Allergies

Image of a young girl blowing her nose.

Caused by the same irritants as hay fever, runny nose, coughing, and sneezing, eye allergies commonly affect those who suffer from other allergy symptoms. Not only do eye allergies cause discomfort, but they can also interfere with daily activities.

Eye Allergy Causes

Medically referred to as allergic conjunctivitis, individuals who are predisposed to allergic reaction experience eye allergies when they come into contact with allergens (substances which prove harmless to others, like pollen, mold, dust, and pet dander). In addition to these allergens, some eye allergy sufferers also experience reactions to perfumes, smoke, cosmetics, insect bites/stings, foods, and the preservatives found in eye drops.

When an allergy sufferer's eyes come into contact with an allergen, his or her immune system reacts, and cells known as mast cells release histamine to try to combat the allergen. Histamine causes the symptoms associated with eye allergies.

Eye Allergy Symptoms

When mast cells in the eyes release histamine to fight off allergens, the eye lids, conjunctiva (membrane covering the underside of the eyelid), and sclera (white of the eye) become irritated. This leads to swelling, redness, watering, burning, and itching. Severe eye allergies can also cause light sensitivity. Though it appears similar, unlike pink eye (bacterial or viral conjunctivitis), allergic conjunctivitis is not contagious.

Who Is at Risk?

Eye allergies affect up to 30 percent of adults and 40 percent of children. While anyone can be born with or develop allergies, people whose parents suffer from allergies are more likely to have allergies.

Diagnosis and Treatment

If you suffer from eye allergy symptoms, an eye care professional can provide you with a proper diagnosis, ruling out bacterial or viral conjunctivitis. Often over the counter eye drops formulated for allergy relief are often sufficient treatment. If they do not provide enough relief, an eye care professional can recommend or prescribe other methods of treatment such as decongestants, oral antihistamines, eye drops with antihistamine and mast stabilizer, corticosteroids, or immune therapy shots.

Eye Allergy Prevention

The best way to prevent eye allergies is to avoid eye allergens. Keep windows closed and stay indoors as much as possible during allergy season, replace air conditioning filters with high quality filters that trap allergens, reduce exposure to animals, wash bedding in hot water to remove allergens, and reduce humidity in the home to prevent mold growth.

Location

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Hours of Operation

Please be advised that although all offices are open on Monday's, we do have limited staff in all 3 locations.

Beaverton Location

Monday:

8:00 am-6:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am-6:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am-6:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-6:00 pm

Friday:

8:00 am-5:30 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Hillsboro Location (Imbrie Dr)

Monday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Tuesday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Wednesday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Thursday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Friday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Saturday:

9:00 am-4:00 pm

Sunday:

Closed

Hillsboro Location (First Ave)

Monday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Tuesday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Wednesday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Thursday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Friday:

9:00 am-6:00 pm

Saturday:

Closed

Sunday:

Closed

Testimonials

Reviews From Our Satisfied Patients

  • "I have been a patient of Sunset Vision Center the last couple of years, and I have always had a great experience here. The staff is extremely nice and always try to do the best for you by considering your budget and insurance requirements. At the Imbrie Drive location, Vanessa (who is awesome) explained what I can look for when choosing various frames and the differences between frames. Leo is also amazing and helped me decide the best frame keeping in mind the insurance coverage. The doctors always do a great job, and my prescription has fixed any specific vision issues I had."
    Arun V.
  • "I highly recommend sunset vision center! My appointment scheduling was smooth and the knowledge of the staff was exceptional! I had a lot of questions concerning eyeglasses and sunglasses and I was very impressed with the compassion they had for me while I was trying to make a decision!

    VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND CARING STAFF!!

    THANK YOU SUNSET VISION CENTER!!"
    Kelley H.
  • "Went here to renew my prescription and the amazing staff made it quick and easy. I would recommend Sunset Vision Center to anyone, they are really nice and are more than happy to work with your insurance!"
    Trevor W.