We’re sure you’ll be familiar with the symptoms: frequent sneezing, a runny or stuffy nose, and irritable, red or watery eyes. If so, you’ll be well aware of the frustration that many people feel as a result of hayfever. Lets look deeper into the causes of hayfever and how it affects the eyes, as well as ways to avoid hayfever and various treatments. We also explore how Optrex can be used to help your itchy eyes.
What Causes Hayfever?
Hayfever is the term given to the allergic reaction many people suffer from. Pollen, which are tiny particles found on plants; comes into contact with the cells that line a person’s eyes, mouth, nose and throat, it can trigger an allergic reaction.
Although the immediate symptoms can come as a surprise and be quite frustrating, the allergic reaction many suffer is basically a case of the body overreacting to the pollen. This causes the immune system to release various chemicals intended to prevent the spread of what it mistakenly perceives to be an infection. The chemicals released themselves cause the symptoms mentioned above.
There are multiple types of pollen that people can be allergic to, but by far the most abundant form is grass pollen, to which 90% of hayfever sufferers are allergic.
Although it is unclear what causes the immune system to react in the way it does, several factors are known to increase your risk of suffering from hayfever, including:
1. Suffering from another allergic condition, such as asthma or eczema
2. Exposure to tobacco smoke at an early age
3. Having other members of your family suffer from hayfever
How does hayfever affect your eyes?
Hayfever can cause your eyes various forms of discomfort. Primarily, it results in symptoms such as irritation and itchiness, watery eyes and redness. In more severe cases, hayfever sufferers can suffer from swollen eyelids.
Can you avoid hayfever?
Avoiding hay fever can simply be a case of taking preventative measures to dodge allergens when the risk is high. Grass pollen tends to be produced from mid-May to July, whilst tree pollen – which is the second biggest cause of hayfever – is produced between late March and mid-May. Weather also impacts the amount of pollen, which spreads at a prolific rate on humid and windy days. However, pollen levels are known to significantly fall as a result of rain.
If you suffer from hayfever, it could pay to spend more time indoors, possibly with an air conditioner running in order to filter the air, when you consider there to be a high risk of pollen. It is also advised that you wear wraparound sunglasses when outdoors during allergy season, in order to try to shield your eyes from allergens.
Contact lens wearers are also advised to either wear glasses during allergy season or switch to using daily disposable lenses. This is because the contact lens surface can accumulate allergens over time.
Treating sore and irritated eyes
Due to the frequency of eye allergies, such as hayfever, there are various solutions available, such as those in the Optrex range of products.
Notably, eye drops are available that specifically fight symptoms associated with hayfever, such as irritation, redness and watery eyes.
Alternatively, the problem can be treated at the source with the use of antihistamines, which will help to prevent the symptoms of allergic reactions from occurring. Antihistamine eye drops are available, as are oral antihistamines – but they may need to be prescribed by a doctor. Your pharmacist can advise you on this matter.
Read more details about how Optrex Allergy Eye Drops can help relieve the symptoms of hay fever, or explore other products at the PPRX Optrex range at https://www.pprx.co.uk/?s=optrex
Buy your Optrex Hayfever Eyedrops today: https://www.pprx.co.uk/product/optrex-hayfever-relief-2w-v-eye-drops-10ml/
Key benefits
1. Clinically proven to relieve symptoms of eye allergy caused by hayfever.
2. Contains a medicine called sodium cromoglicate.
3. No other sodium cromoglicate drops are more effective for itchy eyes.
4. Target the source of your itchy eyes.
5. Can be used in conjunction with anti-histamine treatments.
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References
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279488/
2. https://www.allergyuk.org/types-of-allergies/hayfever/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwpv2TBhDoARIsALBnVnmPEnixy8gQiS1HjfUJvwueD_SaiMIUqNT863fFsmkfSe32HCM_g4kaAn3VEALw_wcB
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1112773/
4. https://www.optrex.co.uk/eye-care-and-advice/how-hay-fever-affects-your-eyes/
