5 Ways to Improve Contact Lens Comfort with a Pollen Allergy

Contact lenses should be easy to use, comfortable to wear and a great addition to your life. Whether you wear daily contact lenses, monthly contact lenses or you enjoy switching between contacts and glasses, having clear sight shouldn’t be a compromise.

Here in Canada, 8 out of 10 people between 18 and 55 years of age wear either contact lenses or glasses. A way of life for thousands of people, but when allergy season starts, wearing lenses can be an uphill battle.

If you’re experiencing some of the below symptoms, you probably have a pollen allergy:

  • Watery eyes
  • Red and irritated eyes
  • Swollen eyelids
  • Excessive sneezing and sinus congestion
  • Itchy throat and a cough
  • Feeling tired
  • Headaches

Sound familiar? If you’re suffering with the symptoms of Hayfever, dry red and irritated eyes, don’t panic! Our experts are here to help and ensure you get through Spring.

Here are 5 ways to improve contact lens comfort during allergy season.

1: Spring. Clean Your Contact Lenses

Spring. is a great opportunity to deep clean your home by cleansing, decluttering and organising your space. Take this cleaning tradition a step further by Spring. cleaning your contact lenses. During allergy season, pollen is high which can cause red and irritated eyes. If you wear contact lenses, you’ll need to pay close attention to your lens cleaning process. Pollen can quickly coat contact lenses. The surface of the lens can attract airborne allergens such as pollen and this can make any symptoms you’re suffering from, much worse.

To remove airborne allergens such as dust and pollen from your lenses, make sure you remove them with clean hands. Using a lens cleaning solution, gently massage each contact lens. Rinse with more solution on both sides of the lens to ensure you remove any pollen residue. Keep your contact lenses hydrated and clean by dropping them into a clean contact lens case filled with solution.

2: Use Eye Drops to Relieve allergy Symptoms

Suffering from Hayfever during Spring. can really bring you down. The thought of going outside can be out of the question for some allergy sufferers. Your body’s natural response to an eye allergy is to water. With excessive watering of the eyes, the glands can become irritated and dry.

To enjoy the beauty of Spring. without red watery eyes, use hydrating eye drops. By hydrating your eyes throughout the day, you can gently soothe sore and itchy eyes.

3: pollen allergy - Give Your Eyes a Break

If you have a pollen allergy, it might be worth staying indoors on high pollen count days. Finding something fun, creative and productive to do inside will give your eyes time to recover from harsh pollen allergysymptoms. While indoors, consider switching from wearing lenses to wearing glasses.

Glasses can give your irritated eyes a break- allowing swelling to go down and making it more comfortable to wear contacts the next day. You can also use cucumber slices and cold tea bags on the eyelids to provide instant relief if you decide to spend time indoors.

4: Switch to Daily Contact Lenses During Spring.

If you usually wear monthly contact lenses, this simple switch could make your day. Monthly contact lenses can be prone to pollen residue as you need to remove and thoroughly clean contact lenses daily. Disposable daily lenses on the other hand, can be easier to manage during allergy season as you can simply dispose of your contact lenses at the end of the day. Refresh your eyes with a brand new pair of contact lenses each day and minimise the chance of irritation and dry eyes.

5: Upgrade Your Skincare Routine

The delicate skin around and above the eyes can be easily irritated during Spring.. Allergies can cause red irritated skin under the eyes and on the eyelid. If you experience puffy eyes due to a pollen allergy, you might be finding it difficult and uncomfortable to wear your contact lenses. To treat puffy eyes, upgrade your skincare routine. Look for natural skincare products that are designed for sensitive skin and to be used on the delicate eye area. Following a good skincare routine during Spring. will help to reduce inflammation and hydrate the skin around the eyes. This will make it more comfortable to put your contact lenses in and wear them during the day.

allergy season can be a difficult time of year for people who wear contact lenses but with these simple steps you can make it more comfortable to wear contacts during Spring..