Opticians tackle hayfever
Hay fever is a particular
nuisance to contact lens and
glasses wearers, who develop
itchy, sore and red eyes as
pollen counts rise. Specsavers
in Newport is offering specs
and contact lens wearers expert
advice on how best to care for
their eyes during the hay fever
season.
Store director Timothy Kidd
provides the following top tips:
*Prevention is better than
a cure. Find out what causes
your reactions and try to keep
contact with the allergen to a
minimum. Be aware that the
highest pollen counts occur
between 10.30am and 3.30pm.
*Wear wraparound glasses or
sunglasses to keep pollen out of
your eyes.
*Do not rub or scratch. This
will only aggravate the effects
of the allergic reaction further.
*If you wear hard or gas
permeable contact lenses you
can use eye drops as normal.
If you wear soft contact lenses,
eye drops should not be used
while the lenses are being
worn, unless the drops are
specifically formulated for this
purpose.
*Pollen gets trapped in your
hair so make sure you keep
your fringe off your face as this
will ensure that pollen doesn’t
fall into your eyes.
Tim said: “With the start
of the hay fever season soon
upon us, symptoms such as
sneezing, runny noses, and
streaming eyes are about to
soar. If you suffer from hay
fever it’s important to begin
taking medication a couple of
weeks before your symptoms
would usually start, especially
in the case of eye drops, as
this can significantly reduce
the inflammation caused by
airborne pollens.”