Lenses and Hayfever

[donna]

Thanks David

[Matthew_]

I've always used Zirtek for my hayfever but this year (first year in lenses) had a really rough time.
The Zirtek stops me sneezing but eyes are really sensitive, sore and photophobic in the extreme. Its got so bad that I am now not wearing lenses at all for 3 weeks to allow the cornea to settle down on my optoms advice. The situation wasn't helped by the fact that I am allergic to the hayfever drops (sodium cromligate) and suddenly I am allergic to all my solutions too.
When I go back to my lenses I am going to try preservative free solutions. I am also going back to a consultant to see if we can improve on my hatfever remedies. Next year I'll be ready...

[donna]

Last year I found a local honey supplier and started eating it everyday, I started very early in the year, well before pollen started! It helped me loads! It has to be honey from as close to your house as possible though, I found mine at a local farmers market,
This year I had other things going on and forgot all about it, so the tree pollen started early this year and made me really ill.
Next year I am starting with the honey around the end of January!
That wont help you this year but may help next year

[Matthew_]

Hey! I like it! Definitely going to try that. I love honey!

[donna]

It does help if you like it ! I have it on toast Just make sure its local as you can get otherwise it ownt work

[kerrie phillips]

I am suffering hayfever to, and the whole photophobic thing. I put my lenses in the other morn and they felt ok, then i went to go to work which was a damp foggy morning. halfway to work i could not see my eyes were so sensitive, and streaming, as well as unbearable to the light. I could not open my eyes and and had to bend my head down. i am so grateful for the fact that i had a lift and my glasses were in my bag. I had to walk into work feeling my way around and go straight to the loos, i was bloodshot and puffy in the eyes for best part of an hour!!
some days are ok others are unbearable.

[Matthew_]

Sounds familiar!
Your allergies can make the cornea soft and spongy so the lenses abraid them very easily. Problem is that the dead cells are then trapped between your lens and the nerve endings, still insulating the nerve endings...which is OK until the dead cells finally move and the lens is sitting on the nerve endings = PAIN
But the dead cells delay the inevitable so at first it seems OK. This has happened to me on cloudy, rainy days even when the pollen count is low.