Hay fever – what will soothe my eye symptoms?

Taking an oral antihistamine is a good starting point for most people since the tablets can help dry up the excess eye and nasal secretions and help if you get lots of symptoms at once.

It’s worth starting these two weeks before you anticipate the season to prevent symptoms from starting or reduce their severity. You’ll need to know which tree or grass pollen you’re allergic to, as they come out at different times of the year – a symptom diary can help.

Be aware that double-dosing doesn’t bring added benefits, so if you’re already taking antihistamine tablets, there’s no point adding in antihistamine eye drops.

Antihistamine eye drops are one option if you're not on oral antihistamines already. They reduce the histamine response to help ease your eye symptoms. They are available over the counter and include ketotifen (Alaway, Zaditor) and olopatadine (Pataday). An alternative that can work with oral antihistamines is cromolyn sodium 4% eye drops. It’s not in the antihistamine class but works as a stabilizer of the cells that release histamine (mast cells), preventing them from releasing histamine. It works directly in the eyes to suppress allergy symptoms. This product is only available on prescription.

Other eye drops or eye soothers may help to calm and ease irritation. They don’t have any antihistamine action but serve to soothe and hydrate the eyes. They can also cleanse, washing out any allergens or irritants.

Eyelid wipes cleanse away trapped pollen around the eyelids and eyelashes that can cause itchiness and irritation, preventing ongoing irritation and allergic response.

Topical nasal barriers: These are drug-free nasal barriers that can be used to trap pollen around the nostril, minimizing or preventing pollens from going up the nose and provoking an immune response. You could apply Vaseline around the nostrils or Haymax hay fever balm.

Drug-free nasal barrier sprays: These are inert powders or barriers that can be sprayed up the nose to prevent or minimize pollens from triggering hay fever symptoms and preventing the release of histamine. AllerBlock spray is one example.

Red light therapy devices: This is another drug-free option. Red light therapy suppresses the mast cells that release histamine, thereby reducing hay fever symptoms such as watery eyes and a runny nose.

Other herbal, homeopathic, or traditional Chinese medicine remedies include A. Vogel Pollinosan Hay Fever Tablets. These homeopathic medicinal products treat symptoms associated with grass or tree pollen allergies and dust and pet allergies.

Acupressure bands such as the Qu-Chi band are designed to apply pressure to the large intestine 11 (LI-11) acupoint on the elbow. Acupuncturists believe stimulation of this acupoint pulls energy away from the head, nose, face, and throat.