Allergic eye disease: itching to know more?

Allergic conjunctivitis is a common condition affecting approximately 30 to 40% of the population, depending on location.^1-3 In the last decade there have been reports of significant increases in all types of allergy, including ocular allergies.^1,2 Allergic conjunctivitis can range from mildly irritating to debilitating and potentially vision threatening. It is an overarching label that includes the disease entities of seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC), perennial allergic conjunctivitis (PAC), vernal keratoconjunctivis (VKC), and atopic keratoconjuctivits (AKC).¹ Symptoms of allergic eye disease are hyperemia, pruritus (itching), chemosis and lid swelling, with symptoms often closely correlated to the severity of allergy.