Relief In Sight For Allergy Sufferers

For many of the nation's 40 million contact lens wearers, seasonal ocular allergy symptoms such as itching, tearing, and redness caused by contact lens wear, often hit them during the time that they want to be wearing their lenses for outdoor sports, exercise, and socializing. This increase in incidences of lens discomfort causes many to use rewetting drops more often, wear their lenses less frequently, or switch back to glasses.

But, according to most eye care doctors, with the optimum choice of lenses and wearing schedule and, when necessary, appropriate prescribed medication, any allergy sufferer should be able to wear contact lenses, even through the worst allergy season.

"Studies have shown that single use contact lenses are a healthy option for contact wearers in general, and especially for allergy sufferers, " says Cordell Adams, M.D., an Ophthalmologist at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, the second most challenging place to live with spring allergies in the United States last year (Tulsa, OK was #1), according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.(1)

"Single use contacts minimize the exposure to allergens and irritants that can often accumulate with repeated use of the same pair of lenses," adds Dr. Adams. "Single use lenses are convenient for people with allergies because they get a clean, fresh lens every day. They also reduce exposure to chemical disinfectants and preservatives in some contact lens care systems which can affect the ocular surface of the eye when it is in an allergic state."

To help allergy sufferers who would like to start wearing or continue wearing contact lenses, Vistakon, Division, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. is offering a free trial-pair certificate for 1-DAY ACUVUE MOIST Brand Contact Lenses.

"When worn on a daily disposable basis, 1-DAY ACUVUE MOIST may provide improved comfort for two out of three patients suffering from mild discomfort associated with allergies during contact lens wear compared to their usual two-week lens," says Dr. Adams.