It is quite challenging to differentiate between dry eyes and eye allergies. Symptoms such as itching, irritation, and eye redness are common in both eye conditions. As such, the symptoms may not really tell whether you have dry eye or allergies.

Besides, many patients do not remember the instances when their symptoms are most noticeable. Worse, some people may have both conditions, making it hard to get a diagnosis.

Diagnosing Dry Eye

Dry eye is an eye condition that causes your eyes to dry up because of a lack of lubrication and moisture. It happens when your eyes do not produce enough tears or when the tears are of poor quality.

Tears can be insufficient and of poor quality if your tear glands clog. This condition is called meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). The meibomian glands produce oil in your tears to prevent them from evaporating too quickly. So if the MGD glands are not working right, tears evaporate fast and cannot properly lubricate your eyes.

Symptoms of Dry Eye

Patients with dry eye experience:

• Dryness that could sometimes cause itchiness.
• Burning or stinging sensation.
• Grittiness or feeling like you have grains of sand inside your eyes.
• Teary eyes in some cases.
• Light sensitivity.
• Blurry vision.

Diagnosing Eye Allergies

Eye allergies are also known as allergic conjunctivitis. They are your eye’s reaction to dust, pollen, and pet dander. Once these allergens enter your eyes, the eyes produce histamine. Histamine makes your eyes itchy, red, and teary, a hypersensitive response to the allergens.

Telltale Signs of Eye Allergies

The telltale sign of eye allergies is itching. The itching can be so severe that you end up making your eyes red and teary from all the rubbing. Other common symptoms include:

• Puffiness and swelling around the eye.
• Allergic shiners or dark circles around the eye.
• Light sensitivity.
• Watery eyes.

So, Is It Dry Eye or Allergies?

The main symptom that distinguishes dry eye from allergies is itchiness. With allergies, your eyes may feel very itchy and burning. Unlike with allergies, itchiness from dry eye can be very minor. As such, you could be having eye allergies if you cannot stop rubbing your eyes.

You can also tell the difference between dry eye and allergies by the amount of tears you produce. Allergies can cause extreme and endless tearing. With dry eyes, you do not produce excess tears because your eyes cannot generate enough tears to begin with. Even though your eyes may tear because of dry eye, the tears are not as much as those you produce when you have eye allergies.

Lastly, swelling can help you distinguish between the two eye conditions. Allergies can cause puffiness or swelling around your eye, unlike dry eye.

Treatment

Treatment will vary depending on the condition that is upsetting your eyes. For allergies, your eye doctor may prescribe an antihistamine. Treatment options for dry eye differ from case to case. Your ophthalmologist may recommend prescription eye drops or advanced treatments that treat MGD.

During your visit, your eye doctor will check your eyes, determine what is causing your symptoms, and recommend suitable treatment.

To tell if you have dry eye or allergies, call Sacramento Eye Consultants at (916) 915-0300 to reach our office in Sacramento or Lincoln, California.