How To Treat Swollen Eyes Caused By Allergies, According to Allergists

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Allergies can wreak havoc on your entire body—everything from rashes and sneezing to chest tightness and vomiting. Your eyes can also be affected by allergies, by way of a condition called allergic conjunctivitis, or swollen eyes or eyelids, caused by an allergen.

Different allergens can cause allergic conjunctivitis, including animal dander, mold, and dust mites, per MedlinePlus, a resource from the US National Library of Medicine. When your eyes are exposed to an allergy-causing substance, this causes your body to release a substance called histamine. When this happens, the blood vessels in your conjunctivae—the membranes that cover the fronts of your eyes and line the inside of your eyelids—become swollen.

When you’re experiencing allergic conjunctivitis, it might be difficult to tell which part of the eye, exactly, is swollen—and the answer isn’t always the same, Feryal Hajee, MD, an allergist and immunologist at Metropolitan Asthma and Allergy in Little Silver, New Jersey, tells Health. Sometimes, when a person is suffering from allergic conjunctivitis, the actual eyeball is swollen. This should warrant an immediate trip to a medical facility. However, other times, the eyelid is swollen, which should be treated, but doesn’t necessarily warrant a trip to the emergency room, says Dr. Hajee.

What is allergic conjunctivitis?

Allergic conjunctivitis has been associated with other allergy-related health conditions, says Dr. Hajee, including eczema (a rash caused by allergies), asthma, and allergic rhinitis (or seasonal allergies). She adds that allergic conjunctivitis can be worse for patients who also suffer from dry eye syndrome.

In addition to swelling, the following are symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA):

What are the symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis?

If your symptoms are severe, your doctor might recommend allergy shots, which work by slowly building up your body’s tolerance to your allergens, according to the AAFA. However, there’s a good chance that won’t be necessary. “Eye allergy symptoms may disappear completely when the allergen is removed,” per the AAFA.

MedlinePlus adds that other symptoms—like if your vision is affected or you have a severe headache—also warrant emergency medical treatment.

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