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 when ocular allergy testing can target their specific allergens. Dr. Eduardo Besser offers specialized eye allergy testing that doesn’t require needles and only takes a few minutes to perform. Then, he develops a customized treatment plan to relieve allergies. To learn more about ocular allergy testing, call Dr. Besser’s office in the heart of Culver City, California, or book an appointment online.
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.
Some of the most common allergens include:
Patients with ocular allergies experience one or more of the following:
There are three primary types of atopic ocular allergies:
This is a seasonally recurring conjunctivitis that affects the peripheral cornea and most often develops in children and young adults.
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.
This common allergy produces a sudden ocular response to an airborne allergen. The reaction is often short-lived and episodic.
Ocular allergies can also arise from reactions to certain medications:
A response mediated by IgE antibodies produces a sudden hypersensitivity reaction that causes conjunctival swelling and intense itching. The most common drugs responsible for ocular allergies are penicillin, bacitracin, sulfacetamide, and anesthetics.
These allergic reactions are common and cause chronic red eye. They may occur any time after a week of using certain medications, especially antibiotics and antiviral drops.
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.
Dr. Besser uses the Doctor’s Rx Allergy Formula diagnostic test kit to identify the allergens causing each patient’s eye irritation. This kit differentiates among 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 doesn’t require needles or shots, and the test only takes three minutes.
Dr. Besser can analyze the results 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.
We see patients for Glaucoma, Cataract Surgery, General Ophthalmology, and more. Call us to see Dr. Besser at our Culver City, Ca Location today.
Dr. Besser is an eye doctor and eye surgeon located in Culver City, CA. Call us to book your appointment today: