Hay fever and your eyes

Hay fever affects 1 in 5 people at some point in their lifetime! It is mostly an allergy to pollen but it could also be a reaction to another kind of air-borne allergen.

 What are the classic symptoms of hay fever?

Excessive watering of the eyes, itching, swollen lids, some redness. It is rare that hay fever would ONLY affect the eyes - it usually will also affect the nose (for example, sneezing, running nose). If your eyes are only affected and you do not have the accompanying nasal symptoms then your problem may not be allergies, it may be something else - and is a good reason to see your regular optometrist for a check-up.

What can I do to control seasonal allergies?

• Look for eye sprays/ drops that will help build the eye barrier - to provide an extra layer of defense against allergens (as always, make SURE it says it is preservative free!). Our Instant Relief Eye Spray can offer a lot of relief very quickly. While it is a Dry Eye spray, many of our customers report better comfort and relief when using this spray to tackle seasonal allergies.  
• Consider an antihistamine eye drop (again make sure it is preservative-free) – the best one for you can be recommended by your local Optometrist.
• Clean your eye lashes throughout the day to prevent pollen irritating them - this can be done easily by keeping a cotton pad like our reusable velvet bamboo pads in your bag, applying a few sprays of our Instant Relief Eye Spray on it and gently cleaning your lashes – think of this as a two-in-one bonus: not only will it clean any allergens from your lashes, it will also help fortify and protect your eyes from them throughout the day.
• Wear glasses rather than contact lenses when the pollen count is particularly high.
• Apply a cool compress at night to help reduce inflammation - if you have dry eyes and use a hot compress/ our eye wand to manage this, try the cool compress immediately when you come home and then after a few hours, try your usual hot compress routine just before you go to bed.