Causes of eye irritation

The eyes are very sensible organs and have a lot to bear during just one day, since they are in use all the time when we are awake. Blinking is the natural repetitive process which has the function of the protection, because with one blink all the surface of an eyeball is humidified with the transparent liquid, which is thus extended over it. That specific liquid is commonly referred to as tears and the tearing is the process of providing the protection from the polluted particles and the other irritants from the environmental air.

Whenever some foreign particle enters the eye, the natural response of it results in the irritation. This condition should be treated right away after being noticed, since if not treated, it may grow into more severe eye damage. So, the most prominent indicators of an unwanted irritant in the eye(s) are the increased production of the tears (in the more severe cases the discharge is sticky and thick), the redness, swelling, the pain which could be described as ardent and intense, the degenerated scaly skin of the eyelids (sometimes with protuberant bumps and blemishes), the bloody eyeballs (also known as pink eye condition), and, most importantly, the vision may become unclear.

The most common provokers

Nevertheless, one of the most frequent provokers of the irritation is the allergic response to the allergens, especially pollen. In the majority of the cases, the irritation is, in fact, the inflammation of the conjunctiva (the membrane of the inner surface of the eyelids and of the forepart of the eyeball), and it could be relieved by the use of the artificial tears and the irrigators based on salt. When the cause is the allergic response, the condition should be treated with the antihistamines taken on a daily basis. But, if the following troubles become unbearable, it could be treated with the drugs that reduce inflammations, corticosteroids, the maintainers of the normal level of the mast cells, etc., and they are all intended to be applied directly onto the affected area. In order to lessen the swelling, itching and pain, the ice pack should be held over the eyes.

Of course, it is always better to try to prevent the problem, and in order to do that, one must wear the sunglasses, maintain the good hygiene, and, if possible, to keep the windows closed. However, the season of the increased pollen production takes place during the hot months, and that is why it is hardly possible to stay away from pollen. But, it is recommendable to use the air condition instead of fan.

Besides the allergies, this condition could be triggered also by some other underlying health problems, such as the infectious process on the eyelids, the depletion of the tearing, the Rosacea of the eyes (transmitted from the nearby skin), the inflammatory process of the cornea, the infected of the glands that produce oil in the eyelids, and so on.