With the pollen count rising each day this time of year a great
number of patients call our offices at D’Ambrosio Eye Care complaining about
red, itchy and watery eyes. These are the typical symptoms of eye allergies.
But even with a thorough and careful exam of the ocular surface it can be
difficult to distinguish between ocular allergy and dry eye disease or other
ocular surface problem. While we have made good progress in dry eye testing and
diagnosis, up until now trying to find the cause of eye allergies and itchy eyes
often required intradermal testing by an allergist. These intradermal tests use
multiple injections to try and find the cause and it isn’t terribly comfortable
or convenient for patients. Now, we are quite pleased to have access to a
novel, FDA approved, pain-free way to test if a patient is allergic to up to 60
different ocular allergens with “no needle and no injections.”
About the New Liquid Antigen Eye Allergy Test
The new eye allergy test uses
liquid antigens on a plastic applicator that is placed on the patient’s forearm
with gentle pressure-and it provides results in less than 15 minutes. If the
patient is allergic to a particular allergen there is a small hive that forms
on their forearm. By more accurately determining if and to which antigens a patient
is allergic to it gives the doctor the ability to identify where they might be
present in the patient’s environment and deal with them accordingly, along with
the eye symptoms and signs of the allergy. This in office testing is covered by
almost all major health insurance companies.
Help for Red Itchy Eye Allergies
Knowing the cause of the
allergies helps us to determine the best course of treatment. Sometimes oral
antihistamines alone or with antihistamine or steroid eye drops are necessary
whereas in other cases we simply need to counsel and advise the patient to
remove and avoid the source of the allergen in their home or workplace. If you have allergies that cause you
to experience symptoms such as itchy watery eyes you may be one of a great many
allergy sufferers who could benefit from the advances in the diagnosis and
treatment of allergies.
If
you or someone you know suffers from itchy, red, watery eyes or eye allergies
please schedule an eye examination at D’Ambrosio Eye Care by calling us at
800-325-3937, visiting D’Ambrosio
Eye Care or facebook.com/dambrosioeyecare so that we can help recommend an
appropriate evaluation and treatment plan.
D'Ambrosio
Eye Care provides eye care for patients throughout greater Boston, central and
western Massachusetts with office locations at 479 Old Union Turnpike,
Lancaster, Massachusetts 01523, 100 Powder Mill Road, Acton, Massachusetts
01720, 413 Main Street, Athol, Massachusetts 01331 and 74 Main Street, Gardner,
Massachusetts 01440.
