Managing Allergic Conjunctivitis: Symptoms and Treatments

Allergic conjunctivitis is an eye inflammation caused by allergen exposure, leading to redness and itching.
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Eye Health | Allergies | Immunotherapy | Eye Allergy | Conjunctivitis Treatment | Itchy Eyes | Pollen Allergy
Prepared by Lee Cheng, reviewed by Dr. Helena Rodriguez

Allergic Conjunctivitis FAQ


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What causes allergic conjunctivitis?

Common triggers for allergic conjunctivitis include household dust, pollen, mold spores, pet dander, household detergents, and perfumes. Pollen is a common cause of seasonal allergies, but a persistent allergy may be due to dust or animal dander, allergens that are present all year. How long does it take for allergic conjunctivitis to go away?

What is seasonal allergic conjunctivitis?

Seasonal allergic conjunctivitis — occurs periodically and is associated with seasonal allergens (such as tree and grass pollen). Perennial allergic conjunctivitis — associated with non-seasonal environmental allergens often found in the home (such as house dust mites, mould spores, or animal dander).

What are the symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis?

Some people become sensitised to cosmetics, eye make-up, eye drops or other chemicals that come into contact with the conjunctiva. This then causes an allergic response and symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis. In this condition the skin on the eyelids may also become inflamed. It is then called contact dermatoconjunctivitis.

Can allergic conjunctivitis cause pink eye?

Intense itching of the eyes is a symptom only associated with eye allergies. Pink eye caused by viral conjunctivitis often starts in one eye and spreads to the other, while eye allergies usually affect both eyes at once. Viral conjunctivitis can be highly contiguous, which is different from the noncontagious allergic conjunctivitis

What is allergic conjunctivitis?

Allergic conjunctivitis is an inflammation that affects the thin layer of tissue that covers part of the front of the eye and the inside of the eyelids (conjunctiva). It is not normally serious, and is sometimes referred to as pink or red eye. There are two other forms of conjunctivitis – bacterial and viral.

Does allergic conjunctivitis affect vision?

Allergic conjunctivitis causes red, watery, itchy or gritty eyes. The condition is not usually painful and does not make eyes sensitive to light. It does not affect vision. The most common cause is an allergy to pollen in the hay fever season.

What does allergic conjunctivitis look like?

Allergic conjunctivitis usually causes pink or red itchy eyes. The eyes are normally watery and other allergy symptoms such as sneezing and a runny nose may be present. These are part of the body’s defence mechanism to things it sees as foreign and harmful.

How common is allergic conjunctivitis?

About 20% of people have some degree of allergic conjunctivitis. (See also Overview of Conjunctival and Scleral Disorders .) Seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (hay fever conjunctivitis) and year-round or perennial allergic conjunctivitis (atopic conjunctivitis, atopic keratoconjunctivitis) are the most common types of allergic reaction in the eyes.

Allergic Conjunctivitis References

If you want to know more about Allergic Conjunctivitis, consider exploring links below:

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