If your eyes are red, burning, or watering, it is easy to get confused. Is it just allergy season, or is it something else, like dry eye? Both problems can make your eyes feel awful, but they come from totally different reasons and need different treatments.

The good news is that there are simple ways to figure out what is going on. It all comes down to the main feeling you have and when the problem starts.

The Fastest Clue Is the Feeling

The easiest way to tell the two problems apart is by paying close attention to what your eyes are doing:

• If It Is Allergies: The feeling is almost always intense itching. You get that powerful, impossible-to-ignore urge to rub your eyes.

• If It Is Dry Eye: The feeling is usually gritty, sandy, or like a burning pain. It feels like there is something stuck in your eye, even when there is not.

What to Look for: Dry Eye

If your eyes do not produce enough of the right kind of tears, you get dry eye. These are the feelings that point to dry eye: It hurts more than it itches, feeling sandy or like a burning fire. Your eyes might feel very dry, or strangely, they might water a lot sometimes when your body tries to wash out the irritation.

Dry eye can also make your vision slightly fuzzy or blurry. Your eyes might feel tired, and you might become sensitive to bright light. The key is the timing: these symptoms tend to get worse as the day goes on, and they are often present year-round.

What to Look for: Allergies

Allergies are simply your body overreacting to common things floating around you, like pollen or dust.

Here’s how you know it is allergies: The strongest feeling is that unbearable itching! You get that powerful urge to rub your eyes right away. Your eyes usually water constantly, as your body tries hard to wash the irritants out.

Allergies often make your eyelids look swollen and puffy, and you might notice dark circles beneath your eyes. A big sign is that you are often sneezing or have a runny nose, too. These problems usually pop up suddenly, and they may only bother you during the spring or whenever you are near a specific trigger.

When to See Your Eye Doctor

Here is when you should definitely see a doctor right away:

• The easiest way to find out if it is dry eye or allergies is to get an eye exam. That will tell your doctor the answer and help them start a treatment plan.

• If your symptoms are severe: See your doctor if your eyes are painful, the swelling is very severe, or over-the-counter drops are not helping at all.

• If your vision changes: Any new blurriness or change in how well you see needs to be checked by a doctor quickly.

For more on red, itchy, and burning eyes, visit True Vision Optometry at our Montebello, California, office. Call (323) 403-4116 to book an appointment today.

https://www.healthline.com/health/dry-eye-or-allergies

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dry-eyes/symptoms-causes/syc-20371863