter. However, it is vital to wear sunglasses in the winter, as well. In fact, snow reflects UV rays at a higher rate than even water, which can be incredibly detrimental to your vision. It is important to wear sunglasses in the winter to protect your eyes from UV rays caused by reflecting sunlight. There are many options available for sunglasses to ensure that you can obtain everything you need to protect your vision, no matter what the conditions outside are.

Consider Glasses Over Contacts

Your eyes will likely stay much drier in the winter months, which can make wearing contacts incredibly uncomfortable. In addition, dried out contacts can make it more difficult to see. Wearing glasses more often than contacts in the winter months can help to keep you more comfortable and allow you to see more clearly. However, you may want to ensure that your glasses have UV-ray protecting qualities.

Wear a Hat

A wide-brimmed hat can go a long way toward providing shade and protecting your eyes from the UV rays that reflect frequently from the sun. In addition, it is still important to wear sunscreen to protect your skin during winter, due to the extra reflection caused by snow.

Practice Good Hygiene

Pink eye is generally more common during the winter than other times of the year. This increases the importance of practicing good hygiene during this time. Make sure that you wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your eyes. This can prevent you from all of the negative effects that come from pink eye and other diseases of the eyes.

Visit your Optometrist

Seeing your optometrist regularly is an important component of keeping your eyes healthy. They will be able to find potential issues with the eyes in the early stages, which will make it much easier to treat them and protect your vision. If you are ever concerned regarding the health of your eyes, you should contact us and schedule an appointment for a thorough, effective eye exam.

Stay Hydrated

Many people drink less water during the winter months. However, this, in combination with the dry air, can lead to both the skin and the eyes becoming incredibly dried out. It is extremely important to ensure that you drink enough water and keep yourself hydrated during the winter. This will help to keep your eyes more moisturized, which can protect them from sustaining damage and keeping you far more comfortable.

Here at Wolcott’s Optical, we care about protecting the health of your eyes and ensuring that you are able to see clearly year round. We offer a large selection of glasses and sunglasses to provide you with the devices you need to be able to see clearly. Our expert team can help ensure that you are happy and able to optimize your vision. To learn more about how to keep your eyes healthy throughout the cold, dry winter months, contact us today!