Wash Allergens Off the Face:

• Use a wet washcloth to clean off the eyelids and surrounding face.
• Rinse the eyes with a small amount of warm water (tears will do the rest).
• Then apply a cold wet washcloth to the itchy eye.
• Wash the hair every night because it collects lots of pollen.

Oral Antihistamines:

• If the nose is also itchy and runny, your child probably has hay fever (i.e., allergic symptoms of the nose AND eyes).
• Give your child an oral antihistamine, which should relieve the nose and the eye symptoms.
• Oral antihistamines usually control the eye symptoms and avoid the need for eye drops.
• Benadryl or Chlorpheniramine (CTM) products are very effective (no prescription needed). They need to be given every 6 to 8 hours (See Dosage table). The bedtime dosage is especially important for healing the lining of the nose.
• Continue oral antihistamines every day until pollen season is over (usually 2 months for each pollen).

New Antihistamine Eye Drops (Ketotifen) for Pollen Allergies - 1st Choice:

• Usually an oral antihistamine will adequately control the allergic symptoms of the eye.
• If the eyes remain itchy and poorly controlled, buy some Ketotifen antihistamine eyedrops (no prescription needed).
• Dosage: 1 drop every 12 hours
• Ask your pharmacist to recommend a brand (e.g. Zaditor or Alaway)
• For severe allergies, the continuous use of ketotifen eye drops on a daily basis during pollen season will give the best control.

Older Antihistamine/Vasoconstrictor Eye Drops - 2nd Choice:

• Usually the eyes will feel much better after the allergic substance is washed out and cold compresses are applied.
• If not, this type of eye drop can be used for intermittent eye allergy symptoms (no prescription needed).
• Ask your pharmacist to recommend a brand. Examples are Naphcon A, Opcon A or Visine A.
• Avoid vasoconstrictor eyedrops without an antihistamine (without an A in the name). Reason: they only treat the redness, not the cause.
• Dosage: 1 drop every 8 hours as necessary.
• Avoid continuous use for over 5 days. (Reason: rebound red eyes)
• Disadvantage: less effective than Ketotifen eye drops.

• Itchy eyes aren't controlled in 2 days with continuous allergy treatment
• Your child becomes worse