Dry Eye or Hay Fever? How to Tell the Difference This Spring

Spring brings warmer weather, longer days and, unfortunately for many Australians, the return of hay fever season.

While sneezing and a runny nose are easy to associate with hay fever, seasonal allergies can also have a significant effect on your eyes. Itching, watering, redness and irritation are all common, but these symptoms can also look remarkably similar to dry eye.

So, how can you tell whether your irritated eyes are caused by hay fever, dry eye or potentially a combination of both?

Why Does Spring Affect Your Eyes?

During spring, airborne allergens such as pollen become more prevalent. For people with hay fever, exposure to these allergens can trigger an immune response that affects not only the nose and airways, but also the eyes.

When an allergen comes into contact with the surface of the eye, the body can release histamine and other inflammatory substances. This can lead to allergic conjunctivitis, causing symptoms such as itching, redness, watering and swollen or puffy eyelids.

At the same time, environmental changes associated with spring, including wind and increased time outdoors, may also aggravate an already sensitive or unstable tear film.

What Are the Symptoms of Hay Fever Eyes?

One of the biggest clues that your symptoms may be allergy-related is itching.

According to Healthline's guide comparing dry eye and eye allergies, itching and swelling are particularly characteristic of eye allergies. Other symptoms can include watery eyes, redness, burning, puffiness around the eyes and sensitivity to light.

Seasonal eye allergies are often triggered by environmental allergens such as pollen, although dust mites, mould and pet dander can also cause symptoms.

If you find yourself wanting to constantly rub your eyes during spring, allergies may be contributing to the problem. However, rubbing can make redness and irritation worse, so it's best avoided where possible.

What Does Dry Eye Feel Like?

Dry eye occurs when your eyes don't produce enough tears or when the tears evaporate too quickly to adequately lubricate the eye's surface.

Symptoms can include:

• Burning or stinging
• A gritty or sandy sensation
• Redness and irritation
• Sensitivity to light
• Fluctuating or blurry vision
• Tired or uncomfortable eyes
• Excessive watering

That last symptom can be confusing. Dry eyes can actually cause watery eyes. When the surface of the eye becomes irritated, it can trigger reflex tearing. However, these tears may not have the right composition to properly lubricate and protect the eye.

This is one reason why distinguishing between dry eye and hay fever based on symptoms alone isn't always straightforward.

Dry Eye vs Hay Fever: What's the Difference?

There is considerable overlap between the two conditions. Both can leave your eyes red, watery, irritated and sensitive, but certain symptoms can provide clues as to what may be happening.

For a helpful side-by-side comparison of dry eye and allergy symptoms, take a look at this resource from Healthline.

While itching and puffiness tend to point more strongly towards allergies, burning, grittiness and fluctuating vision may be more suggestive of dry eye. These aren't absolute rules, however, and professional assessment may be needed to determine the underlying cause.

Can Hay Fever Make Dry Eye Worse?

Here's where things become a little more complicated: you can have both.

Eye allergies and dry eye aren't necessarily separate problems. Seasonal allergies can contribute to inflammation and irritation of the ocular surface, potentially aggravating existing dry eye symptoms.

Contact lens wearers may notice this even more during spring. Airborne allergens can interact with the eye and contact lenses, while contact lens wear can itself be associated with dry-eye symptoms.

This means someone who already experiences dry eye may find their eyes become particularly uncomfortable when pollen levels increase.

How Can You Look After Your Eyes During Spring?

If allergies are contributing to your symptoms, reducing exposure to known triggers where practical may help. Avoid rubbing your eyes, and speak with an optometrist, pharmacist or ophthalmologist about appropriate treatment options if symptoms persist.

Preservative-free artificial tears may also be recommended in some circumstances to lubricate the ocular surface and help relieve irritation. However, not every eye drop is appropriate for every condition, particularly when it isn't clear whether symptoms are being caused by dry eye, allergies or another eye condition.

If you're a contact lens wearer, you may also find your lenses become less comfortable when your allergy symptoms flare. Here are some tips for contact lens wearers during hayfever season, but our ultimate advice would be to come in for a consultation and explore your suitability for laser eye surgery with our specialists.

When Should You Have Your Eyes Checked?

An occasional itchy eye during hay fever season isn't necessarily cause for concern. However, if your symptoms are persistent, worsening, affecting your vision or interfering with everyday life, it's worth having your eyes properly assessed.

What feels like "just hay fever" may actually be dry eye, while someone treating themselves for dry eye may have an underlying allergic component contributing to their symptoms.

At Hunter Laser Vision, a comprehensive eye assessment can help identify what's happening at the surface of the eye and determine an appropriate approach to managing your symptoms.

If your eyes are feeling particularly irritated this spring, book an assessment with Hunter Laser Vision to get to the bottom of what's causing them.