If you have severe allergies, you may be assuming that you can't wear contact lenses. During an allergic reaction, contact lenses tend to be both uncomfortable and develop a thick film, obscuring your vision. But there are ways to manage allergies and reduce your symptoms, often enough to begin wearing contact lenses comfortably.
1. Get Daily Wear Contacts
Daily wear contacts are often better for sensitive eyes. They tend to have a higher water content, which makes them more fragile -- they wouldn't stand up to weekly or monthly use. Daily wear contacts won't develop deposits on their surface the way that other contacts will over time, thereby ensuring that they are clean and fresh every time you put them in your eyes. The only catch is that they tend to be more expensive.
2. Use Allergy-Specific Eye Drops
Don't just use any eye drops when it comes to contacts. You want an eye drop that is specifically designed for sensitive eyes and contacts. Blink is one such eye drop that is often recommended by optometrists for dealing with allergies. Though these eye drops do tend to be more expensive than general purpose eye drops, they will not damage or stick to your contacts and they will reduce the allergic build up within your eyes.
3. Take Allergy Pills
Many patients assume that because their allergic reaction is solely in their eyes, they don't need an allergy pill. An allergy pill can still help. If over the counter solutions don't work, you may be able to get a prescription for an allergy medication that is stronger. There are also strong -- but not prescription -- allergy medications available that can be procured directly from the pharmacist.
4. Change Your Routine
If you find that your contacts only begin itching after some use, it may be that your contact cleaning routine needs to be a little more thorough. Generally, it's recommended that you rub each side of your contact for a few seconds with your contact solution. This is followed by rinsing the contact with solution for ten to fifteen seconds. If you're not cleaning your contacts this thoroughly, you may be leaving behind some residue that you're allergic to. If you don't want to clean your contacts in this way, you can invest in a self-cleaning contact solution, such as those that produce bubbles.
An optometrist (such as one from The Eye Center can give you more information regarding the best ways to deal with an allergic reaction. If your allergies are also impacting other areas of your life, you may want to consider a more general approach, such as allergy shots.
Share25 May 2016
When was the last time you went to an optometrist? If you are like most people, you only go when your glasses break or you run out of contact lenses. Very few people actually follow the guidelines of having their eyes checked each year. Not sure why it is necessary to visit your optometrist each year? You can learn all about the different exams and tests that your optometrist runs and why they are done. Knowing what can go wrong with your eyes and what can be done if the ailments are detected early could help to encourage you to get to the optometrist more often.
