Eye allergies are surprisingly common in children in South Africa and unfortunately, this phenomenon appears to be on the increase.

Some children will experience eye allergies as infants and young children but outgrow it as adults, while others will continue to battle with it right into adulthood.

If one of the child’s biological parents suffers from some form of allergy, there’s a 40% to 50% chance that the child will have some sort of allergy as well. That probability jumps to 75% to 80% percent when both biological parents have allergies. An allergy describes the “over excited” way in which the body reacts to something in the environment which it sees as foreign. This foreign substance is called an allergen.

Outdoor allergens include pollens, diesel exhaust and petrol fumes. While indoor culprits encompass pet dander, dust mites, mold, and cigarette smoke. A child can come into contact with an allergen by touching it, breathing it in or eating it. The following image has been borrowed from Adam, Inc. which shows some of the various types of culprits that can cause allergic reactions in children whose body sees them as foreign.

In a child with allergies, the body mistakenly identifies the foreign object (seen in example above) as a serious threat, which in turn triggers a cascade of immune mediated enzymes and chemicals to be released into the body to fight off this intruder. This overzealous reaction can cause a range of symptoms from having mildly itchy eyes, to chronic scarring with resultant loss of vision.

Symptoms may only occur during certain seasons such as spring when flowers start to blossom or may be present throughout the year due to continual exposure to something like house dust mites.

Once a diagnosis of allergic eye disease has been made by your eye specialist, there are a variety of management protocols that can be followed. The simplest of these is to avoid the possible triggers. Many allergens that cause eye allergies are difficult to identify, but there are a few general procedures that can be helpful:

In addition to avoiding triggers, your child’s eyes can be made more comfortable by using medication.

Some symptoms can be controlled by using over-the-counter medication such as artificial tears, a decongestant drop and oral antihistamines. There are two important factors to be considered when taking these medications. OTC decongestant eye drops should not be used for more than two to three days. Prolonged use can create a “rebound effect” – increased swelling and redness that may last even after discontinuing the drops.OTC Antihistamine tablets may cause dry eyes and potentially worsen eye allergy symptoms.

Prescribed drops include preparations such as antihistamines, mast cell stabilizers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and corticosteroids. Your eye specialist will determine which combination of these treatments are the most appropriate for your child.