The 5 Best Eye Drops to Help Relieve Allergies
Calm your red, itchy eyes in minutes with these doctor-approved drops.
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It can happen whether you’re strolling through the botanical gardens or just sitting in your living room with a cat on your lap —your eyes turn red, then they start to burn, itch, and tear up. The next thing you know, you’re rubbing furiously at them with your fists, even though we all know you’re not supposed to touch your face!
“When an allergen like pollen or pet dander gets in your eyes, the mast cells react by releasing histamines and other substances,” says Edith Schussler, MD, a pediatric allergist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, who points out that even when you’re indoors, pollen can fly in through an open window. When the mucus membrane that covers the white of the eye and the inner eyelid becomes inflamed, the itching can drive you absolutely insane.
Luckily, almost all types of allergy eye drops are now available without a prescription, says Dr. Schussler. “There are so many different brand names, and they all work to help with itchy eyes,” she says. “Just make sure you use them according to the package directions.”
Dr. Schussler also advises allergy sufferers to wear sunglasses and a hat with a brim when they’re outside, to keep pollen from falling into their eyes. And, to control pollen allergies from the very start of the season, take oral antihistamines as early as March 1. “You should use eye drops as needed when the symptoms flare up, but if you’re using nasal sprays from the beginning, you’ll actually have fewer eye symptoms as well," she says. "It’s all connected.”
If you wear contact lenses, put in your allergy eye drops first thing in the morning, and then wait 15 minutes before putting in your lenses, says Gwen Hausman, OD, a New York City optometrist.
When your eyeballs start to feel as if they're being scratched with tiny bits of steel wool, here are the best eye drops for allergies to try:
Alaway Eye Itch Relief Solution
Squeeze these drops into your eyes in the morning, and you should be good to go for the rest of the day. The active ingredient, ketotifen fumarate, is an antihistamine that blocks the cells in your eyes from reacting to whatever is trying its best to irritate them.
Systane Ultra Lubricant Single-Use Eye Drop Vials
As a first line of defense, it’s always great to carry around artificial tears — which are thicker than saline drops — to literally wash the allergens out of your eyes and soothe dryness. If you buy them in individual, preservative-free vials, you can use as often as needed. If you choose the less-expensive bottled option, which contains preservatives, limit to 4 squirts a day.
Zaditor Antihistamine Eye Drops
Dr. Schussler also likes this brand of antihistamine eye drops, which can be used throughout the season. She advises patients to carefully read the label of any eye drops to make sure the bottle doesn't also contain a decongestant to reduce redness, since those can have a rebound effect and should only be used for a few days at a time.
PATADAY Eye Allergy Itch Relief Solution
In February, 2020, the RX antihistamine Pataday was finally approved for OTC sales. It’s available in a once-daily and twice-daily versions. “The drops can sting a little, but if you refrigerate the bottle, it takes a little sting away,” says Jeffrey Demain, MD, director of the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Center of Alaska.
Similasan Kids Allergy Eye Relief Sterile Drops
While all the products listed above are approved for children over age 3, parents who prefer to go a more natural route can try Similasan, which uses floral extracts such as Eyebright and Sabadilla lily instead of chemicals to soothe your baby's baby blues (or browns, or greens).
Marisa Cohen is an editor in the Hearst Lifestyle Group’s Health Newsroom, who has covered health, nutrition, parenting and culture for dozens of magazines and websites over the past two decades.
