Eye allergy in children

By: Boniface Kagumba, 
Consultant  Dietitian
(Submitted To Baby Love Magazine) 

If you have been following the articles in this column, by now you have got immense information on the many types of allergy that we have been discussing. You may also have some hints of the major causes of allergy of which most of them are related, by now the mention of the word allergen and histamine maybe familiar to you too.

Today we proceed to another allergy common in adults and children as well, the Eye allergy. The most common form of eye allergy is referred to allergic conjunctivitis. According to Dr. James Kinyajui, a General Practitioner, there are many non-allergic reactions that may affect your child’s eye with similar symptoms to those of an eye allergy. His advice is that it’s always wise to consider taking your child to an ophthalmologist or your pediatrician for proper diagnosis and treatment before treating any symptoms yourself.

What is eye allergy?

Eye allergy is a common condition that occurs when the eye reacts to something that irritates them (invader/allergen) just like in any other allergy the body releases substance called histamines to fight against these invaders as a result the eyelids and the conjunctiva (membrane that covers the inside of the eyelids and the white of the eye) itches, become red and swollen.

The above symptoms may be accompanied by a nasal allergy, though not always, with an itchy stuffy nose and sneezing

Major allergen

The most common allergens that may cause an eye allergy are dust, animal dander, perfumes, as well as pollen or even food. If the exposure is more the allergy can be more severe with significant burning and itching and even sensitivity to the eye

Children with a history of any other allergy are more likely to suffer from an eye allergy. However allergic conjunctivitis is not spread from one person to the other unlike other bacterial infections.

Diagnosis and treatment

In order to treat an eye allergy proper diagnosis is required to confirm that the reaction is an allergy. Your Doctor or ophthalmologist will examine your child’s eye and discuss the medical history including the child’s history and the family history. The doctor may also use a microscope to check for sign of allergies such as swollen blood vessels on the surface of the eye or if it’s not completely clear that your child has an allergy the doctor may choose to test specific type of white blood cells called eosinophil that shows up in the areas where there is an allergic reaction.

The key treatment to any allergy is to avoid the allergen that causes a reaction to occur. If necessary an allergist or ophthalmologist may perform a skin test to identify a specific allergen. The doctor may help you identify the allergen responsible for your child’s allergy thus making it easy to keep your child away from them as well as determining the best treatment for your baby.

For mild eye allergy, over the counter eye drops can be used to treat the reactions. However there are eye drops that will require prescription. These drugs may be sold as decongestant with or without an antihistamine which helps relieve the itchiness. These eye drops cannot be used for more than three days as long-term use may increase the irritating symptoms

The eye drop that may not necessarily require prescriptions are mainly the artificial tears which can be used any time they are needed they also help relieve eye allergies temporarily by washing allergen from the eye.

Eye drops with both antihistamine to relieve itchiness and a mast cell stabilizer to help prevent eye allergy may also be used.

 A home remedy for mild eye allergy can also be used, this involve washing off the allergen your baby’s face with warm water and a clean cloth.  Use a wet cloth to clean the eyelids and the surrounding face. Rinse the eyes using a small amount of warm water and tears will do the rest. Then apply a cold wash cloth to the itchy eye. Wash the hair every night as it collects a lot of allergens during the day

Steroid eye drops helps treat chronic and severe eye allergy symptoms such as itching, redness and swelling. Dr.Kinyajui suggests that these are among the eye drops that require prescription from your doctor as some children may react to the steroid.

Your child may also be given oral antihistamines such as cetirizine these however, can make the eye dry and worsen the eye allergy symptoms to some kids and therefore require prescription from a specialist as well

If the symptoms are not controlled by allergen avoidance, eye drops or oral medicine the doctor may decide to use immunotherapy (allergic shots) just like in any other severe allergy we have discussed previously.

Immunotherapy involve giving shots containing tiny amounts of the allergen thought to cause the allergic symptoms with the  dose gradually increasing over time helping the body to become immune to the allergen. 

Remember prevention is better than cure, as a parent when you realize what allergen triggers your child’s allergic reactions always make sure they are free from this allergen as much as possible. Always consider doctor advice before using the over the counter medicine