Ocular Allergy Testing
Approximately 20% of all children and adults have some form of ocular allergy or allergic conjunctivitis.
Many patients just endure their symptoms, but there’s no need to suffer – ocular allergy testing can target the specific allergens affecting your vision.
Using specialized eye allergy testing, Dr. Besser creates a customized treatment plan to relieve your allergies.
- no needles
- quick and painless
- results in 10-15 minutes
What Substances Trigger Ocular Allergies?
Some of the most common allergens include:
Pollen from grass, trees, and weeds
Dust mites
Mold
Pet dander
Cigarette smoke
What Are Ocular Allergies?
When patients have an eye allergy, their immune system overreacts to a substance in the environment and creates antibodies to identify the allergen.
In future exposures to the allergen, the immune system releases chemical mediators, usually histamine. Histamine then triggers symptoms associated with allergic reactions.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Ocular Allergies?
Patients with ocular allergies experience one or more of the following:
Swelling
Redness
Itching
Tearing
Discharge from the eye
A feeling that a foreign object is in the eye
What Types Of Allergies Affect The Ocular Surface?
We usually encounter three primary types of atopic ocular allergies when testing:
Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis
This is a seasonally recurring conjunctivitis that affects the peripheral cornea and most often develops in children and young adults.
Atopic Keratoconjunctivitis
This type is more likely to occur in older patients with a history of atopic dermatitis or eczema. It may cause more extensive corneal and conjunctival scarring.
Hay Fever Conjunctivitis Or Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis
This common allergy produces a sudden ocular response to an airborne allergen. The reaction is often short-lived and episodic.
Can Medications Cause an Allergic Eye Reaction?
Ocular allergies can also arise from reactions to certain medications:
IgE Mediated
A response mediated by IgE antibodies produces a sudden hypersensitivity reaction, causing swelling and itching. The most common drugs responsible for ocular allergies are penicillin, bacitracin, sulfacetamide, and anesthetics.
Toxic Papillary Reactions
These allergic reactions are common and cause chronic red eyes. They may occur any time after a week of using certain medications, especially antibiotics and antiviral drops.
Allergic Contact Reactions
This type of ocular response develops more slowly in response to topical medications.
Some patients also develop ocular allergies in response to contact lenses or from proteins in the tears that bind to the surface of the lens. Symptoms include redness, itching, and discharge.
How Are Ocular Allergies Diagnosed?
Dr. Besser uses the Doctor’s Rx Allergy Formula diagnostic testing kit to identify the allergens causing each patient’s eye irritation. This kit differentiates between ocular allergies, dry eyes, and blepharitis, which is important because they share similar symptoms.
The test kit is customized, with each panel testing for the 60 most common allergens of the region. It requires no needles or shots, and the diagnostic test only takes three minutes.
Dr. Besser can analyze the results of your eye allergy testing in just 10-15 minutes. He uses the information to develop a customized treatment plan, which may include a strategy to avoid allergens, prescription eye drops, or other medical therapies.
Get in touch with us or find out about our appointment options, and whether you should also get a comprehensive eye exam to complement your allergy testing. Our offices are located in Culver City, CA. We look forward to seeing you soon!