Treatment for Itchy Eyes

Itchy Eyes:

Itchy eyes, technically called ocular pruritus, can be caused by factors like eyestrain, allergies, and infections.  They can also be caused by conditions like blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid).  To help you relieve this irritating condition, we’ve posted this short article about treatment options for itchy eyes.  Read on to find out more about itchy eyes and how to treat them.

Diagnosis of Itchy Eyes:

The cause of your eye itchiness can usually be diagnosed by a physical exam at your doctor.  Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history and may conduct a patch test to see if you have allergies.  Finding out the cause of your condition will help your doctor to prescribe treatment for your itchy eyes.

Home Remedies for Itchy Eyes:

If your eyes are getting itchy because of eyestrain, you could try practising the 20-20-20 rule.  This involves taking a break from eye-taxing activities like computer work every 20 minutes.  To help your eyes relax, gaze gently about 20 feet into the distance for 20 seconds.

Treatment for Itchy Eyes

If you suffer from blepharitis, try cleaning your eyes and eyelids regularly with water.  You could also apply a warm compress if a crust has formed around your eyelids.

To help relieve eye itchiness caused by allergies, try to identify possible allergens.  Keep an eye on when you experience the itchiness, and if it comes and goes depending on your location.  Once you know what’s triggering your reaction you can take steps to avoid the allergen.

Funnily enough, tea bags may also help soothe itchy eyes!  Soak two tea bags in hot water, then squeeze out the excess water and place them over your closed eyelids.  You can apply them when they are either warm or cool, but not when they’re boiling hot!

Treatment for Itchy Eyes:

If your eye irritation doesn’t get better with home remedies, you might like to try some other treatments.  

To treat eye allergies, oral antihistamines, artificial tears, and eye drops are all generally available at your local pharmacy.  For more severe symptoms, your doctor may suggest taking allergy shots, or stronger medications like NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), corticosteroids, or mast cell stabilisers.  Be sure to talk with your doctor before taking any medications, as they often come with the risk of side effects.  Oral antihistamines may dry out your eyes, which could make them even itchier!  

To treat itchy eyes that are caused by bacterial infections, you could also try taking antibiotics.

How Can I Prevent Itchy Eyes?

You may be wondering, “How can I avoid getting itchy eyes in the first place?” Here are five useful tips to help avoid itchy eyes:

  • Only read in a well-lit room and wear glasses or contact lenses if you need to
  • Avoid looking at screens for long periods of time 
  • Remove makeup by washing your face properly before sleeping
  • Try to avoid spending time in smoky, windy, or pollen-rich environments
  • Always wash your hands after touching pets, and before touching your eyes

How Can Chinese Medicine Help?

Treatment for Itchy Eyes

If you’d like a safe, natural, and effective treatment for itchy eyes, come along to Centre of Balance!  Our friendly, experienced practitioners can treat your itchy eyes with techniques from Traditional Chinese Medicine, like acupuncture and Chinese herbs.  While treatments like medications may suppress your symptoms and potentially cause harmful side effects, Chinese Medicine gets to the underlying cause of your condition.

Often, our symptoms arise due to an imbalance in our organs.  The liver and gallbladder are two important organs that control the detoxification process, and maintain our joints, tendons, and nerves.  But the liver and gallbladder also play a big role in eye health!  So, to heal itchy eyes, your Chinese Medicine practitioner will firstly make sure that your liver and gallbladder are functioning properly.

For more information about Chinese Medicine and eye problems, click here

Conclusion:

Overall, having itchy eyes may not be the most disastrous condition in the world.  But it can make life pretty uncomfortable and annoying!  Home remedies like warm compresses, cleaning your eyes regularly, and placing tea bags on your eyes may all provide some relief, depending on what’s causing your itchy eyes.  There are also medications available like antihistamines and antibiotics, as well as eye drops and artificial tears.  However, we recommend Chinese Medicine for treating itchy eyes.  This is because Chinese Medicine uses natural and effective methods to heal your body, starting from the underlying cause of your condition..

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Centre of Balance: Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine (n.d.). Archive for category: Acupuncture for Eye Problems. https://balancetcm.co.nz/category/acupuncture-for-eye-problems/

Centre of Balance: Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine (n.d.).  Would You Like to Experience More Energy, & Less Stress & Pain? https://balancetcm.co.nz/

Marcin, A. (2017, February 23). Itchy Eyes at Night. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/eye-health/itchy-eyes-at-night

Roland, J. (2019, April 3). Why Are the Corners of My Eyes Itchy, and How Can I Relieve the Discomfort? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/itchy-eyes-in-corner

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Monica

I am originally from Hebei province in China. I hold a NZ bachelor’s degree of health and science with a major in acupuncture. I am honoured to be an acupuncturist at Centre of Balance. Helping patients to alleviate their pain brings me the greatest joy. Chinese medicine emphasises the unity of human beings and nature. During the treatment, I hope to not only relieve your pain but also help you to understand the principles behind acupuncture’s effectiveness, as well as the significant impact of diet, emotions, lifestyle habits, and living environments on disease recovery. Self-healing is an ability that our bodies are naturally endowed with.

I studied acupuncture in New Zealand and completed one and a half years of supervised clinical internship before graduating. In the early stage of my training, I mainly worked with patients experiencing neck, shoulder, and lower back pain. Under the guidance of senior clinical tutors, I gradually developed hands-on experience and confidence in treating musculoskeletal pain conditions.
As my clinical exposure expanded, I began treating a wider range of internal conditions. Alongside traditional acupuncture, I was introduced to Umbilical Acupuncture and Tungs-acupuncture Points. What interested me most about these approaches is that they often do not require needling directly at the painful area, yet can still achieve very effective results.
I was especially inspired by observing my supervisor use Umbilical Acupuncture to treat common conditions such as insomnia, menstrual irregularities, and even rheumatoid arthritis, with very positive outcomes. Another supervisor was highly skilled in Tungs-acupuncture Points and achieved excellent results in treating pain, infertility, menstrual disorders, and a variety of women’s health conditions. After completing my studies and entering clinical practice, once I observed Dr. Szenan Phua using Tungs-acupuncture points to help cancer patients relieve pain, which further strengthened my trust in this treatment method.
I later completed training in Dr. Tan Balance Acupuncture, which had a strong influence on the way I approach treatment. One of the most noticeable features of this method is how quickly patients often feel improvement, especially with pain conditions. Dr. Szenan Phua’s New Balance Acupuncture combines meridian regulation with structural adjustment and internal organ balancing, including techniques such as pulse balancing and spinal adjustment.
From my clinical experience, pain is rarely just a local issue. It often involves underlying organ weakness or structural imbalance. When these aspects are addressed together, treatment can be more thorough and longer-lasting. I also apply this approach to internal conditions, particularly in fertility and women’s health. This includes supporting natural conception, IVF preparation and embryo transfer, pregnancy support, early-pregnancy nausea, and late-pregnancy labour induction. I combine these treatments with concepts learned from a few additional fertility training, which has given me a broader and more flexible clinical perspective. This has reinforced my belief that acupuncture should be adapted to each individual rather than applied through fixed formulas.
Two other areas of study that have been very helpful in my clinical work are Tongue Diagnosis and Dr. Zhu’s Scalp Acupuncture. Although tongue diagnosis is taught in my standard Chinese medicine training, further study allowed me to deepen and refine my diagnostic skills.
My first formal training was in Li’s Tongue Diagnosis, which looks not only at organ patterns, but also at how different areas of the tongue reflect the body’s structure. This system also explores personality traits and changes during pregnancy, making it both clinically useful and engaging. I later attended online lectures on Yin’s Tongue Diagnosis and studied the related materials independently. this learning has helped me make clearer and more accurate pattern differentiation, allowing my acupuncture treatments to be more targeted. It covers a wide range of conditions, including skin disorders, oncology-related presentations, mental health patterns, and joint or limb problems. In practice, tongue observation often provides valuable insight even before a patient begins describing their symptoms.
In addition to the methods above, I regularly use local bloodletting techniques, which can be very effective for improving circulation, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. I also incorporate auricular (ear) acupressure and stimulation, which I commonly use for allergies, insomnia, headaches, stress management, and various internal conditions.
In my clinical work, I value taking the time to listen carefully to each patient and to understand their overall health, lifestyle, and concerns. Based on each individual’s condition, I also provide personalised dietary guidance and lifestyle or wellness advice to support overall health and long-term wellbeing. I commonly support patients with musculoskeletal pain, such as neck, shoulder, knee, and back pain, as well as stress-related conditions, sleep issues, migraines, digestive concerns, and women’s health and fertility-related conditions.