Spring is so beautiful! The lush flowers, the warmer weather, the green trees! My husband and I stop in awe on our morning walks when we see the rabbits, the ducks, and the other animals venture forth into the early morning.
Unfortunately, spring can also bring itchy watery eyes. This is because many of us have sensitivities to pollen and have an allergic response.
What some of the things that we can do about this?
First, make sure that you are rinsing your eyes on a regular basis. Using moisturizing drops such as Systane or GenTeal will help rinse out the pollen, and help relieve some of the discomfort. Keeping these moisturizing drops in the refrigerator, may also help you feel more comfortable as the cool drops can alleviate some of the swelling. if this does not relieve your symptoms adequately, you may want to use an over-the-counter drops such as Pataday or Zaditor.
Second, You may want to consider taking a nonsedating antihistamine such as fexofenadine 180 milligrams a day (Allegra), or loratadine 10 milligrams (Claritin) per day. be careful if you have problems with dry eye as antihistamines can make eyes a bit drier, or if you have problems with glaucoma or prostate enlargement. For many people these simple measures will be adequate.
Try to avoid things like Visine which can cause long-term problems if you use it too much. While this is perfectly fine to use once or twice, you certainly do not want to use it through the whole spring. And be careful about using sedating antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl, which can make you sleepy when you drive
Some people have benefit from some natural remedies like local honey, or using Echinacea and gold seal which are herbal remedies.
If none of these things work, or do not work well enough, there are prescription medications, and immunotherapy measures that can help.
Happy spring to you! Remember that spring is God’s reminder that nothing is impossible.
