Content

• Steps
• Warning

Itchy eyes are often caused by an allergic reaction that causes eye irritation. Itchy eyes can also be caused by conjunctivitis, eye fatigue, or eye strain. If your eyes are itchy and painful or you suspect an infection, you should see your doctor as soon as possible. On the other hand, if your eyes are just red, itchy, and free from infection, there are a variety of ways you can relieve the symptoms.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Coping with allergies

1. 

   Use a cold compress. If your eyes are itchy and irritated, you can try a cold compress. This also helps if the eyes are swollen and red. Prepare a soft cloth or towel. Soak the towel in cold water and squeeze out the water. Close your eyes, tilt your head back, then place a towel over your face. Take the towel out after 20 minutes. Repeat as much as possible to prevent further itching.
   • If you tilt your head back too long and cause neck pain, you can lie down with your eyes applied.

2. 

   
   
   Wash eyes. You may need to wash your eyes if your eyes are itchy and irritated. This step is also necessary if there is an allergen, such as dust, in the eye. First, tilt your head beside the sink and turn on the warm water. Gradually lean over and lower your head next to the water coming out of the tap (the water should not flow too hard). Let the water run into the eye for a few minutes or until all the allergen is removed.
   • You can also wash your eyes in the shower if the washing-up next to the sink is too inconvenient. Just make sure the water isn't too hot to avoid burning your eyes.

3. 

   
   
   Use eye drops. There are two types of over-the-counter eye drops that you can use. The first are antihistamine eye drops, which are anti-allergic to soothe red and itchy eyes. The second type is eye drops or artificial tears. Artificial tears help provide more moisture to the eyes, wash away allergens to reduce itchy eyes.
   • Famous brands of antihistamine eye drops include Alaway or Zaditor. Brands of artificial tears include Clear Eyes, Artificial Tears, and Visine Tears.
   • Alternatively, you can get a prescription for antihistamine eye drops from your doctor, such as Patanol. However, many experts believe that over-the-counter drugs are also effective for mild to moderate eye irritation.
   • Try putting the artificial eye drops in the refrigerator. Cold sensation eye drops will help you feel better and soothe the burning eye irritation.

4. 

   
   
   Avoid rubbing your eyes. Rubbing eyes when itchy is the worst thing to do. Rubbing the eyes will only make the symptoms worse. Rubbing puts pressure and friction on the irritated eye surface. Not only that, rubbing also brings the allergen from hand to eye and makes the itch worse.
   • Avoid eye contact. This means no eye makeup when the eyes are allergic.

5. 

   Protect eyes. You should wear sunglasses when going out to protect your eyes from environmental allergens. This step creates an extra protective layer for the eyes, preventing allergens from coming into contact with the eyes.
   • Protect eyes even when cleaning up. If you know that dirt and pet hair are potential allergens, you should wear eye protection when cleaning your home.
   • If your pet's hair is the cause of the allergy, avoid touching your eyes with your hands right after petting the pet.

6. 

   Remove contact lenses. Wearing contact lenses when the eyes are irritated will only aggravate the condition. The glasses will rub against the irritated eye. Contact lenses can also carry allergens that make eye irritation worse. So, you should replace your contact lenses with normal eyeglasses. This also helps the eyes rest and increases the protective layer for the eyes from allergens (if any).
   • If you don't have regular eyeglasses, you should use disposable contact lenses. This can prevent the allergen from accumulating in the lenses.
   • Remember to wash your hands before wearing or removing contact lenses. This step helps to prevent unnecessary spread of the allergen.

7. 

   Try an over-the-counter antihistamine. Eye allergies are mainly caused by allergens similar to nasal allergies, including dust, mold, pet hair, grass, and pollen. Because of the same allergen, taking an over-the-counter antihistamine can help relieve the symptoms of an allergic eye.
   • Non-sedating antihistamines that you can take during the day include Loratadine (Claritin), Fexofenadine (Allegra), or Cetirizine (Zyrtec).
   • Benadryl is also effective but causes drowsiness.
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Method 2 of 3: Dealing with conjunctivitis

1. 

   Recognize the symptoms. Conjunctivitis or red eye pain is another common cause of itchy eyes. Itchy eyes are not caused by red eye pain. However, if the itch is accompanied by many of the other symptoms below, then you may have red eyes:
   • Red eyes
   • Burning burn
   • Drainage from the eye, which may be white, clear, gray or yellow
   • Swollen eyes
   • Weep
   • A stinging sensation in the eyes

2. 

   Go to the doctor. Red eye pain can be caused by bacteria or a virus and is contagious for up to 2 weeks. Therefore, the disease should be treated as soon as possible to reduce the risk of transmitting it to others. You should see your doctor at the first sign of red eye pain.
   • Your doctor will examine your eyes and determine if your red eye pain is caused by bacteria or a virus. If you suspect a more serious problem, your doctor may conduct additional tests.

3. 

   Take an antibiotic. Most cases of red eye pain are caused by viruses. However, if it's determined by bacteria, your doctor can prescribe an antibiotic.Antibiotics help reduce the duration of the illness from a week to a few days. However, the antibiotic is ineffective in case of red eye pain caused by a virus.

4. 

   Try home remedies. Since there is no cure for the virus, there is currently no cure for viral red eye pain. Your doctor may prescribe an antiviral if the red eye pain is caused by certain viruses. In that case and in all cases of red eye pain, you can try simple home remedies to relieve eye allergies such as cold compresses, remove contact lenses, and limit contact and rubbing of your eyes. advertisement

Method 3 of 3: soothe the pain caused by tired eyes

1. 

   Recognize the symptoms. Another common symptom of itchy eyes is tired eyes. Tired eyes may feel itchy, sore, or stay tired. In addition, the eyes may also be blurred, watery, or sensitive to bright light.
   • See your doctor right away if you experience double vision (double vision). Prolonged eye strain may be a sign of another problem. If this persists, you should see your doctor right away.

2. 

   Reduce the cause of eye fatigue. Tired eyes are often caused by looking too long at an object, such as when walking on the street, sitting in front of a computer screen or reading a book. Try to reduce the amount of time you spend doing these activities if possible.
   • Trying to read or work in dim light can also cause eye strain. Increasing brightness will help reduce eye strain.
   • However, if you work on your computer or watch TV, the light is too bright to cause problems. Therefore, it is recommended to adjust the brightness so that it is not too glare.

3. 

   Rest your eyes. To reduce tired eyes, you need to rest your eyes. For example, the 20-20-20 rule applies. That is, every 20 minutes, you should take your eyes off the object that is causing you to focus for 20 seconds. The object you are looking at should be at least 6 meters away from your eyes. Repeat this process every 20 minutes while reading a book, using the computer, or looking at an object for an extended period of time.

4. 

   Change eyeglasses. Wearing the wrong glasses can sometimes cause eye fatigue. You should see your doctor and discuss the specific symptoms you are experiencing. Your doctor can help you cut new glasses for better fit. This will help reduce eye strain when using the computer or reading.

5. 

   Adjust work environment. When working with a computer, eyes get tired easily. Therefore, you should adjust so that the computer screen is 0.6 meters away from your eyes. In addition, the monitor should be below eye level or where the eye should look down.
   • Keep the computer screen clean as dust or dirt on the screen may strain your eyes to see clearly.
   • Use a soft cloth and glass cleaning solution to clean the screen. Turn off the computer screen before cleaning.
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Warning

• Even a seemingly benign symptom like an itchy eye can be a sign of a more serious problem like allergic conjunctivitis. Therefore, you should talk to your ophthalmologist about persistent eye problems.