It's that time of the year again. The weather warms, the grasses grow, the flowers bloom and the winds pick up. Dust and pollen allergies cause a lot of angst for those of us with seasonal allergies. For sufferers, allergy season can get very nasty with a combination of itchy eyes, sneezing and blocked sinuses.
Use of oral antihistamine medication can be effective if seasonal allergies also affect the nose and sinuses. If you only suffer from itchy eyes from seasonal allergies, or if oral medications don't completely relieve your itchy eyes, you may need topical antihistamines in the form of eye drops.
For those with less severe and less chronic seasonal allergies, antihistamine drops with sympathomimetics can provide temporary relief of itching and swelling. These usually are marketed with the words "for red eyes", and have a "-A" ending (examples are Naphcon-A, Albalon-A). A word of caution, however, as prolonged use (more than 5-7 days) of these medications can result in rebound red eye when ceased, usually worse than when you started. This can be unsightly and difficult to overcome.
Help is at hand with combination antihistamine and immune cell stabilisers. These drops not only soothe the itching, but also reduce the tendency of developing red itchy eyes by stabilising the immune cells (mast cells) which are responsible for eye allergies. This can provide lasting effective relief for those troublesome months.
As your Optometrist, we are able to diagnose seasonal ocular allergies and prescribe appropriate medication. Call in to see us if you suffer from itchy eyes!
Use of oral antihistamine medication can be effective if seasonal allergies also affect the nose and sinuses. If you only suffer from itchy eyes from seasonal allergies, or if oral medications don't completely relieve your itchy eyes, you may need topical antihistamines in the form of eye drops.
For those with less severe and less chronic seasonal allergies, antihistamine drops with sympathomimetics can provide temporary relief of itching and swelling. These usually are marketed with the words "for red eyes", and have a "-A" ending (examples are Naphcon-A, Albalon-A). A word of caution, however, as prolonged use (more than 5-7 days) of these medications can result in rebound red eye when ceased, usually worse than when you started. This can be unsightly and difficult to overcome.
Help is at hand with combination antihistamine and immune cell stabilisers. These drops not only soothe the itching, but also reduce the tendency of developing red itchy eyes by stabilising the immune cells (mast cells) which are responsible for eye allergies. This can provide lasting effective relief for those troublesome months.
As your Optometrist, we are able to diagnose seasonal ocular allergies and prescribe appropriate medication. Call in to see us if you suffer from itchy eyes!
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