Optometrist offers advice to hayfever sufferers

A Sheffield optometrist is offering advice to its patients on how to manage hayfever from an optical point of view.

Staff at Alex Gage Family Optometrist practices in Crosspool and Woodseats are advising patients that there is no need to dispense with their contact lenses as the pollen levels rise.

According to allergy charity Allergy UK, an estimated one in three people in the UK will experience seasonal allergies in their lifetime and  recent research by British Society for Allergy & Clinical Immunology (BSACI) suggests that ocular allergies may be two-to-four times more common than nasal symptoms alone.

Alex said; “We recommend the following tips for patients to manage allergies and have leaflets in both practices to take away;

1. Switch to daily disposable contact lenses

2. If you use daily wear, reusable contact lenses, talk a member of the team about which lens-care cleaning system is best for you, as preservative-free alternatives may help

3. Don’t sleep in your contact lenses

4. Don’t rub your eyes if they itch

5. Try to find out what’s causing your allergic reaction so that you can take remedial action

6. If your eyes become red, painful or if your vision changes, remove contact lenses and seek immediate advice from your optometrist
   

For more information about managing your ocular allergies or to book an appointment, please contact Alex Gage at 857 Chesterfield Road, Woodseats on 0114 274 8582 or at 48 Sandygate Road Crosspool on 0114 266 7066.