EYES, ITCHY AND BURNING: DESCRIPTION AND POSSIBLE MEDICAL PROBLEMS

In the old days, it seemed as if people who are prone to allergies experienced flare-ups only in the summer, when ragweed is in full bloom. Today, however, it seems as if allergies occur all year round. The chemicals that we use both at home and at work are frequently the culprits, from pollutants, cosmetics, and detergents to the chemicals thrown off by copy machines. In fact, I have a friend who’s also a doctor, and he’s allergic to the formaldehyde in the carpets in his new home.

Whether you’re allergic to animal hair, pollen, or floor cleaner, one of the universal symptoms of allergy is that your eyes become red and itchy, and boy, do they burn!

Though no one knows exactly why an allergy develops in a particular individual, if you have a particular allergy, there’s a good chance one of your parents or siblings has it, too.

An allergy develops because the body is unable to process a particular substance—dust, food, or another substance—due to a void in the immune system. Actually, the way your eyes react to the offending substance is pretty remarkable. As if on cue, upon initial exposure to that substance, they begin to water and itch as if to literally push it out and away.