Allergy to contact lenses symptoms. Can allergies occur when using contact lenses?

At various diseases eyes and deterioration of visual ability cannot be avoided without the use of special means. Glasses are increasingly being replaced by contact lenses, which relieve the eyes of a kind of obstruction. However, negative reactions to contact lenses often occur. After the first appeared alarming symptoms needs to be done emergency measures to stay healthy.

Why does the reaction occur?

Allergy to lenses is a common occurrence. However, it is not always caused by a vision correction product. It is important to differentiate an allergic reaction to lenses from the effects of other irritants.

1. Sometimes symptoms similar to a lens allergy can occur during allergy season.
2. The occurrence of irritation can be affected by an incorrectly selected solution for products.
3. If all causes are excluded, then individual intolerance to lenses can be assumed. However, this phenomenon can be diagnosed only after consultation with an ophthalmologist or allergist.

Signs of an allergic reaction

Signs of an allergy appear very quickly. Typically, a few minutes after starting to wear lenses, a person may feel:

burning sensation;

pain in the eyes;

dryness of the mucous membrane, which has an irritating effect;

redness of the eyelids;

swelling of the mucous membrane;

tearfulness.

Symptoms manifest themselves in each situation individually. A person may not have all the symptoms at the same time, and may experience only some reactions. Negative manifestations may intensify if eye contact with the irritant continues. The situation can also be aggravated by rubbing or scratching the eyes.

Often the signs do not appear in the products themselves, but in the solution that is used to clean them. After all, lenses that are made from high-quality raw materials often do not lead to negative changes in the body.
Sometimes signs are observed not due to allergies, but during a reaction to penetration foreign body into the eye area. In this case, they tend to disappear without treatment after some time.
If the reaction occurs from exposure to dust, lint or pollen, the symptoms may be similar to those of a lens allergy. In this case, it is important to consult a doctor in time, who will diagnose the disease and also prescribe treatment depending on the specific manifestations.

Steps to resolve the reaction

If signs of irritation begin while using lenses, you can try to eliminate them yourself.

Reaction to solution

While wearing lenses, the eyes come into contact not only with the optical product, but also with the means with which it is cared for. Therefore, a reaction often occurs specifically to the solution. In this case, an allergy can appear even to a high-quality lens care product.
Some components included in the solution cause an individual reaction in the consumer. For one person, a care product may be ideal, but for another, the solution becomes a source of negative reaction. Therefore, it is important to choose a liquid that suits allergy sufferers in all respects.
If a reaction appears before your eyes, but there is still no definitive diagnosis, then you can check the solution for allergenicity yourself at home. This does not require much time and effort: you just need to change the liquid to another. When symptoms disappear, you should think about the need to change the permanent solution to a higher quality product.

When choosing a new product, you should carefully study its composition. It is best to choose a solution that differs in composition from the previous one. After all, you may be allergic to one of its components. When choosing a solution, it is worth remembering that frequent change cleaning fluid can also cause major changes. Therefore, it is necessary to make a decision based on 2-3 means.
If no negative manifestations were observed before the onset of irritation or if the symptoms did not disappear after changing the product, then most likely the allergy did not appear to the lenses. In this case, it is worth looking for other reasons for the reaction.

Allergy treatment

If characteristic features have not disappeared, an urgent consultation with an ophthalmologist is necessary. He will examine your eyes to look for any negative signs. If an allergic reaction is detected, it is indicated compulsory visit allergist. He prescribes symptomatic treatment.

Folk remedies

Before visiting a doctor, you can independently reduce discomfort using traditional medicine.

Chamomile has a powerful antiseptic effect. Therefore, a decoction of flowers can be used as compresses or rinses. To prepare it, you need to take 20 g of herb, and then pour a glass of boiling water. The solution must be infused for an hour.
Also, similar procedures can be carried out using loose leaf tea. The brewed solution can be used to wash irritated eyes. It is recommended to apply the remaining tea leaves to the surface of the eyelids.
Eye diseases can lead to serious irreversible consequences. Therefore, if an allergy to lenses occurs, it is necessary to visit a medical facility to diagnose the disease, as well as to begin proper treatment.

Lenses for people with visual impairments are a necessity. With the help of lenses you can change the image and color of your eyes, but there is a stereotype that Contact lenses can harm your eyes, cause allergies and tearing. However, this is not an entirely correct opinion and is completely unfounded.

Irritation from contact lenses

It must be admitted, of course, that redness of the eyes is not uncommon for those who wear contact lenses. But this cannot be called an allergy in the usual sense of the word. Rather, it is a reaction to a foreign body that goes away on its own. Lenses themselves, if they are made of high-quality materials, cannot be a source of allergies. It is more likely that lens care solution can cause such reactions than the lenses themselves.

Allergies that manifest as red eyes can have many various reasons. People who are generally predisposed to allergic reactions to natural phenomena, may have red eyes due to pollen from flowers or, for example, due to poplar fluff. And other seasonal phenomena can be the causes of such an illness, then redness will appear seasonally along with the cause of irritation. In this case, you should definitely visit not only an ophthalmologist, but also an allergy specialist, who will help identify the cause of the allergic reaction and prescribe appropriate treatment. However, there is no need to put off going to the ophthalmologist; perhaps behind the innocent redness of the eyes there is some more serious illness and you need urgent and thorough treatment to protect yourself from complications.

Allergy to contact lenses: what to do?

Redness can catch you at the most inopportune moment, when you do not have the opportunity to visit an ophthalmologist. In this case, you need to know several procedures emergency care, which will ease your suffering until you can get an appointment with a doctor.

First, you must always have special eye drops on hand that can cleanse the lacrimal gland of dust or allergen. These can be not only drops, but also special preparations containing artificial tears, which resemble our ordinary tears in their composition and are very close to them. These products should be instilled into the eyes as often as possible.

Secondly, you need to wash your face as often as possible, which will also help quick removal source of allergies from the eyes. Of course, just washing your face will not save you from allergies, but it will significantly help relieve irritation, along with eye drops.

Thirdly, you need to change the solution to a better one, and also perform it as often as possible mechanical cleaning contact lenses. Today there are special solutions that can not only store lenses, but also simultaneously clean them while you are not wearing them.

And finally, fourthly, do not forget about sunglasses, which also provide additional protection from dust and allergens.

Contact lens solution

Confirm that the cause of the allergy is contact lenses is exactly the solution for storing them, not difficult. Just change the solution and watch how your eyes react. A decrease in irritation clearly indicates that you are using a solution that is not suitable for you or Low quality. The cause of the allergy in this case may be a reaction to some component (preservative or active substance) solution. Because of this, it is worth trying other solutions. However, there are nuances here. For example, if before irritation you did not have any complaints about the solution or the behavior of your eyes, most likely the reason is not in the solution. If you have already decided to try a different solution for storing lenses, then you don’t need to try everything. You need to stop at 2-3 solutions, since such experiments may not end very well. After changing the solution, you need to monitor the reaction of the eyes - if the irritation persists, then most likely the problem is not in the solution at all.

Many people do not use eye drops because they consider their use unnecessary. However, when they are used, the natural acid-base balance, they additionally lubricate the lenses and make them more comfortable to wear. In addition, the use of such drops reduces the risk infectious diseases. Also, such drops can be used not only while wearing lenses, because the composition of the drops is close to natural.

In addition to lenses, you also need to carefully consider the issue of lens solution, since it must have minimal allergic properties. The lenses themselves must be soft and the surface uniform. There are special “breathing” lenses that allow oxygen to pass through to the eyes and therefore do not require mandatory removal after a certain time. Today they produce “breathable” lenses that can be worn without taking them off for up to a month. According to ophthalmologists, wearing such lenses reduces the risk of developing infections.

Separately, it is worth mentioning containers for lenses, or rather, once again remind you of the rules for caring for containers for lenses. You cannot rinse the containers with ordinary running water, only boiled water, and this must be done after each use of the lenses.

Contact lenses are very convenient and comfortable. They, of course, have several disadvantages. For example, you should always have a bottle of solution and a container for lenses with you in reserve. However, despite their not very low price, the lenses are still quite affordable and very comfortable to wear. And even with allergic reactions, lenses partially relieve inflammation, rather than support it.

Despite all the undeniable advantages of contact lenses over glasses, they have one significant drawback - for many people, wearing lenses causes an allergic reaction, forcing them to return to glasses. This creates discomfort in everyday and professional life, since glasses are uncomfortable during activities. active species sports, swimming, and in some professions.

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What is an allergy? By this term, doctors mean the body’s increased sensitivity to various substances, manifested by symptoms of an allergic disease. Substances that cause such a reaction are called allergens. They affect the human immune system, so all types of allergies are of immune origin.

Ophthalmologists distinguish six main types eye allergies, and all of them manifest themselves in the form of conjunctivitis: seasonal and year-round allergic conjunctivitis, spring conjunctivitis, atopic conjunctivitis, giant papillary conjunctivitis, acute allergic conjunctivitis. If a person suffers from one of these allergies, wearing contact lenses poses a risk of developing it.

This is interesting:
According to statistics, in the United States, 25% of the population suffers from allergies to contact lenses; in Europe, every third resident suffers. Doctors say that the situation will worsen every year, and in ten years half the population will become allergic European countries. The vast majority of people suffering from allergies are between the ages of 18 and 34.

On average, 12% of people use contact lenses. total number people suffering from certain refractive errors. Of these, in 7% the allergy either does not manifest itself at all, or manifests itself slightly and only from time to time. The remaining 5% are permanent allergy sufferers.

The fact that a person is prone to allergies does not mean that he should necessarily refuse to wear contact lenses. With a moderate degree of manifestation allergic reactions Their use is quite acceptable, but subject to constant monitoring by a contact specialist. In other words, if you follow medical recommendations and rules for wearing contact lenses, the risk of allergies will be minimal. You need to be more careful and try to prevent the occurrence of allergies - after all, it is much easier to take preventive measures than to treat an allergic reaction that has already developed. This is especially true for those whose parents suffered or suffer from allergies, since it is inherited.

As for prevention, everything is purely individual. Necessary measures the doctor will tell you after examination and delivery necessary tests. However, there are several generally accepted rules that help reduce the likelihood of developing allergies. Firstly, it often occurs in people who use contact lenses to care for chemical substances. As a rule, with the help of a doctor you can choose special means for lens care, not causing reactions for a specific person. Secondly, lenses, especially long-term wear ones, should be kept clean. In general, ideally, it is better to change lenses more often - even with careful care, deposits accumulate on them over time, which can cause allergies. Thirdly, allergy sufferers need to avoid situations and conditions that can trigger an allergic reaction: tobacco smoke, dusty rooms, dirt getting into the eyes, and so on.

Of course, it is impossible to completely avoid contact with allergens - from a smoky room, for example, you can simply go out to Fresh air, but what about the plant pollen floating in the air during the flowering period? There is only one way out: try to minimize the time spent outside, keep the windows closed and take anti-allergy medications.

No less often, an allergic reaction develops in people to dogs, cats and other animals. Naturally, in this case it is better to give the animal to friends, relatives or to a special shelter. But allergy sufferers should remember that if a cat or dog lived directly in the apartment, allergens will still remain there and remain active for several months. During this period, it is recommended to take antiallergic medications.

Almost every inhabitant of the planet has experienced allergies at least once in their life, and this attack can take each of us by surprise.

Prevalence allergic diseases V modern world very large, more frequent changes in a state of health cannot be found. The number of cases of allergies and their severity are steadily growing all over the world, especially in developed countries, so that it can safely be classified as a disease of civilization. According to disappointing forecasts, the number of allergy sufferers doubles every decade.

What is it allergy?

Allergy- This increased sensitivity body on various kinds irritants, substances, food - in one word allergens. Allergens can be dust, pollen, products household chemicals, animal fur, cosmetics, certain types food, medicines and many others.

Important role in the development trigger allergic condition plays a role in the functioning of the immune system. Complex the immune system may exhibit inexplicable failures, reacting inadequately to harmless stimuli.

Each individual allergen can provoke a number of diseases. However, the symptoms of these reactions will vary depending on the organ in which histamine is released - a factor in the development of the body's allergic response, which, under the influence of an allergen, is released in the body and leads to the appearance of typical symptoms allergies, and from the sensitivity of the person himself.
Any allergic reaction is characterized by redness of the mucous membranes and skin, swelling, irritation nerve cells. An allergy-prone person may suddenly develop dry irritating cough, causeless frequent runny nose, your skin starts to itch and your eyes water. With allergies, fatigue increases, irritability increases, and immunity decreases.

Like any other part of our body, the eye can also overreact to certain external stimuli, even if these are absolutely harmless substances.

Eye allergies- swelling and redness of the mucous membrane (conjunctiva) of the eyes and skin of the eyelids (dermatitis) caused by contact with the allergen.
Due to anatomical and physiological characteristics the eye is vulnerable to various allergens. A large number of Allergens - substances that cause an allergic reaction - are found in the air, as a result of which they easily come into contact with the surface of the eyes and nose. Such allergens include: dust, pollen and pet dander, and volatile chemicals. Much less often, the cause of allergic reactions in the eyes can be allergens that enter the body through other routes - food, medications, insect bites, etc.
Often an allergic reaction is caused by substances that come into direct contact with the skin of the eyelids and the surface of the eye - cosmetical tools and medications in the form eye drops and ointments.

Eye allergies are manifested by redness and swelling of the mucous membrane and eyelids, itching, lacrimation, photophobia, and sometimes blurred vision.

Main species allergic conjunctivitis are:
1. Seasonal (hay fever) allergic conjunctivitis is most often caused by pollen from grasses and trees that bloom in spring and summer. Manifestations of this type Eye allergies are seasonal and disappear in the autumn-winter period.
2. Chronic allergic conjunctivitis. The disease progresses throughout the year. Symptoms of eye allergies are not so clear.
3. Allergic conjunctivitis when wearing contact lenses. Once placed on the eye, lenses cause discomfort by irritating the eyes, causing itching and other eye allergy symptoms.
4. Large papillary conjunctivitis. Inflammation begins when a foreign body enters the eye, which becomes an irritant. Reasons: contact lenses, stitches after ophthalmological operations; eye prostheses, etc.
5. Infectious-allergic conjunctivitis. Occurs against the background of chronic bacterial infection conjunctiva, eyelids, nasopharynx, and oral cavity.
6. Drug-induced allergic conjunctivitis. Any drug can cause eye allergies. As a rule, an acute reaction develops within an hour after taking the medicine.

If a person suffers from one of these allergies, wearing contact lenses poses a risk of developing it. However, don't despair. There is always a way out. A person prone to allergies should know that the presence of allergies does not mean that he should necessarily stop wearing contact lenses. In cases where the manifestation of allergic reactions is moderate, wearing contact lenses is acceptable, but you must be regularly monitored by a contact specialist.
To successfully wear contact lenses, contact lens users need to follow several generally accepted rules to help reduce the likelihood of developing allergies.

Firstly, the best way preventing the development of an allergic reaction is the maximum possible elimination allergen and prevention of contact with it. Allergy sufferers need to avoid situations and conditions that can provoke an allergic reaction: being in dusty and smoky rooms, in rooms with dry air-conditioned air, and also, if possible, leaving places where plants bloom, causing allergies. Contact lens users in difficult period may additionally wear corrective or Sunglasses, the frame of which fits tightly to the face. You should keep your windows closed, this also applies to car windows.

Secondly, important:
1. Strictly follow the rules for wearing contact lenses.
The first, easiest step is to limit your daily contact lens wear to a few hours.
Next condition comfortable wearing of contact lenses for allergies - the use of frequently replaced contact lenses, since even with careful care, deposits accumulate on them over time, which can cause allergies.
The most advanced soft contact lenses that provide comfort and safety when worn include, for example, silicone hydrogel lenses and. The planned turnover method was supported by research data on positive impact frequent replacement of contact lenses to reduce complaints and alleviate allergy symptoms. In part, this method reduces contact time with tear deposits and airborne allergens.
However, an ideal choice for contact lens wearers prone to allergic manifestations, daily replacement contact lenses remain. Using daily disposable contact lenses allows you to wear clean, fresh lenses every day, which prevents pollen and other allergens from building up on your lenses. Daily lens does not require disinfection. This means that the risk of a toxic-allergic reaction to the disinfectant solution is completely eliminated.
It is also possible to switch to wearing soft contact lenses made of another material, which will be devoid of allergenic properties for the patient.

2. Carefully care for them (lipid-protein deposits significantly increase the risk of developing allergic conjunctivitis), use solutions that do not cause allergic reactions.
In some cases, patients with hypersensitivity to components of multifunctional solutions may need to switch to one of the peroxide systems. A significant advantage of all peroxide systems is that they do not contain preservatives. Obtained by neutralizing peroxide saline solution isotonic and absolutely safe for all eyes. These contact lens care products include a solution OptiFree.
For patients suffering from allergies, Western experts recommend not to skip the procedure of mechanical cleaning of contact lenses with their fingers, even if they use a multifunctional solution labeled “No Rub”.

Thirdly, it is important for female contact lens wearers to know that the powerful beauty industry has created special cosmetics for them that are compatible with wearing contact lenses. Therefore, now women who do not want to sacrifice beauty have a whole arsenal of safe, hypoallergenic cosmetics. These products contain a minimal amount of preservatives and do not contain artificial flavors or colors.

First of all, remember that before any manipulation with contact lenses, you must wash your hands thoroughly. Be especially careful when choosing soap, give preference to products without oils and fragrances.
Lenses are placed on the eyes before makeup is applied. Makeup should be removed after removing lenses. To remove cosmetics, it is advisable to use water-based products.

Experts say that particles of cosmetics do not remain only on eyelashes and eyelids - cosmetics always end up on the mucous membrane of the eye. Even powder, when applied to the skin of the face, gets into the eyes.

If you wear makeup and contact lenses, mascara with a waterproof effect is preferable. Change mascara
A contour pencil is preferable to liquid eyeliners - they can crumble.
Do not use the pencil in the area between the eye and the lash line (inner mucous surface). It can get into the eye and cause irritation or staining of the lens. In addition, using a pencil in this area blocks the outlets of the small glands that secrete secretions to nourish the eyelashes.
When choosing shadows, it is important to consider that dry shadows can crumble. Oil-based shadows, on the one hand, are better, but on the other hand, they are more difficult to remove when removing makeup. You should avoid using shiny, pearlescent and matte eyeshadows, because... They contain tixel, which can cause rust to form on the lenses.
If you use hairspray, aerosol deodorants or perfume, you should close your eyes tightly. When you have finished spraying the product, open your eyes after the aerosol cloud has settled.

Fourthly, you should also avoid stress and strong emotions that aggravate an allergy attack or atopic dermatitis, and even cause them in a person with an allergic predisposition. These factors do not underlie the disease, but contribute to an increase in the frequency of attacks or an increase in the reaction of the immune system.

To relieve allergy symptoms, local and systemic therapy is used.
The main drugs for reducing and eliminating allergic reactions are histamine receptor blockers and membrane stabilizers mast cells. These medicines prevent the release of substances in the body that cause clinical manifestations allergies. The drugs are produced both as eye drops and as oral medications.

To assess your eye health and select contact lenses, you should consult a doctor at an optical salon. In many cases, the problem that has arisen can be relatively easily solved by a contact specialist.