When looking for eye drops, it’s important to choose one with oral antihistamines, as they “will help with eye symptoms about 50% of the time, and nasal steroid sprays, like fluticasone, will help 60% of the time,” she says. We researched dozens of eye drops for allergies and evaluated them for ingredients, price, and treatment duration to find the best eye drops for allergies on the market.
Price at time of publication: $19
Because Visine products are pretty affordable, their Visine Allergy Eye Relief Multi-Action Eye Drops are a winning budget pick for anyone who needs allergy relief stat without shelling out lots of cash. With both an antihistamine for itching and a decongestant for redness, they’re the eye drops you should grab when allergies catch you by surprise and leave you roaming the pharmacy aisles in desperation.
These eye drops are easy to use, and you can use these drops up to four times per day as needed, but not for more than 72 hours in a row. These drops contain a decongestant which you could become dependent on if you use them consistently. Eye allergies that are seasonal or require longer symptom relief should be treated with a product that doesn’t contain any decongestant.
Price at time of publication: $7
Bausch & Lomb Opcon-A Allergy Eye Drops are a good choice for redness caused by allergies because it also contains an antihistamine. It can do double-duty on your symptoms, reducing redness on the spot while also relieving itching due to grass, pollen, ragweed, and pets.
You need to be careful, though, about overusing this product: Your eyes can become accustomed to the decongestant, and more severe redness can result when you stop using it (which leads you to use the product again, thus continuing the vicious cycle). But intermittent use—up to four times per day for 72 hours at a time—is safe.
Price at time of publication: $10
Price at time of publication: $11
When it comes to keeping your eyes nice and moist, Systane is a consistently good choice: With two different kinds of glycol, a humectant that attracts and binds water to the outer layer of a surface, these drops can be applied anytime your eyes need a serious refresher.
While these drops work well for lubricating dry eyes caused by allergies, they can also be used to moisturize gritty or blurry eyes, eye strain or fatigue, and excessive tearing. They’re also preservative-free which makes them a great choice for sensitive eyes. They’re basically an all-purpose moisturizer for your eyes.
Price at time of publication: $18
The antihistamine in Alcon Pataday Once Daily Relief targets itchy eyes and other allergic symptoms caused by grass, pollen, ragweed, and animals, like Bausch + Lomb Alaway Antihistamine Eye Drops. It’s perfect for people who work all day around their allergy triggers, since it lasts 16 hours and only needs to be used once a day (although there is also a twice-daily formulation if you need the overnight protection).
Price at time of publication: $9
Because the ingredients are natural, you can use the drops as needed without worrying about side effects or rebound symptoms. They contain three primary botanical extracts that work to tackle your symptoms naturally. The company advises wearers to check with a doctor first before using this product with contact lenses.
Price at time of publication: $7
If you have watery eyes, you should be looking for a product with an antihistamine—they’re known for their ability to dry up mucus, which is why they are so good at stopping runny noses and post-nasal drip. For watery eyes, an antihistamine can reduce all those excess tears caused by environmental allergens.
Zaditor can help with everything from seasonal pollen to dry air in office buildings, providing both immediate and long-lasting relief. They can be used indefinitely without any rebound effect and are safe for use with contacts, too (per the directions on the packaging).
Price at time of publication: $19
What to Look for in Eye Drops for Allergies
Ingredients
There are two main kinds of ingredients in eye drops that can reduce your allergic reaction to seasonal or environmental triggers:
Mast cell stabilizers Antihistamines
While eye drops that include lubricating ingredients, like the polyethylene glycol found in artificial tears, may be helpful in soothing eye irritation, they don’t actually stop the histamine response at the root of your problems.
The ingredient that will work best varies from person to person, so be ready for a little trial and error.
“If you have tried an antihistamine eye drop and not found relief, you may find relief with a mast cell stabilizer,” says Kathleen Dass, MD, Michigan-based allergist and immunologist. “In rare circumstances, we use both to treat because they work differently.”
You might think that more ingredients equals more kinds of relief, but that’s not necessarily the case. Many eye drops, especially those that reduce redness, include vasoconstrictors in the form of decongestants, and these aren’t safe for long-term use.
“It’s okay to use these drops rarely if you need to—however they will not provide long-term allergy relief [and can also] create rebound redness,” explains Dr. Dass.
Target Symptoms
Because eye drops often focus on relieving a single symptom of allergies, you’ll have to experiment a little when it comes to finding a product that works for you. If you only have one symptom, like dryness, you don’t need a multi-action drop. On the other hand, if your eyes are itchy, red, and watery, that might be your best bet.
As with any other medication, you can’t properly treat your symptoms if you don’t know what they are. Dr. Dass says it’s important to confirm that you’re definitely dealing with eye allergies, not a similar problem like dry eyes or blepharitis (also called granulated eyelids), since those conditions are treated differently. Eye redness and grittiness can also be symptomatic of viral conjunctivitis or pink eye, in which case getting an accurate temperature reading would aid in diagnosis and treatment. You may need to meet with an allergist to hone in on your individual symptoms and, preferably, figure out your triggers; while eye drops can treat symptoms, the only way to prevent symptoms entirely is to avoid your triggers.
Dosage
Most drops will require you to use them once or twice per day. You’ll get the same amount of medication over a 24-hour period, but one way may end up being more preferable to you than the other.
For example, if you find the effects of the drops wearing off after 10 hours but you’re using a once-daily drop, you’ll be left with symptoms for a long time before you can take another dose. But if you wear contact lenses, it could be a total hassle to remove your contacts twice a day for administering drops, warns Dr. Dass. Make sure you think about your schedule and ability to use the drops before choosing between 12- and 24-hour formulations.
Use With Contact Lenses
Speaking of contacts, it’s important to make sure the eye drops are safe for use with your lenses.
“Most eye drop instructions recommend waiting 10 to 15 minutes before putting in your contacts,” says Dr. Dass, who emphasizes the importance of reading the instructions that come with your brand of eye drops (you want the medication to be fully absorbed before you put your lenses in, or they can interfere with the effectiveness of the medication). Also, it is a good idea to take your allergies into account when shopping for contacts to find ones that won’t further exacerbate your symptoms.
